Monuments

THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD IS PICTURED IN CADIZ

With more than three thousand years of history, the capital of the province is the oldest city in the West. Tartessians and Phoenicians visited these lands, and the Romans and Visigoths also left their mark. It was taken by the Moors in 711 CE and formed part of their kingdom until Alfonso X the Wise took the city in the 13th century and made it part of the Kingdom of Castile.

In the 18th century, Cadiz's golden century, the city monopolised overseas trade and established permanent links with America. It became an essential part of the Grand Tour of European Romantic writers. The city's cosmopolitan and liberal spirit is enshrined in “la Pepa”, the first Spanish Constitution, approved on 19 March 1812.

“La Pepa” route is one of the most attractive ones for passing through the province of Cadiz, evoking the colours, flavours, architecture, gardens, daily life and even the thinking of cities such as Cadiz, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda, with their close links to overseas trade.

The route is an evocation of Cadiz's connections with Latin America and the marks that this exchange has left on the coast of the region.

The American Route includes palaces, manor houses of the Shippers to the Indies, the old Customs House of Cuba and the Philippines, the watch towers to see the ships arrive, the monasteries founded to house the friar preachers awaiting their transfer to overseas destinations. A wealth of memories that await the visitor on a route through three cities with such close links to the New World.

3 PLACES FOR DISCOVERING HISTORY