History of Jerez
The true origins of the city of Jerez de la Frontera remain a mystery even today. For some researchers the city formed a part of the ancient Tartessic Empire. For others the origins of the city are to be found in its relationship with the primitive Phoenician settlement of Serit or Ceret, a name which was stamped upon coins and which in later years was changed to that of Seritium or Xeritium by the Latin speakers; becoming Sheres, Xerez, Xerez Sadunia in Arabic and from there through Xerez Sidonis, Sidonia or Seduña, down to the present day Jerez de la Frontera.
What is in no doubt is that some form of settlement existed in Jerez prior to the arrival of the Romans, a fact verified by the archaeological remains discovered in Asta Regia, nowadays known as Mesas de Asta, located just one kilometre from Jerez on the road leading to Trebujena.
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An urban nucleus then began to emerge from these slightly obscure origins to become well known during the age of Islamic domination.
It is during the Moorish occupation, however, that Jerez took on the characteristics of a city. It seems unlikely that this occurred prior to the 9th century and its definitive urban character was not acquired until the 11th and 12th centuries when the city wall and the Almohad style Alcázar fortress were erected.
It is only as from the early 12th century and Almohad domination that both archaeologists and architects seem to coincide in their opinions. It is therefore from this date onwards that we can begin to speak of the city of Jerez as standing in its current geographic location, and it is during this period of its history that a new urban structure emerged to later give way, along with logical transformations and natural growth, to the layout of the historical city centre as we know it today.
When the Moors first arrived Jerez was little more than a single castle, or fortress, surrounded by a network of streets, lacking even a city wall. This castle was located on the very spot where the Alcázar stands today and those streets the ones which now surround the Cathedral. The Moors must have walled the area, but in time this proved to be insufficient to cater for the growth rate of the city and a neighbouring settlement emerged in the area known today as San Dionisio. This smaller settlement later became a suburb of the original urban centre
This urban layout is the one discovered by Alfonso VII when he stormed the city in the year 1133 – during the late Almoravid period, setting fire to its main buildings and raising its walls practically to the ground.
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Once the attack was complete the necessary reconstruction of the city called for a new approach, with the construction of an enclosure which was much larger than the previous one, including both the primitive walled nucleus around the castle and also the newer neighbouring settlement which had sprung up around San Dionisio, whilst at the same time leaving an extensive open space to allow for future population growth.
The reconstruction of the city wall began towards the latter part of the Almoravid dynasty and continued well into the Almohad period, which in Jerez dates back to 1146. The same characteristics are thought to apply to the construction of the Alcázar fortress.
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The walled enclosure is quadrangular in shape and has four vertexes: the first in the Alcázar; the second at the junction of the calle Larga and the calle Bizcocheros; the third on the corner where the calle Ancha meets the Porvera; and finally, where the watchtower still stands at the end of the calle Muro.
The lines of the city walls stretched from vertex to vertex, crowned with battlements and interrupted at regular intervals by rectangular towers, with watchtowers standing on each corner. Centrally located upon each side was a gateway, and in the South Eastern corner of the fortified perimeter stood the Alcázar fortress. This building was the residence of the Christian monarchs and occupied the same spot where once stood the ancient castle which existed at the time of the Moslem conquest. It was designed in a unitary manner, as a whole, divided into two main areas according to their different use; one including the area of the Mosque, Parade Ground, baths, stables, etc.., where public access would be more frequent and straightforward, and the other assigned to house the main rooms of the walí and the residential quarters of the garrison.
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With regard to the gateways, these were fashioned out of adobe, as were the city wall, and took the shape of a double right angle. During the Almohad dynasty there were four gateways, with others being added during Christian times in order to facilitate communication between the inner enclosure and the suburbs which had started to spring up around the exterior: these were the Puerta Real (Royal Gate), or Marmolejo, Puerta Sevilla (Seville Gate), Puerta Santiago (Santiago Gate) and Puerta Rota (Rota Gate)
Within the walled enclosure the layout of the streets was governed both by the structure of the wall and the communication lines connecting one gate to the other. In this way the main thoroughfare of Jerez would be the one connecting the Royal and Santiago gateways. This would in turn cross the street linking the Santiago and Rota gateways.
The Islamic city was divided into different neighbourhoods, each with their own mosque and market. Its streets were narrow and winding with few houses and small windows looking out to the exterior. It was during the Almohad period that the interior of the walled enclosure became fully urbanised.
