Aznalcázar is a town located in the
province of Seville, southern
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. It is only 20 minutes away from Seville, and is one of the 13 towns located in
Doñana National Park
Doñana National Park or Parque Nacional y Natural de Doñana is a natural reserve in Andalucía, southern Spain, in the provinces of Huelva (most of its territory), Cádiz and Seville. It covers , of which are a protected area. The park is an ...
, one of Spain's most important national parks and wildlife reserves.
As most Spanish towns, Aznalcázar has an active social and cultural life, with several bars and restaurants, annual “fiestas”, two supermarkets, one Spanish language school for foreigners and 3 banks. It is also home to Las Minas golf course.
Public transportation connects Aznalcázar with Seville, as well as nearby towns and landmarks such as El Rocío.
History
The town could be possibly identified with Olontigi, an ancient
Tartessian settlement of which not much is known but its coinage issue between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, bearing the Latin inscription OLVNT. The ''Barrington Atlas of the Ancient World'' equates this site with modern Aznalcázar. Less likely alternatives proposed in the 19th century include
Gibraleón
Gibraleón is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. ...
,
Moguer
Moguer is a municipality and small city located in the province of Huelva, Andalusia, Spain. According to the 2022 census, it has a population of 22,623. Its surface area is , and its population density is .
The present site of Moguer had been h ...
and
Almonte, all in the
Province of Huelva
Huelva () is a province of southern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by Portugal, the provinces of Badajoz, Seville, and Cádiz, and the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Huelva.
Its area is 10,1 ...
. Given
Pliny
Pliny may refer to:
People
* Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'')
* Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...
's mention of the city along with
Laelia
''Laelia'' is a small genus of 25 species in the orchid family (Orchidaceae). ''Laelia'' species are found in areas of subtropical or temperate climate in Central and South America, but mostly in Mexico. ''Laelia'' is abbreviated ''L.'' in the ...
and
Lastigi on the Menoba river (
Guadiamar
The Guadiamar is a river of Andalusia, Spain, and a tributary of the Guadalquivir. Its course runs entirely within the Province of Seville, flowing from Sierra Morena through the eastern border of Doñana National Park.
Mining disaster
In 1998, t ...
), Aznalcázar, or a nearby town, is the most likely candidate.
The current name derives from the arab fortress and palace (
ar: حصن القصر), which translates to "Fortress of the palace".
Main sights
*Church of St. Paul, in Gothic-Mudéjar style
*18th century houses
*Old Fountain
*Cerro del Alcázar, site of archaeological findings (such as Punic-Libyan coins) and of remains, such as remains of the fortress from which the town takes its name.
Tourism
Located inside the Doñana, one of Spain's most important national parks and wildlife reserves, Aznalcazar is a great gateway for ecotourism and Sevilla. The town has one small hotel, one casa rural (bed & breakfast alike hotel) and one Spanish language school.
References
External links
Aznalcázar- Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía
Municipalities of the Province of Seville
{{Andalusia-geo-stub