El Puerto de Santa María (), locally known as El Puerto and historically in English as Port Saint Mary, is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the

province of Cádiz Cádiz is a Provinces of Spain, province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is the southernmost part of mainland Spain, as well as the southernmost part of ...

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

. , the city has a population of c. 88,184, of which some 50,000 live in the urban center, and the remainder in the surrounding areas. The town of El Puerto de Santa María is located northeast of Cádiz, across the bay of Cádiz.

History

According to the legend told in the

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

, after the

Trojan War The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...

-era, Greek official named Menestheus escaped with his troops through the Straits of Gibraltar and reached the Guadalete River. They established themselves here and called that port 'Menestheus's port' or 'Menesthei Portus' (), after the

oracle An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination. Descript ...

of Menestheus (), to whom, also, the inhabitants of Gades offered sacrifices. In 711, Amazighs (Berbers) (

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

) from the North of Africa (Morocco) conquered southern Spain. They renamed the place ''Alcante'' or ''Alcanatif'' which means Port of Salt, due to the old salt industry of

Phoenicia Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...

ns and Romans. In 1260,

Alfonso X of Castile Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, Kingdom of León, León and Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the April 1257 Imperial election, election of 1 ...

conquered the city from the Moors and renamed it Santa María del Puerto. He organized the land distribution and conceded a charter under the Crown of Castile. Having received a royal charter the city was then allowed to use the title "El" prior to the name of the city itself. From then on, El Puerto was one of the most importants towns of the Kingdom of Seville throughout the late middle ages. The population should not have reached more than 2,000 people in 15th century. 1500 map by Juan de la Cosa

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

visited El Puerto in 1480 and received encouragement for his travel plans. He also met Juan de la Cosa, who would become his pilot during his first expedition to the Americas, which set sail from El Puerto de Santa María in 1492. Juan de la Cosa drew his world map (the first including the coast of New World) in El Puerto in 1500. El Puerto was the residence of several wealthy ''cargadores'', merchants who operated Spain's trade with the Americas. During the 16th and 17th centuries, it was the winter port of the royal

galley A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...

s. In the nineteenth century the city became the General Headquarters for the French Army during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

under the reign of Joseph Bonaparte (1801–1812). The town is steeped in history, museums and monuments. It is also within easy reach of the historical cities of

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

and

Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...

Geography

El Puerto de Santa María is located on the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

coast of the Bay of Cádiz, near the municipalities of Jerez de la Frontera, Rota, Puerto Real, and

. It is popular for its sherry and for its beaches, which are the town's principal tourist attraction. Well known beaches include Vistahermosa, Valdelagrana, and La Puntilla. Like many other southern cities, there are many smaller towns encompassed by the municipality. There is also a major port, known as Puerto Sherry. A large amount of land has been devoted to the Bay of Cádiz Nature Reserve.

Economy

The most important economic activity is

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, mainly because of the beaches, as well as the bullfights held at the arena during the summer. The town also hosts large groups of motorcyclists during the Jerez Motorcycle Grand Prix. There is commercial development in the center and periphery, and a highly developed

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

industry.

Culture

Listed are a few of the main fiestas in the area: * Spring Carnival: Cádiz is the home of Carnival with fancy dress and parades in the streets usually ending on the Tuesday 47 days before Easter. * Semana Santa:

Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...

the week that leads up to Easter Sunday is a wonderful time to enjoy the area with its street parades and long lines of penitents and big crowds. In El Puerto de Santa María, there are daily parades from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. * Campeonato de España (Motorbikes Races): A weekend fiesta of music and dance in April World Championships of Motorcycling. * Feria del Vino Fino (Spring's fair): El Puerto de Santa María's local week of fiesta, dancing sherry drinking and sevillana dancing this is usually in the middle of May. This is the principal festival is the Feria de Primavera (Spring Fair), held between the fifth and sixth week after

. In recent years, it has coincided with May 1. * Romería del Rocio: Festive pilgrimage of up to one million people to the village of Rocio in Almonte, Huelva, usually around the third week of May. * Hogueras de San Juan: Midsummer bonfires and fireworks on the beaches in most areas of Cádiz on 23 June. * Dia de la Virgen del Carmen: One of the most popular Saint of El Puerto de Santa María and all fishermen is the Virgen Del Carmen, and on the 16th of July, her image (statue) is taken from the local Church, carried into the sea on board a fishing boat, and then paraded around the town. A general day of festivities. * Virgen de los Milagros: The saint of the city is La Virgen de los Milagros (Virgin of the Miracles). The festivity is on September the 8th. Her image is taken from the principal church and carried to the street, and then paraded around the town over a carpet of flowers. It is a local day of festivities.

