El Puerto de Santa María (Spanish pronunciation: [el ˈpweɾto ðe ˈsanta maˈɾi.a], lit. "the Port of Saint Mary"), locally known as El Puerto and historically in English as Port Saint Mary,[2][3] is a municipality of Spain located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. As of 2016[update], 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.
According to the legend told in the Odyssey of Homer, after the Trojan War a 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 (Greek: Μενεσθέως λιμήν), after the oracle of Menestheus (Greek: Μαντεῖον τοῦ Μενεσθέως), to whom, also, the inhabitants of Gades offered sacrifices.[4][5]
In 711, Arab (Moors) from the North of Africa conquered southern Spain. They renamed the place Alcante or Alcanatif which means Port of Salt, due to the old salt industry of Phoenicians and Romans.
In 1260, Alfonso X of Castile 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. This is a distinguishing property and even though Madrid is the capital of Spain it has not earned this distinction. In his Cantigas de Santa Maria CSM 367, Alfonso sings that he was miraculously healed of swollen legs after visiting his church of Santa María do Porto.
De la Cosa's map.
Christopher Columbus's first expedition to the Americas set sail from El Puerto de Santa María. His pilot, Juan de la Cosa drew his world map (the first including the coast of New World) in El Puerto in 1500.
Columbus visited El Puerto in 1480 and received encouragement for his travel plans. He also met Juan de la Cosa who issued the first world map 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 galleys.
In the nineteenth century the city became the General Headquarters for the French Army during the Peninsular War under the reign of Joseph Bonaparte (1801–1812).[6]
The town is steeped in history, museums and monuments. It is also within easy reach of the historical cities of Seville and Cádiz.
El Puerto de Santa María is located on the Atlantic coast of the Bay of Cádiz, near the municipalities of Jerez de la Frontera, Rota, Puerto Real, and Cádiz. 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
Antigua Lonja
The most important economic activity is tourism, 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 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 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 Holy Week. 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.[7]
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.
Castle of San Marcos, a fortified church built over the remains of a 10th-century Islamic mosque. It was built by order of Alfonso X of Castile from 1364, also using parts of an ancient Roman edifice nearby.
El Puerto de Santa María is situated in the middle of the Parque natural Bahia de Cádiz. This include 2-square-kilometer (0.77 sq mi)) 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 and El Coto Donaña.
Panoramic view of the old ferry sailing across the Bay of Cádiz.
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 and the older Oloroso.
^"Puerto de Santa Maria" entry in The Americana. Volume 16. Scientific American Compiling Dep't, 1911.
^Ricardo Padrón. The Spacious Word: Cartography, Literature, and Empire in Early Modern Spain. University of Chicago Press, 2004. p. 88. ISBN9780226644332
^"Southern Spain Peninsula War Tour, 7 days, Malaga to Cadiz". www.theculturalexperience.com. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
^"Festividad Virgen del Carmen El Puerto de Santa María | Provincia de Cádiz". Costa Sur. Retrieved 2020-12-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to El Puerto de Santa María.
Official webpage
Cultural Information of the Monuments and Museums of El Puerto de Santa María
Journal of history of El Puerto
April 01, 2023
puerto, santa, maría, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, augus. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources El Puerto de Santa Maria news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message El Puerto de Santa Maria Spanish pronunciation el ˈpweɾto de ˈsanta maˈɾi a lit the Port of Saint Mary locally known as El Puerto and historically in English as Port Saint Mary 2 3 is a municipality of Spain located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cadiz Andalusia As of 2016 update 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 El Puerto de Santa Maria Port Saint MaryMunicipalityFlagCoat of armsNickname La ciudad de los 100 palacios The city of the 100 palaces Motto Puerto de MenesteoEl Puerto de Santa MariaLocation in SpainCoordinates 36 36 N 6 13 W 36 600 N 6 217 W 36 600 6 217 Coordinates 36 36 N 6 13 W 36 600 N 6 217 W 36 600 6 217CountrySpainAutonomous CommunityAndalusiaProvinceCadizGovernment TypeAyuntamiento MayorGerman Beardo PP Area Total159 34 km2 61 52 sq mi Elevation0 m 0 ft Population 2018 1 Total88 364 Density550 km2 1 400 sq mi DemonymPortuenseTime zoneCET GMT 1 Summer DST CEST GMT 2 Post code11500Area code 34956WebsiteOfficial websiteThe town of El Puerto de Santa Maria is located 10 km 6 mi northeast of Cadiz across the bay of Cadiz Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Economy 4 Culture 5 Main sights 6 Events 7 International relations 7 1 Twin towns Sister cities 8 Notable people 9 Gallery 10 See also 11 References 12 External linksHistory EditAccording to the legend told in the Odyssey of Homer after the Trojan War a 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 Greek Menes8ews limhn after the oracle of Menestheus Greek Manteῖon toῦ Menes8ews to whom also the inhabitants of Gades offered sacrifices 4 5 In 711 Arab Moors from the North of Africa conquered southern Spain They renamed the place Alcante or Alcanatif which means Port of Salt due to the old salt industry of Phoenicians and