Grazalema is a village located in the northeastern part of the province of
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 ...
, in the autonomous community 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 ...
, Spain. Situated in the foothills of the
Sierra del Pinar
Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" or "mountain chain" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following:
Places Mountains and mountain ranges
* Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico
* Sierra de las Nieves ...
mountain range (
Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park
The Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park () is a natural park in the northeastern part of the province of Cádiz in southern Spain. The park encompasses, within its , a complex of mountain ranges, known collectively as the Sierra de Grazalema, which, ...
), Grazalema had, as of 2009, a population of 2,205.
History
The Roman villa of Lacidulia or Lacidulerium,
situated in an estate near to the present village, has been traditionally considered the ancestor of Grazalema.
During Muslim rule in the 8th century, these lands were populated by people of North African origin and from them, the area acquired the name of Raisa lami Suli. During this period, its economy was organised around forestry, agriculture, farming and textile manufacture.
With the Christian conquest in 1485, Zagrazalema, as it was called at the time, became part of the lands of the
Rodrigo Ponce de León y Núñez
Rodrigo () is a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian name derived from the Germanic name ''Roderick'' ( Gothic ''*Hroþareiks'', via Latinized ''Rodericus'' or ''Rudericus''), given specifically in reference to either King Roderic (d. 712), the last ...
. It became economically important as of the 17th century thanks to the drapery industry which produced the famous shawls of Grazalema. In the first years of the 19th century, during the
War of Independence
Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...
, Grazalema suffered attacks and sieges from the Napoleonic troops who partially destroyed the village.
See also
*
Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park
The Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park () is a natural park in the northeastern part of the province of Cádiz in southern Spain. The park encompasses, within its , a complex of mountain ranges, known collectively as the Sierra de Grazalema, which, ...
*
Grazalema blanket
A Grazalema blanket (), also known as Grazalema cloth () is a type of striped brown and beige thick cloth that was particularly popular between the 17th and 19th centuries. It takes its name from the town of its origin, Grazalema, one of the main ...
*
List of municipalities in Cádiz
Cádiz is a province in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain, which is divided into 45 municipalities. Spanish census, Cádiz is the 8th largest of the 50 provinces by population, with inhabitants, and the 34th largest by land area, ...
References
External links
Grazalema GuideInformation about Grazalema
Andalusian statistical information system
{{authority control
Municipalities of the Province of Cádiz