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| CÁDIZ, SPAIN |
2004 |
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| CÁDIZ, SPAIN |
2004 |
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Cádiz is a beautiful little city on the southwest coast of Spain, extending into the Atlantic ocean. It is also a very old city. It was originally a port founded by the Phoenicians around 1100 BC. It was called Gadir and served as a market and embarkation point for tin and silver from the area known as Tarshish. |
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In the time of Solomon, ships from this little port would visit Israel about once every two years. The Carthaginians took control of the city around 500 BC and eventually it came under Roman control about 200 BC. The Romans called it Gades, the origin of the present Cádiz. |
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Cádiz fell to the Moors in the 8th century AD. Alfonso X, the Castilian, reconquered the city for Spain in 1262. The little town became important once again after the discovery of the Americas and served as the major port of entry for the riches brought to Spain from the New World. Eventually Spain lost its colonies in the Americas and the city declined once more. |
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When the French laid siege to it between 1810
and 1812, the great English admiral, Wellington, liberated it. The Spanish
ruling body, the Cortes, met here and issued a constitution for all of
Spain in 1812. The great monument of this event is very prominent in Cádiz.
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Columbus made this city his point of departure for his second voyage to the New World in 1495. The city is quite clean and largely consists of white-washed walls. Because it made its living from the sea, many houses were constructed with viewing towers which permitted their inhabitants to keep a watch on the sea-going traffic. Unfortunately, this trend caught hold very quickly and soon so many towers were being added to older buildings that the city passed a law against new ones. They are still a striking architectural element across the town. |
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The streets are not particularly wide, but many are lined with palms and they are easy to get around in. In fact, the city offers many interesting sights. Like New Orleans in the US, Cádiz is famous for its yearly carnival. It is also famous these days for its trade in wine, especially fine sherries; and for agricultural products.
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| Florence | Rome | Monaco | Marseilles | Barcelona | Cadiz | Casablanca | Gibraltar | Lisbon | |
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