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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.

Contents

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.)

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.

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.

Places to visit

Events

Nearby

Near Huelva lay Herculis Insula, mentioned by Strabo (iii. p. 170), called Ἡράκλεια by Steph. B. (s. v.), now Isla Saltés.

References

External links


[http://encycl.opentopia.com/ edit ] Municipalities of Huelva

Aljaraque | Almonaster la Real | Almonte | Alosno | Alájar | Aracena | Aroche | Arroyomolinos de León | Ayamonte | Beas | Berrocal | Bollullos Par del Condado | Bonares | Cabezas Rubias | Cala | Calañas | Campofrío | Cartaya | Castaño del Robledo | Cañaveral de León | Chucena | Corteconcepción | Cortegana | Cortelazor | Cumbres Mayores | Cumbres de Enmedio | Cumbres de San Bartolomé | El Almendro | El Campillo | El Cerro de Andévalo | El Granado | Encinasola | Escacena del Campo | Fuenteheridos | Galaroza | Gibraleón | Higuera de la Sierra | Hinojales | Hinojos | Huelva | Isla Cristina | Jabugo | La Granada de Río-Tinto | La Nava | La Palma del Condado | Lepe | Linares de la Sierra | Los Marines | Lucena del Puerto | Manzanilla | Minas de Riotinto | Moguer | Nerva | Niebla | Palos de la Frontera | Paterna del Campo | Paymogo | Puebla de Guzmán | Puerto Moral | Punta Umbría | Rociana del Condado | Rosal de la Frontera | San Bartolomé de la Torre | San Juan del Puerto | San Silvestre de Guzmán | Sanlúcar de Guadiana | Santa Ana la Real | Santa Bárbara de Casa | Santa Olalla del Cala | Trigueros | Valdelarco | Valverde del Camino | Villablanca | Villalba del Alcor | Villanueva de las Cruces | Villanueva de los Castillejos | Villarrasa | Zalamea la Real | Zufre

 

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