Alcalá de Guadaira
Encyclopedia
Alcalá de Guadaíra is a town located approximately 10 km southeast of Seville, Spain
; in recent years the expansion of Seville has meant that Alcalá has become a suburb of that city. Alcalá used to be known as Alcalá de los Panaderos (Alcalá of the bakers) because it provided most of Seville's bread. The town is located on the banks of the Guadaíra
River, and watermill
s built during the Moorish period of Spain can still be found in the area.
Alcalá de Guadaíra was under the domination of the Muslim
rulers of al-Andalus
(and later the taifa of Seville) until its capture by the Almohads, who built extensive fortifications around the town. These fortifications on a promontory overlooking the river continue to dominate the south-west side of the town. In 1244, Alcalá de Guadaíra was captured by Ferdinand III of Castile
. The latter was responsible for the refurbishing of the castle and town fortifications, which were subsequently used as a royal prison with a military presence. Following Ferdinand's death it fell into disrepair and ceased to be a prison or military barracks.
Alcalá was home to a small but important Jewish community. In December, 1390, Archdeacon Ferand Martinez led a mob that razed the synagogue
to the ground. The members of the Jewish community were soon after put to the sword.
This town was the birthplace of Leandro José de Flores
(1776 - 1839), priest and historian.
In the castle precincts is The Hermitage of Our Lady of the Eagle (Nuestra Señora del Águila), this building dates from the mid 13th century when it was the principal church of the town. Over subsequent centuries, as the town expanded, more churches were constructed and the church of Santiago became the principal parish. Many of the valuable artifacts were taken from the hermitage to Santiago but the image of "La Virgin del Águila" remains there. The image of the virgin is a replica of the original that was destroyed in 1936.
The nearby Marchenilla castle (14th century) was built on the ruins of a Roman
estate.
Both of these industries have fallen into decline but have been replaced by a wide range of modern light and heavy industries on the numerous industrial estates in the north and west of the municipality. The town provides employment not only for local inhabitants but for residents of local towns.
characterised by mild wet winters and hot dry summers. The town is on elevated terrain in relation to Seville, this area is known as Los Alcores, and Alcalá is the largest urban development in this area.
The River Guadaíra
runs through the town and has in places formed a steep sided valley with low cliffs. The upper river watershed is from the land to the east and south-east of the town, it proceeds through the town and joins the Guadalquivir
to the south of Seville. The river has for many years been heavily contaminated with the by-products of olive processing and other waste being dumped directly into the river. Large amounts of foam and an unpleasant smell are not uncommon features of the river in the winter. In spite of this the river provides a haven for much wildlife as its banks are well covered with trees and vegetation.
On the southern side of the river is a large area of stone pine
woodland, Oromana.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
; in recent years the expansion of Seville has meant that Alcalá has become a suburb of that city. Alcalá used to be known as Alcalá de los Panaderos (Alcalá of the bakers) because it provided most of Seville's bread. The town is located on the banks of the Guadaíra
Guadaira
The Guadaíra is a river that runs through the province of Seville, in Andalusia, southern Spain. Its name contains the same guad root as the much larger Rio Guadalquivir, coming from the Arabic word wadi, meaning "river valley"....
River, and watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s built during the Moorish period of Spain can still be found in the area.
History
The town was known as Hienipo by the early Greek settlers, and later Hienipensis by the Romans. Remains of both these cultures have been discovered by local archeological investigation. Alcalá was occupied by Muslim forces in the 7th century and their name has held to modern times.Alcalá de Guadaíra was under the domination of the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
rulers of al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
(and later the taifa of Seville) until its capture by the Almohads, who built extensive fortifications around the town. These fortifications on a promontory overlooking the river continue to dominate the south-west side of the town. In 1244, Alcalá de Guadaíra was captured by Ferdinand III of Castile
Ferdinand III of Castile
Saint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
. The latter was responsible for the refurbishing of the castle and town fortifications, which were subsequently used as a royal prison with a military presence. Following Ferdinand's death it fell into disrepair and ceased to be a prison or military barracks.
Alcalá was home to a small but important Jewish community. In December, 1390, Archdeacon Ferand Martinez led a mob that razed the synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
to the ground. The members of the Jewish community were soon after put to the sword.
This town was the birthplace of Leandro José de Flores
Leandro José de Flores
Leandro José de Flores was a Spanish priest and historian....
(1776 - 1839), priest and historian.
Main sights
The current walls date to the 13th and 14th century.In the castle precincts is The Hermitage of Our Lady of the Eagle (Nuestra Señora del Águila), this building dates from the mid 13th century when it was the principal church of the town. Over subsequent centuries, as the town expanded, more churches were constructed and the church of Santiago became the principal parish. Many of the valuable artifacts were taken from the hermitage to Santiago but the image of "La Virgin del Águila" remains there. The image of the virgin is a replica of the original that was destroyed in 1936.
The nearby Marchenilla castle (14th century) was built on the ruins of a Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
estate.
Economy
Without doubt Alcalá de Guadaíra is an industrial town. Its industrial heritage started in the watermills constructed by the Moors on the banks of the River Guadaíra. These mills were used to grind grain to make flour which supplied bakers in the area. This led over the centuries to Alcalá's reputation as the "bread basket" of Seville. The other industry of historical times was the processing of olives. There were up to 12 olive processing factories in Alcalá in the early 20th century employing many thousands of workers, predominantly women, to prepare the olives for sale after they had been cured.Both of these industries have fallen into decline but have been replaced by a wide range of modern light and heavy industries on the numerous industrial estates in the north and west of the municipality. The town provides employment not only for local inhabitants but for residents of local towns.
Geography
Situated in southern Spain, Alcalá enjoys a mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
characterised by mild wet winters and hot dry summers. The town is on elevated terrain in relation to Seville, this area is known as Los Alcores, and Alcalá is the largest urban development in this area.
The River Guadaíra
Guadaira
The Guadaíra is a river that runs through the province of Seville, in Andalusia, southern Spain. Its name contains the same guad root as the much larger Rio Guadalquivir, coming from the Arabic word wadi, meaning "river valley"....
runs through the town and has in places formed a steep sided valley with low cliffs. The upper river watershed is from the land to the east and south-east of the town, it proceeds through the town and joins the Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
to the south of Seville. The river has for many years been heavily contaminated with the by-products of olive processing and other waste being dumped directly into the river. Large amounts of foam and an unpleasant smell are not uncommon features of the river in the winter. In spite of this the river provides a haven for much wildlife as its banks are well covered with trees and vegetation.
On the southern side of the river is a large area of stone pine
Stone Pine
The Stone Pine , is also called Italian Stone Pine, or Umbrella Pine , and Parasol Pine. It is in the pine family Pinaceae and occasionally listed under the invalid name Pinus sativa. The tree is native to the Mediterranean region...
woodland, Oromana.