Main sights

* Bullring of El Puerto, which dates back to 1880 with space for 15,000 spectators. * Iglesia Mayor Prioral, known from 1486 * Castle of San Marcos, a fortified church built over the remains of a 10th-century Islamic mosque. It was built by order of

from 1364, also using parts of an ancient Roman edifice nearby. * Monastery of the Victory (early 16th century), built by the Dukes of Medinaceli * Hermitage of Santa Clara (16th-18th century) * Convent of the Holy Spirit (15th century) * Church of San Francisco (next to San Luis Gonzaga building) * Church of San Joaquín * Convent of Santo Domingo * Hospital of San Juan de Dios * Convent of Esclavas del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús * Convent of La Concepción * Chapel of Aurora * Monastery of San Miguel * Hospital of Divina Providencia (''Hospitalito'') * Palace of Aranibar * Palace of Almirante Valdivieso * Antiguo Matadero * Palace of Imblusqueta * Palace of Marqués de Villarreal y Purullena * Palace of Álvarez-Cuevas * Casa Vizarrón (''Casa de las cadenas'') * Casa de los Rivas * Antiguo Pósito * Casa de los Diezmos * Fountain of Galeras * Casa de la Placilla * Casa de Roque Aguado * Fountain of prison * San Luis Gonzaga building * Antigua Aduana * ''Antigua Lonja'' ("Ancient Loggia"), located in the port and dating to the 18th century. * * Several towers El Puerto de Santa María is situated in the middle of the Parque natural Bahia de Cádiz. This include ) of pine forest which form one part of the three ecosystems in the area. An endangered species of chameleon along with other reptiles and birds of immense variety can be found in the forest. Egyptian mongoose can also be spotted in the area. The area boasts two other natural parks, the

Sierra de Grazalema Grazalema is a village located in the northeastern part of the province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, ...

and El Coto Donaña. El Vaporcito

Events

Bullfighting is still enjoyed during the Feria season during the month of August, and during the ''Feria de la Primavera'' (Spring Fair) in early May. This Feria is dedicated to sherry wine and 180,000 half bottles are drunk in 4 days. There are several ''bodegas'' (wineries) in the town centre, all of which can be visited by the public. The most famous bodegas in El Puerto are Osborne and Terry both of which export sherry and brandy worldwide. In the cellars of El Puerto, the dry, pale sherry known as Fino is produced using the traditional method called solera. This method produces Fino, the sweet Muscatel,

Amontillado Amontillado () is a variety of sherry wine characterised by being darker than fino sherry, but lighter than oloroso sherry. Amontillado wine is named after the Montilla municipality, in Andalusia, Spain, where the style of sherry originated in th ...

and the older Oloroso.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

El Puerto de Santa María is twinned with: *

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

, Morocco *

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida and is located southwest of Greater Downtown Miami, Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

, United States * Texcoco, Mexico *

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, United Kingdom * Calp, Spain

Notable people

* Pedro Muñoz Seca, playwright * Rafael Alberti, poet of the Spanish Generation of 1927 * Juan Modesto, Republican general * Valentín Galarza Morante, minister of

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...

* Pedro Pérez Fernández, playwright * Juan Antonio de Vizarrón y Eguiarreta, viceroy and archbishop * Torcuato Benjumeda, architect * Francisco Javier de Burgos y Sarragoiti, journalist * José Cordero de Torres, clockmaker * Joaquín Sánchez Rodríguez, football player * José Manuel Pinto, football player * Abraham Paz, football player * Girolamo Lagomarsini, Italian humanist * Miguel García Granados, President of Guatemala * Valerio Lucci, Italian humanist

Gallery

File:Playa de la Muralla desde el mar.jpg, "La Muralla" beach from the sea File:Atardecer en Valdelagrana.JPG, Sunset in Valdelagrana File:Castillo de San Marcos de El Puerto de Santa María 2009-07-07 (3).JPG, San Marcos Castle File:Monumento a Fernán Caballero, Cecilia Böhl de Faber (23506059128).jpg, Ave María Square File:La Amargura, paso de palio.JPG, Our Lady of Bitterness (Nuestra Señora de la Amargura) File:Plaza de Toros de El Puerto de Santa María 9.jpg, Bull ring File:FuenteGalerasNoche.JPG, Galeras fountain File:Penitente pequeño.JPG, Penitente File:Desembocadura del río Guadalete.jpg, Guadalete River File:Playa de la Puntilla con el espigón de fondo en bajamar (El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz).JPG, Puntilla Beach File:Carnaval 2007 El Puerto de Santa María.JPG, Carnival 2007 File:Ayuntamiento de El Puerto de Santa María.JPG, City Hall File:San Bartolomé, esquina Los Moros (1).JPG, San Bartolomé street File:Monasterio de la Victoria 2009-12-27.jpg, Monastery of La Victoria File:FaroPuertroSherry.jpg, Lighthouse at the entrance of Puerto Sherry File:Portada, Feria de Primavera y Fiesta del Vino Fino.jpg, Entrance, "Feria de Primavera y Fiesta del Vino Fino" (Festival of Spring and Feast of Vino Fino

Notes

References

External links

Official webpage

Cultural Information
of the Monuments and Museums of El Puerto de Santa María
Journal of history of El Puerto

{{DEFAULTSORT:Puerto De Santa Maria, El Costa de la Luz Municipalities of the Province of Cádiz Port cities and towns on the Spanish Atlantic coast Sherry Classical oracles Greek colonies in Iberia