Guadix

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Guadix
coat of arms Map of Spain
Coat of arms of Guadix
Guadix (Spain)
Finland road sign 311 (1994-2020) .svg
Basic data
Autonomous Community : Andalusia
Province : Granada
Coordinates 37 ° 18 ′  N , 3 ° 8 ′  W Coordinates: 37 ° 18 ′  N , 3 ° 8 ′  W
Height : 949  msnm
Area : 324.26 km²
Residents : 18,422 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density : 56.81 inhabitants / km²
Postal code : 18500
Municipality number  ( INE ): 18089
administration
Website : www.guadix.es
Location of the city
LocationGuadix (municipality) .png

Guadix [ ɡwaðiks ] is a city in a fertile plateau in the northeast of the province of Granada ( Spain ) at an altitude of 915 m on the banks of the Río Guadix .

The place is best known for its cave district: In the soft tufa and loess rock , around 2000 caves have been dug, in which, depending on the source, 4000 to 10,000 people live.

Panorama over Guadix
View of Guadix and Sierra Nevada

history

Guadix was already known to the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC. Known as Acci, it became a wealthy colony under the Romans .

Later, through the work of the preacher Torquatus of Acci ( San Torcuato in Spanish ), it became one of the first Christian cities in Spain, and one of the first and most important Visigothic bishoprics.

The city ​​flourished under the Moors , became a center of silk production and got its current name in Arabic وادي آش / Wādī Āš  / 'flow of life' decreases.

In 1489 the city fell into Christian hands during the Reconquista (reconquest) by the Catholic Kings ; among the Christians the cathedral , the Plaza Mayor and numerous churches were built. The city center suffered a lot from the Napoleonic troops (1810) and the Spanish Civil War (1936).

Since 1987 Guadix has been a twin town of Buenos Aires ( Argentina ), possibly on the 400th birthday / 350th anniversary of the death of Pedro de Mendoza .

Attractions

Cave dwellings

The cave district ( Troglodytos ) is located in the south of the old town (Barrio de Santiago, see below), they stand out from afar due to the conical hills with the whitewashed facades and chimneys. For a long time it was mainly artists - Guadix is ​​known for its potters - and gypsies ( Kalé or gitanos ) who settled here ; the spectrum of apartments ranges from luxury to poor den.

cathedral

The center of the old town is the cathedral, construction of which began in 1510 on the site of the mosque and was only finished in 1796. The long construction period led to a mix of styles from Gothic to Renaissance to Baroque : The original Gothic plan was changed by Diego de Siloé , who added the Renaissance dome, among other things; Choir stalls and pulpit as well as the west facade are the most striking baroque elements.

Other sights include the arcaded Plaza Mayor, a Renaissance square from the 16th century that was rebuilt after the destruction in the Spanish Civil War. It is located in the middle of the medieval Jewish quarter, where the Arab silk weavers lived alongside the Jews.

In the neighboring Barrio de Santiago you will find the Renaissance church of the same name with a Plateresque main portal, as well as the Palacio de Peñaflor, a Renaissance palace with a beautiful wooden balcony. Behind the palace is the Alcazaba (fortress), from which you have a beautiful view of the cave district and the Sierra Nevada . The Moorish influence on the city can also be felt on strolls through the Barrio de Santa Ana and Barrio de San Miguel districts.

Personalities

Town twinning

Web links

Commons : Guadix  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).