Romans In 1260 Alfonso X of Castile conquered the city from the Moors and renamed it Santa Maria 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 This is a distinguishing property and even though Madrid is the capital of Spain it has not earned this distinction In his Cantigas de Santa Maria CSM 367 Alfonso sings that he was miraculously healed of swollen legs after visiting his church of Santa Maria do Porto De la Cosa s map Christopher Columbus s first expedition to the Americas set sail from El Puerto de Santa Maria His pilot Juan de la Cosa drew his world map the first including the coast of New World in El Puerto in 1500 Columbus visited El Puerto in 1480 and received encouragement for his travel plans He also met Juan de la Cosa who issued the first world map 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 galleys In the nineteenth century the city became the General Headquarters for the French Army during the Peninsular War under the reign of Joseph Bonaparte 1801 1812 6 The town is steeped in history museums and monuments It is also within easy reach of the historical cities of Seville and Cadiz Geography Edit San Marcos Castle Iglesia Prioral El Puerto de Santa Maria is located on the Atlantic coast of the Bay of Cadiz near the municipalities of Jerez de la Frontera Rota Puerto Real and Cadiz 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 Cadiz Nature Reserve Economy Edit Antigua Lonja The most important economic activity is tourism 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 industry Culture EditListed are a few of the main fiestas in the area Spring Carnival Cadiz 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 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 Maria there are daily parades from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday Campeonato de Espana 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 Maria 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 Holy Week In recent years it has coincided with May 1 Romeria 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 Cadiz on 23 June Dia de la Virgen del Carmen One of the most popular Saint of El Puerto de Santa Maria 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 7 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 Edit Bull ring 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 Alfonso X of Castile 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 Joaquin Convent of Santo Domingo Hospital of San Juan de Dios Convent of Esclavas del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Convent of La Concepcion 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 Marques de Villarreal y Purullena Palace of Alvarez Cuevas Casa Vizarron Casa de las cadenas Casa de los Rivas Antiguo Posito 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 Museo Arqueologico Municipal Several towersEl Puerto de Santa Maria is situated in the middle of the Parque natural Bahia de Cadiz This include 2 square kilometer 0 77 sq mi 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 and El Coto Donana Panoramic view of the old ferry sailing across the Bay of Cadiz Events EditBullfighting 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 and the older Oloroso International relations EditSee also List of twin towns and sister cities in Spain Twin towns Sister cities Edit This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed April 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message El Puerto de Santa Maria is twinned with La Guera Western Sahara Coral Gables Florida United States Texcoco Mexico Brighton United Kingdom Calp SpainNotable people Edit Juan Antonio de Vizarron y Eguiarreta Pedro Munoz Seca playwright Rafael Alberti poet of the Spanish Generation of 1927 Juan Modesto Republican general Valentin Galarza Morante minister of Francisco Franco Pedro Perez Fernandez playwright Juan Antonio de Vizarron y Eguiarreta viceroy and archbishop Torcuato Benjumeda architect Francisco Javier de Burgos y Sarragoiti journalist Jose Cordero de Torres clockmaker Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez football player Jose Manuel Pinto football player Abraham Paz football player Girolamo Lagomarsini Italian humanistGallery Edit La Muralla beach from the sea Sunset in Valdelagrana San Marcos Castle Ave Maria Square Our Lady of Bitterness Nuestra Senora de la Amargura Bull ring Galeras fountain Penitente Guadalete River Puntilla Beach Carnival 2007 City Hall San Bartolome street Monastery of La Victoria Lighthouse at the entrance of Puerto Sherry Entrance Feria de Primavera y Fiesta del Vino Fino Festival of Spring and Feast of Vino FinoSee also EditHistory of Sherry List of Bienes de Interes Cultural in El Puerto de Santa Maria List of mayors of El Puerto de Santa MariaReferences Edit Municipal Register of Spain 2018 National Statistics Institute Puerto de Santa Maria entry in The Americana Volume 16 Scientific American Compiling Dep t 1911 Ricardo Padron The Spacious Word Cartography Literature and Empire in Early Modern Spain University of Chicago Press 2004 p 88 ISBN 9780226644332 STRABO GEOGRAPHY Book III Chapter 1 9 MENESTHEI PORTUS Southern Spain Peninsula War Tour 7 days Malaga to Cadiz www theculturalexperience com Retrieved 2020 12 29 Festividad Virgen del Carmen El Puerto de Santa Maria Provincia de Cadiz Costa Sur Retrieved 2020 12 29 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to El Puerto de Santa Maria Official webpage Cultural Information of the Monuments and Museums of El Puerto de Santa Maria Journal of history of El Puerto 360 Panoramic walk of El Puerto de Santa Maria Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title El Puerto de Santa Maria amp oldid 1144706307, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