In the 13th century Jerez was incorporated into the kingdom of Castile. The 13th century was indeed a crucial century which witnessed the collapse of Moslem political structures and the consequent process of conquest and repopulation of the region by the Christians from the north.
During the period of the Reconquista and the repopulation of Andalucía by Fernando III and Alfonso X, which lasted from 1224 to 1300, the base was set for a new Andalucía, one which had been radically transformed with regard to its basic demographic, institutional, economic, social and cultural structures as a result of its incorporation into Castile. This brought about an abrupt break with the previous age, and entry into a different world and concept of society: that of Christian Europe.
Once Seville had been conquered by Fernando III in 1248, Jerez availed itself, as did other cities in the Cadiz area, of an agreement under the terms of which the Castilians agreed to respect both private property and way of life in return for a Tribute. The area of the Guadalete River was annexed under these terms in 1249 as the king of Castile became aware of his incapacity to repopulate such an extensive region. He left the Mudejars (Moslems permitted to live under Christian rule) in possession of their lands, presenting Lebrija, Jerez, Arcos and Medina Sidonia to Prince Enrique. The repeal of this privilege by Alfonso X in the early years of his reign (1253) made it necessary to reconsider the situation of the region. Indeed, during the first months of the year 1253 Alfonso X, with the help of troops from the Military Order of Calatrava, carried out a military campaign in the region of the Guadalete, eliminating the different local Moslem chiefs and proceeding to establish Castilian garrisons in certain towns. Such was the case of Jerez. The Chronicles of Alfonso X refer to a certain Abén Abit, lord of the town of Jerez, who offered to surrender the Alcázar fortress on the condition that he “be allowed to flee safe and sound along with all his belongings”. The alcázar was then handed in possession to the Castilian noble Niño de Lara, who in turn entrusted it to a knight named Garci Gómez Carillo.
This more precarious autonomous regime – in which the previous Moslem authorities were substituted by others who were more cooperative to Castile and whereby Christian military detachments were housed in their palaces and fortresses – endured until the year 1262/3.
In 1262 a radical change took place in the policies of Alfonso X which may have been due to two main factors. Firstly, it is known that by around this date the repopulation of Seville was well underway and, secondly, the monarch was apparently determined to bring an end to the small, almost autonomous Moslem outposts. It began with the kingdom of Niebla in 1262 and the repopulation of Cádiz where a bishop’s palace was erected in early 1263 effectively blocking off maritime access to the Mudejar population of Jerez, Arcos and the other neighbouring towns.
The uneasiness produced amongst the Mudejar population in Andalucia by these and other similar measures explains the fact that, aided by the support of the Granadinos and Benmimerines of Northern Africa, the Moors in the region of the Guadalete revolted in May-June 1264. This Mudejar uprising surprised the Castilians. Their garrisons were put to the sword, falling into the hands of the revolutionaries in Jerez, Medina Sidonia, Vejer and Lebrija.
The reaction of Alfonso X was immediate. After the autumn of 1264 and throughout the whole of 1265, campaigns were mounted in order to re-establish and recuperate the lost territories. Jerez, Medina Sidonia, Arcos, Lebrija and Vejer were conquered by force of arms. The Moslem population was systematically expelled from its old towns and cities, and the occupied territories were then immediately repopulated with Christians. Thus was the case in Jerez.
Once capitulation talks were under way, Alfonso X agreed to allow the Moors to leave Jerez and the town passed into Castilian hands on October 9th 1264, feast of saint Dionisio.
According to tradition the city was incorporated into Christian domains in Frontera; from thence its name.
According to the Book of Distribution 1,711 Christian, 90 Jewish and 7 Mudejar settlers repopulated Jerez. Another characteristic of this society was the co-existence, alongside a dominant Christian majority, of religious-ethnic minorities of Jews and Moslems.
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The Jews lived in their own quarter, known as the Judería, where there were two synagogues. The Mudejars had their own mayor, at least initially, and they worshipped in one of the mosques which had been left standing at the time of the conquest. Each were tolerated and protected by law, but at the same time segregated.
The city was divided into different districts corresponding to the six parishes which had been created: one dedicated to El Salvador (The Saviour), another to the patron of the city, San Dionisio (Saint Dionysius), and the remaining four dedicated to the evangelists: San Mateo, San Lucas, San Marcos and San Juan(Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).
The Jewish quarter (Judería) was located within the San Dionisio parish boundaries, separated by a wall. Another two urban sectors appear clearly marked in the Book of Distribution which, though not autonomous in character, possessed their own peculiarities. The Francos Quarter, characterised by the commercial nature of its inhabitants, was situated between the parishes of San Juan, San Marcos and San Dionisio; and the Algarbe Quarter in the San Dionisio parish, was home to 92 settlers from the Portuguese Algarve.
