Cadiz, Spain
Steven Dutch, Professor Emeritus, Natural and Applied Sciences,
Universityof Wisconsin - Green Bay
Above: Regional setting of Cadiz. Rota is a large Spanish and NATO air base.
Cadiz and environs
Street map of Cadiz
Cadiz may be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe, allegedly founded around 100 BC by the Phoenecians. Although many voyages of exploration launched from Cadiz, Seville, inland on the Guadalquivir River, was the principal port for trade with the Americas. Cadiz, as headquarters of the treasure fleet, prospered nicely, as well as being a target for pirates. In the 18th Century, when the river silted up too much for Seville to be a port, Cadiz became the principal trade port.
Plaza de Espana
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The building across the square is the House of Five Towers. The one on the far right is the House of Four Towers. Oh, if only there were some way to tell them apart. |
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The plaza commemorates the Constitution of 1812, a liberal document enacted while Cadiz was virtually the only city in Spain not under the control of the French. It was a bit too liberal for the tastes of European royalty, who helped the King suppress it. The Constitution had on again-off again status until 1837, when a new Constitution was drafted. |
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Left and below: the old town hall. |
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The Cathedral
Impressive, but hung with netting to protect against falling plaster.
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Left: The crypt |
Plaza de Cathedral
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The Atlantic (Southern) Seawall
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Old Town Cadiz
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| Okay, I think I've got the Five Towers - Four Towers thing figured out. | Above: The House of Five Towers, below: the House of Four Towers. |
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The Bay (Northern) Sea Wall
Although the southern seawall is the one mentioned in most tourist maps, the northern is far more scenic.
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Left and below: landward terminus of the seawall and fortifications. |
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Iglesia del Carmen
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Parque Genoves
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Castillo de Santa Catalina
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Parting Views
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A cruise ship dwarfs the nearby buildings. |
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Views of the Plaza de Espana |
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House of Four Towers |
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Above: the Torre Tavira, one of the last remaining watch towers
in Cadiz. Left: two modernesque pylons carry power across the bay. Below: views of the cathedral. |
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Created 22 June 2007, Last Update 03 June 2020