Huelva
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Huelva is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous region of Andalusia. It is located along the Gulf of Cadiz coast, at the confluence of the Odiel and Rio Tinto rivers. According to the 2005 census, the city has a population of 145,150 inhabitants.
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[edit] Situation and History
A maritime town between the rivers Anas (modern Guadiana) and Baetis (modern Guadalquivir), it was seated on the estuary of the river Luxia (modern Odiel), and on the road from the mouth of the Anas to Augusta Emerita (modern Mérida). (Itin. Ant. p. 431.)
The city was founded by the Phoenicians and called Onoba. The Greeks kept the name and rendered it Ὄνοβα. It was in the hands of the Turdetani at the time of conquest by Rome. It was called both Onoba Aestuaria (Greek: Ὄνοβα Αἰστουάρια, Ptol., ii. 4. § 5) or simply, Onoba (Strabo, iii. p. 143, Mela, iii. 1. § 5) or Onuba (used on coinage) during Roman times. The city was incorporated into the Roman province of Hispania Baetica. The Arabs then called it Walbah. It suffered substantial damage in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.
There are still some Roman remains, especially of an aqueduct. The city had a mint; and many coins have been found there bearing the name of the town as Onuba. (Florez. Med. ii. pp. 510, 649; Mionnet, i. p. 23, Suppl. p. 39; Sestini, Med. Isp. p. 75, ap. Ukert, vol. ii. pt. 1. p. 340.)
[edit] Modern Huelva
Tropical Depression Vince made landfall just off the coast of Huelva in October 2005, making it the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Spain, but no injuries or damage were reported.
The local football (soccer) team Recreativo de Huelva is the oldest in Spain and its foundation dates from 1889.
[edit] Chistopher Columbus
One series of attraction to visit in this province are the so-called Columbus sites . These sites include Huelva itself, Moguer, Palos de la Frontera and the Rábida Monastery. The visitors can find the places where Columbus sought the aid of the Fransicans at the monastery of La Rábida. They introduced him to local rich sailors – the Pinzón Brothers- and Ferdinand and Isabella.
Thanks to those meetings, Christopher was able to arrange his first voyage, using resources and local crew (including captains). It is hypothesized that Columbus got the final route by speaking with Alonso Sanchez, a sailor in the city of Huelva.
Columbus exchanged ideas, theories, and got the political and economic support that had been previously denied by European authorities of the time.
Huelva was not only the starting point of that important voyage, it was the starting point of the realization of an idea of many people towards a new horizon.
[edit] Places to visit
- Avenida Andalucía
- Barrio Reina Victoria (Barrio Obrero - Workers' District) photos
- Bulevar de la Avenida Andalucía photos
- Cabezo Del Conquero photos
- Capilla de la Soledad
- Casa Colón, House of Christopher Columbus photos
- Casa del Millón photos
- Cathedral of La Merced [1] (Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Merced) photos
- Cementario de la Soledad, holds the body of William Martin, a supposed naval commander, known as 'The Man Who Never Was'
- Ciudad Deportiva (Sports) photos
- Clínica Sanz de Frutos, the former Conservatorio de Música
- Cocheras de Locomotoras, Cocheras del Puerto photos
- Columbus Trail [2] Across the Río Tinto estuary from Huelva, the monastery of La Rábida and the villages of Palos and Moguer are all places connected with the voyages of Columbus to the New World.
- Conservatorio de Música
- Convent of San Francisco
- Convento de las Agustinas photos
- Corpus Christi Hospital, converted into a theatre
- Ermita de la Soledad photos
- Estación de Sevilla photos
- Nuevo Colombino stadium photos
- Gran Teatro, on Calle Vásquez López photos
- Humilladero de la Cinta photos
- Iglesia de la Concepción photos
- Iglesia de la Milagrosa photos
- Iglesia de San Pedro [3]
- Jardines de la Avenida Andalucía photos
- Jardines de la Casa Colón
- Jardines de Muelle, well-kept gardens located near the port, bordered on all sides by busy roads, with a statue of Alonso Sánchez photos
- Monasterio de Santa María de la Rábida [4], located seven kilometres south of Huelva city where the Tinto and Odiel rivers meet.
- Monastery of Santa Clara
- Monumento a Cristobal Colón, a huge monument of Christopher Columbus situated at the Punta de Sebo, overlooking the confluence of the Odiel and Tinto rivers
- Monumento a la Fe Descubridora (Monument to the Faith Discoverer) photo
- Muelle de Levante photos
- Muelle de Mineral (Mineral wharf)
- Muelle de Riotinto photo
- Museo de Huelva [5]
- Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes
- Palacio de Los Deportes (Sports Palace) photos
- Palacio de Mora Claros photos
- Palacio Municipal de Huelva (Ayuntamiento), city council building photos
- Palos de la Frontera [6], small village on the River Tinto 10km upstream from Huelva City, this is where in 1492 Columbus Set sail westwards and discovered America
- Parque Alonso Sánchez, a park in the city center consisting of three hills with panoramic views photos
- Parque Moret, major park which houses the sports centre photos
- Parroquia Mayor de San Pedro (Greater Parish of San Pedro) photos
- Paseo Santa Fe y Antiguo Mercado photos
- Plaza 12 de Octubre
- Plaza de las Monjas (Monjas Square) photos
- Plaza de Toros photos
- Polideportivos y Pistas Municipales (sports) photos
- Port Office
- Provincial Museum
- Punta Umbría, [7] the closest beach resort to the City of Huelva
- Queen Victoria Workers' Quarter
- Santuario de Nuestra Señora Virgen de La Cinta [8]photos, a chapel where Columbus is said to have prayed before setting sail
[edit] Events
- Carnaval, fiesta
- Festival de Cine [9]
- Fiestas Colombinas, fiesta first week of August
- Fiestas de la Cinta, between 3rd - 8th September
- San Sebastián, festival Jan 20th
- Semana Santa (Easter Week)
- Virgen de la Cinta, fiesta September 8
[edit] Nearby
Near Huelva lay Herculis Insula, mentioned by Strabo (iii. p. 170), called Ἡράκλεια by Steph. B. (s. v.), now Isla Saltés.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography by William Smith (1857).
[edit] External links
- Huelva - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía
- City of Huelva Andalucia Destination
- Huelva municipal government Official Website (Spanish)
- Huelva Hoy Daily Events in Spanish
- Huelva Cultura in Spanish
- Port Authority of Huelva Official web page with information about the port, its history and technical characteristics.
- Damas Bus Company [12][13]
- Maps [14][15][16]
- Local Writers [17] in Spanish
- Santa Bárbara de casa Huelva