The city boundaries were extended after the Battle of Salado in 1340. The sense of security arising from this act provided an impulse for local farmers and led to considerable urban growth outside the city walls, around the suburbs of San Miguel and Santiago. In these suburban areas there are clear signs of the economic growth which followed the incorporation of the kingdom of Castile into the international commercial circuits of the Atlantic, and the arrival of the Genovese, French, English and Flemish traders who settled in the area.
The city walls ceased to be of use once the city boundaries had been extended and it was therefore demolished in places and houses built against it in others. Gates were opened in order to facilitate communication between the inner streets and the external suburbs. As from the 15th Century, and as a consequence of the economic prosperity of the time, important buildings were erected: the church of San Miguel, the church of Santiago, the convent of San Francisco, the church of the Merced, the convent of the Espiritu Santo, the convent and cloisters of Santo Domingo, Chapter house, the Homage Tower of the Alcázar, etc. Jerez was without doubt one of the great cities of the modern age, and its rich, solemn buildings bear witness to this ancient splendour.
The most decisive event to take place in western Andalucía during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries was the discovery of the Americas and, given its geographical location, lying as it does between Seville and Cadiz, Jerez was by this time fully incorporated into the territory of Andalucía.
What was Jerez like on the eve of the discovery? It was a rural town with an extensive municipal area, its fare share both of nobility (its mansion houses are a clear sign of this) and clergy, with extensive livestock and important wine production.
As the mediaeval city it was, even in the latter half of the 15th century, it held agricultural fairs where the products from its extensive domains were displayed. The September fair is worthy of special mention as it attracted traders from far afield. The Flemish-Dutch colony would have been especially numerous during this period given the excellent relationship between the Kingdom of Castile and north-eastern Europe. All this meant that the exports of Jerez and its surrounding farmland found relatively easy access to the markets of Flanders, England and Germany, especially its wines. The traders and businessmen from these countries in turn began to settle in Jerez.
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The Sherry trade also brought about certain social changes in Jerez by promoting the development of skilled craft industries, especially the coopers.
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With the discovery of the Americas in 1492 and the posterior establishment of the Monopoly, firstly in Seville and as from 1680 in Cádiz, western Andalucia underwent several changes. The demand from America ensured a market for its products in the Indies. The cultivated land available now seemed insufficient for the needs and prospects which were being forecast. It was therefore deemed necessary to plough up previously uncultivated open spaces in order to plant vines and other products of interest, such as wheat and cereals.
What effects did the impact of the discovery have at a social level? The slave population of Jerez grew considerably, partly due to the facility of supply from the nearby ports of the bay, but also due to the wealth and social status achieved by individuals. It was without doubt, however, the nobility who were the most seriously affected sector of the population. Jerez had a relatively small number of nobles in the 15th Century, mainly dating back to the first families to arrive when the town was repopulated. The impact of the Americas was to open up access to these levels of society to the common people, to men who had accumulated fortunes thanks to their skills in trade, finance or the export of wines.
Jerez experienced a period of prosperity and economic growth after the end of the war against the kingdom of Granada, and the 16th Century brought with it the opening up of certain sectors of Jerez society to the new airs of the Renaissance and the humanistic thinking which accompanied it. Economic prosperity and peace allowed the construction of numerous buildings in the “old style”. The settling in the city of an important contingent of foreign traders – from Genoa and Flanders – made its contribution to the comprehension of humanistic ideas and the spread of new aesthetic trends
There emerged a reaction to the authoritarian spirit of the Church which had been maintained throughout the Middle Ages and which limited the initiative of individual, free and critical thought.
Artists began to emerge from the anonymity in which they had been immersed during the middle ages and abandon the condition of artisan. Roman buildings became the object of admiration and inspiration which provided a wealth of subject matter and a diverse range of characters
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During the early decades of the 16th Century religious architecture was still deeply rooted in tradition, represented by the Gothic style of the temples and convents of Jerez, - such as the parish church of San Mateo in the old city centre: Santiago and San Miguel in the surrounding neighbourhoods which bear their names; the convent of Santa Domingo opposite the old Seville Gate and the Carthusian Monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Defensión on the banks of the river Guadalete, on the road to Medina.
From the mid part of the century onwards Renaissance art is seen to be fully absorbed into civil architecture.
