Moguer
Moguer is a municipality and small city located in the province of Huelva, Andalusia, Spain. According to the 2018 census, it has a population of 21,699. Its surface area is , and its population density is . The present site of Moguer had been home to many human settlements since antiquity. Nonetheless, the founding of the present municipality is generally dated from the establishment of the Señorío de Moguer ("Seigneury of Moguer") in 1333. The Santa Clara Monastery and a Franciscan convent that later became the Corpus Christi Hospital were founded four years later. From the 1330s, the population grew rapidly , turning Moguer into an important town with a strong, economy based in agriculture, fishing, and trade through the town's river port. Moguer played an important role in the first voyage of Christopher Columbus, with Columbus receiving important support from the abbess of the Santa Clara Monastery, Inés Enríquez, the cleric Martín Sánchez and the landowner Juan Rodríguez Cabezudo. The Niño brothers played an important role in the voyage, including providing the caravel "Niña". Upon the returning from the Americas, the first of Columbus's vows was fulfilled by spending a night in the church of the Santa Clara Monastery . Today, Moguer and nearby Palos de la Frontera are home to the "lugares colombinos", a tourist route of places associated with undertaking that voyage. Moguer's river port continued to be an important site for seafaring and trade, exporting the local wines and other merchandise to the Americas, Russia and other European countries. Viticulture remained the economic engine into the early 20th century, when the chemical plant at Huelva and, above all, the development of the cultivation of the garden strawberry drove a new period of economic development and demographic growth. As of 2008, in the municipality are devoted to  growing strawberries, 27.5 percent of the national total of , making Moguer Spain's leading municipality in this crop. The municipality of Moguer is formed by the urban centres of Moguer and Mazagón, the agricultural zones with both irrigated and rain-fed crops, and forest areas composed of the Monte Público of the municipality of Moguer and of protected natural areas. Besides being one of the "lugares colombinos", Moguer is also known as the birthplace of poet Juan Ramón Jiménez, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature and author of "Platero y yo". Geography. Location. Moguer is in the southwestern part  of the Iberian Peninsula, in the so-called "Tierra Llana" ("Flatland") of the province of Huelva. On the north it is bounded by the Río Tinto, the municipalities of Huelva, Niebla and San Juan del Puerto; on the south by the Atlantic Ocean and Palos de la Frontera; on the west by the Río Tinto and Palos de la Frontera; and on the east by Almonte and Lucena del Puerto. The urban centre of Moguer is located at 37° 16′ N, 6° 50′ W, at an altitude of , from the provincial capital Huelva, and from the Andalusian capital  Seville. It is very close to Palos de la Frontera, and from the beaches of Mazagón; all of these are within the "mancomunidad" Moguer-Palos de la Frontera and the larger Comarca Metropolitana de Huelva. Its surface area is . Road access. The main access to Moguer is from the north by means of the Autovía A-49/E-1 by way of the autonomic route. It can also be reached by the national N-422 and the provincial from Palos de la Frontera, the autonomic A-494 from the municipality of Almonte, and the autonomic A-486 from Lucena del Puerto. The urban centre of  Moguer is accessed from the A-494 by the avenues Hermanos Niño, Quinto Centenario, de la Virgen, and de América and from the Carretera de la Marisma by the Calle de la Ribera. The urban centre of Mazagón is accessed from the A-494 by the Avenida de los Conquistadores (west), and the Calle El Dorado, Avenida del Arroyo de la Miel, and Avenida de los Conquistadores (east). Terrain. Moguer is located in sandy clay Pliocene–Quaternary land. It can be divided into three regions: countryside, wetlands or marsh, and coast. The Río Tinto and its marsh make up the predominant landscape  of the northern part of the municipality. On the south are of virgin beaches and the sand hills and gullies of the Arenas Gordas. The rest of the territory is the countryside, cut by the streams Galarín and Montemayor, tributaries of the Río Tinto; other streams are the Arroyo de Angorrilla, Arroyo de la Monjas, Cañada del Peral and Arroys de la Grulla in the Domingo Rubio estuary, and the Arroyo de las Madres in the Las Madres lagoon. In some places, lower strata have worn away, leaving curved outcroppings known as "cabezos" (from the Spanish "cabeza", head). Climate. Being  located near the coast of the province of Huelva, Moguer has a Mediterranean climate (transitional between subtropical and temperate) with an Atlantic influence. Moguer is among the warmest and sunniest cities in Europe. The temperature regime is maritime, with an annual average of , and the city receives 2,984 hours of sun annually. July is the hottest month with some temperatures exceeding . January is the coolest, with lows of and highs of . Demography. Prior