Getting Out of Town: Cádiz and Itálica

This weekend, I got to take two day trips outside of Seville! On Saturday, my friends and I spent most of the day in Cádiz, a beach town that’s about an hour and a half south from Seville. This morning (Sunday), we went half an hour north to Santiponce to see the Roman ruins of Itálica.   It was a fun time, and a good opportunity to learn about Spanish history!

Thanks again, Google Maps! Santiponce and Cádiz are denoted by pins.

Cádiz is one of the oldest cities in Europe, and the oldest continuously-inhabited city in Spain. It has an interesting geography: it sits on a narrow-sliced peninsula, so it really feels like an island when you’re there! It’s a popular destination for people from Seville because of its beaches, and it has a long history.

Beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean! The city was considered to be at the “end of the earth” by ancient Greeks.

When we first arrived in Cádiz, we took a historical tour of all the major monuments and sights. We began with the Plaza de España at the Monumento a las Cortes (the Monument to the Courts). The main portion of this city square is taken up by the Monument to the Constitution of 1812. The first Spanish constitution was established in 1812 in Cádiz, and the monument is intended to honor the human rights protected by the constitution.

The monument includes an eternal flame and a list of the rights protected by the constitution.

As you may recall from my post where I talked about visiting the General Archive of the Indies, for many years, Seville was the primary location for New World trade and business because of its convenient location along the Guadalquivir River. However, starting in the 18th century, ships became too large to fit down the river, so the trade location was moved to Cádiz. As a commercial center, Cádiz became a very wealthy, prosperous town.

The Roman amphitheater of Cádiz (currently undergoing renovations.)

In 1980, it was discovered that an enormous Roman amphitheater is partially buried underneath a neighborhood of Cádiz. Normally tourists are allowed to go see the top portion of the amphitheater, but it’s currently being renovated and restored. It’s estimated to be one of the largest Roman amphitheaters in this portion of the former Roman empire.

The Cathedral! I think every Spanish town has at least one that’s incredibly huge and impressive!

We took a tour of the Cádiz Cathedral, as well as its crypt! What was interesting is that there was a netting suspended near the ceiling throughout the cathedral. This is intended to catch any falling rocks or debris that may come loose as the cathedral ages. I’ve seen this kind of system at several other places in Spain, so it must be a common practice with older buildings.

The dome of the cathedral, with netting and debris visible underneath!

We also visited the central marketplace where lots of seafood and produce are sold. This was certainly different from any grocery store I’ve ever seen!

They had swordfish, sea urchins, shellfish, and more!

After our tour was over, my friends and I ate lunch on the beach (La Playa de la Caleta)! When we go on day trips, our host families make bocadillos (sack lunches) for us! We enjoyed some time relaxing in the sun and looking for shells and sea glass! It was nice out, but too cold to go swimming. (Maybe another time!)

Sunny Spain!

We spent a lot of the afternoon walking out to the Castillo de San Sebastián, a former military fort and the location of one of Cádiz’s modern lighthouses. There were great views of the ocean and tide pools, and a nice sea breeze!

Walking to the Castillo!

Tidepools and a great view of Cádiz!

Castillo de San Sebastián

The castle is the westernmost point of Cádiz, so we got as close to the USA as we could for the day, haha.

We ended the day by going to a small café and then just wandering and exploring the city. It was a fun day trip and a great place to visit outside of Seville. Here are some more of my favorite pictures and fun facts from the day:

A lot of houses in Cádiz have towers with lookout points. They were designed to allow people to look out and check on their ships in the harbor.

The building with the golden-colored dome is a mosque, and its dome has a reflective material on the surface so it can act as a natural lighthouse!

The famous “Halle Berry bikini scene” from 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day was shot at Paya de la Caleta in Cádiz! Link: Here.

Colored lines are painted on the ground all throughout Cádiz. They mark walking routes for tourists to follow to see the sights! I wish more cities had these!

Happy to be at a beach!

We love Cádiz!

Now, on to the second trip I took this weekend: Santiponce and las Ruinas de Itálica!

What was once the main interior courtyard of a Roman household.

Itálica was founded in 206 BC. The Roman emperors Trajan and Hadrian were born there, and it was eventually established as a Roman colony after its initial foundation as a military settlement during the Second Punic War. The town had a population of around 8,000, but began to fade away in the 3rd century when the Guadalquivir riverbed shifted, leaving Itálica dry and isolated. For many years, no modern cities were built over the former town, leaving Itálica well-preserved. Excavation began in 1781 and continues to this day. Much of the ruins are still untouched, as apparently the excavation process is incredibly expensive.

A mural depicting what Itálica once looked like. The ruins that we visited included the amphitheater towards the top of the photograph, as well as surrounding buildings and structures. The rest of the town as pictured here is now buried underneath Santiponce.

Our trip started with a visit to Cotidiana Vitae, a museum in Santiponce dedicated to Roman daily life. There was a rather lengthy tour at the museum that included recreations of the interior of a Roman house and stores, as well as some cheesy CGI videos. It was informative, but actually seeing the ruins themselves was the main attraction.

The entrance to the amphitheater ruins.

I was most impressed by the ruins of the amphitheater. It could once seat 25,000 people, and was the third-largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire.

One wall section of the amphitheater.

The amphitheater floor was covered with wood for gladiator events, or filled with water for naumachiae (the reenacting of naval battles.)

Animals were kept below the arena before events.

Roman ruin photoshoot!

After the amphitheater we moved on to some of the town. What I thought was fascinating was how well-preserved some mosaics and columns were!

The top of a column!

A mosaic depicting the gods for each day of the week.

Close-up of a mosaic with images of different kinds of birds!

Every household had an altar to honor specific Roman gods and protect the family.

Ancient cobbled roads!

After spending so much time around the city, it was nice to be in the country! This was much more spread out than the narrow streets of Seville!

Exploring some Roman ruins!

It’s been fun, but tiring weekend! This week is the final week of my intensive Spanish grammar class! My final exam will be on Friday morning, and then all of us in the Advanced Liberal Arts program will be going away for a “Linguistic Immersion Weekend” in Sierra del Huéznar (about an hour north of Seville.) I have some other meetings and possible activities planned, so it should be fun! It’s so hard to believe I’ve only been in Spain for about two weeks!!