Jerez of the seventeen hundreds registered important artistic achievements in response to a series of events, such as the economic recuperation which took place throughout the century.
As with the rest of Andalucia the city shows a fondness for the Baroque period, especially with regard to religious art. The popular masses identify perfectly with such expressions, the festivals and celebrations providing a way to elude many of the problems of everyday life
In the face of all this, certain innovative airs were incorporated into the urban landscape. The urban fabric within the city walls caused few problems. From the early of the century the old city centre began to register a gradual decrease in population in favour of San Miguel and Santiago: the two neighbourhoods located outside the city walls. This exodus of the population paralysed inner urban activity to a certain extent, in favour of the outskirts.
The only transformation which had any effect upon the urban fabric of the city occurred with the removal of certain buildings and the compulsory purchase of nearby homes in order to create the new Incarnation Square.
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In addition, the sherry industry was to have great repercussions upon urban planning throughout the 18th Century. The system of small wineries each connected to a dwelling gave way to the construction of independent warehouses. The establishment of Jerez as an important winegrowing area led to the emergence of a powerful bourgeoisie and a large mass of proletarians. An industrial belt thus grew up around the city during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, consisting of bodegas which were later absorbed by the city during the urban expansion of the 20th century.
Many planning schemes contemplated throughout the previous century were put into practice on a grand scale during the 19th century, above all with regards to infrastructures concerning drainage and public hygiene. The events considered most characteristic of the nineteenth century were, however, the alignment of public thoroughfares, the effects produced by the selling off of church lands, and the new urban profile generated by the sherry industry.
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The demolition of the Main Gate and Postern Gate along with stretches of the city wall was one of the most important urban accomplishments of the 19th century. The Rota Gate had already been demolished during the 17th century. The Santiago Gate and the Royal Gate were demolished during the latter half of the century, along with the New Gate, or Chancery Gate; the Seville Gate ceased to exist in 1864 and the Corregidor Archway followed suit in 1890.
The sale of church possessions produced an increase in open spaces once a group of convents had been demolished, bringing about an alteration of part of the medieval urban fabric in order to create new squares.
The sherry industry of the time was behind the creation of a very characteristic urban profile, and the proliferation of wineries throughout the 19th century was spectacular. The inner city lying behind the old walls continued to feed off the wineries, a fact which brought about the loss of many inhabited dwellings. During the 18th century there had already been protests made by the parish priests of San Mateo and San Marcos when faced with the loss of parishioners due to this very motive. In 1837 and 1842 a series of measures dictated by the Town Council and aimed at regulating the construction process of the wineries forbade the building of wineries within the historic centre itself.
The railway station was inaugurated in 1854 and, in response to the high production levels of the wineries, an urban railway was later constructed in 1870 in order to facilitate the transport of the wine to the railway station on the outskirts of the city.
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The sherry industry brought about the creation of a bourgeoisie in the city who in some cases opted to establish their homes on the outskirts of the city. These homes, large dwellings with extensive gardens, were built according to an urban planning scheme
Gas powered lighting was introduced in 1860; the transport of water from the Tempul spring to the city centre took place in 1869. The telephone was introduced in 1889 and the Jerez Electricity Company was founded in 1891.
The flourishing in the city of an aristocracy and a bourgeoisie in many cases of foreign origin should have meant a rapid adoption of the newer European tendencies. This, however, was not the case.
In the early 20th century the profile of the city was conditioned to a great extent by the growth of the sherry industry.
The districts of Santiago and San Miguel continued to expand, but to the detriment of those neighbourhoods located within the city walls where the corresponding loss of inhabitants proved to be an aggravating factor for urban planning throughout the 20th century. It was not until the post-war years however that, mainly due to urban development projects, a series of newer districts were developed, mostly destined to house the working classes: La Plata (during the nineteen forties), Federico Mayo (the early nineteen fifties), La Vid, La Constancia, Pío XII…
In 1982 a Special Reform Plan for the Interior of the Historic Centre was prepared, there being an urgent need to restrain the construction work within the confines of the historic centre, given that cultural heritage values were not being taken into consideration. This was an attempt to recuperate the historic centre of the city as a Collective Heritage, control removal and speculation, rehabilitate old buildings, conserve popular architecture, recuperate the facades and defensive towers of the city wall and respect the urban fabric.
An Urban Regulation Plan came into effect in1984, the main objective of which referred to equipment and infrastructures (permanent Racing Circuit, 1986).
The latest Plan came into force in 1985 and is directed towards the future of the city. Not only focussing upon the city, but also its extensive municipal boundaries.