to 1333, the population was distributed among several different places within the current municipality. With the establishment of the seigneury in 1333, the population began to concentrate  in the current urban center, rising to 5,000 and fluctuating around that number until the 20th century. Between 1900 and 1970 the population of Moguer remained around 7,000–8,000. Since 1970 there has been a growth to the current 21.302 (2014, INE), the largest population in Moguer's history. Of the 21.302 habitantes, 10.548 are male (49,41%) and 10.754 female (50,59%). A detailed analysis of the demographics of Moguer can be found in the Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía (S.I.M.A.). History. Origins. The origin of human settlement in Moguer is lost in the remoteness of history and is surrounded by  legend, as is the case for all the lands near the mouth of the Río Tinto. The current municipality of Moguer was a focus of attraction for the people of the Iberian interior and of the eastern Mediterranean since ancient times, as evidenced by Neolithic, Phoenician and Roman archaeological remains. Between the years 150 BCE – 114 BCE Hispano-Romans established industries along the river Urium (Tinto), a natural route for travel and commerce used by various cultures over the course of history. Originally "Urium" was a Roman town with a tower for defense, built roughly between the 1st century BCE  and 2nd century CE. Remains of amphorae, coins, bricks, tegulae with potter's marks and a fragment of 2nd-century CE "Terra sigillata" (a type of decorated pottery) confirm the existence of several Roman settlements with the limits of the present-day municipality of Moguer. Middle Ages. With the arrival of Muslims the farmstead of "Mogauar" or "Mogur" belonged to the Taifa of Niebla. Surviving buildings from this period include the Almohad Castle of Moguer, the underground reservoir which is under the parade ground, the fountain known as the Fuente de Pinete, the Fuente de Montemayor, and archaeological remains of  Arab settlements in the rural zones of Rendón, las Cacerías, and Manzote. During the "Reconquista", Moguer was conquered by the Order of Santiago around 1239–1240, along with other enclaves of historic Algarve, and annexed to Castile. Señorío de Moguer. In 1333, the village of Moguer became the first seigneury in the area, granted by Alfonso XI of Castile to Alonso Jofré Tenorio, Staff Admiral (Almirante Mayor) of Castile. Under this nobleman, Moguer became a prosperous town. Besides the existing Almohad castle, Moguer acquired the Monastery of Santa Clara and a Franciscan convent. On his death, the seigneury passed to his  daughter María Tenorio, wife of Martín Femández Portocarrero, and later to their son Alonso Femández Portocarrero, to whose lineage it would remain connected. The Casa de Portocarrero enlarged the town with the construction of the 15th-century San Francisco Convent; the old Franciscan convent became the Corpus Christi Hospital, a hospital for the poor. The House of Portocarrero were Grandees, wealthy upper nobility, with close connections to the royal court. In 1375 the Señorío de Moguer became a majorat (). Like any feudal lords, the lords of Moguer exercised control over the municipal government. Moguer soon became a prominent Andalusian fishing  town, thanks mainly to the Portocarrero's policy of attracting additional settlement. The town of Moguer gained distinction for various services provided to the Crown by its successive lords. In 1369, Henry II of Castile granted it the title of "Muy Leal" ("Very Loyal"); in 1642, Philip IV of Spain designated Moguer a city, and gave its council the right to use the coat of arms of the Portocarrero; and in 1779, Charles III distinguished it again with the titles of "Muy Noble" and "Muy Leal" ("Very Noble" and "Very Loyal"). Because of this, Moguer is known as the "Very  Noble and twice Very Loyal City" of Moguer. Moguer and Columbus's first voyage. The economy of Moguer in the 15th century was based in agriculture, fishing, and mercantile activities. in 1489 the Catholic Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand granted a "seguro" (?) to ships arriving at the river port of Moguer from the Canary Islands, North Africa and Atlantic European countries. Beginning in the 15th century, Moguer had a loading wharf for loading and discharging merchandise, a carriageway, shipyards, and an "alota" that was, together with Huelva and Palos, among the most active on the Huelva coast. Toward the end of  the 15th century, the town had a population of about 5,000, and a city centre with several arterial roads, dominated by the Paris Church of Our Lady of Granada, the castle, the San Francisco convent and the Santa Clara monastery. There was much economic activity and the many ships visited the port. This was the situation of Moguer when it played a significant role in the first voyage of Christopher Columbus. Moguer provided some of the sailors for the voyage, as well as the caravel, "Niña", built in Moguer around 1488 and apparently owned by the Niño brothers of Moguer . On several occasions, Columbus came to Moguer seeking help. Ultimately, he gained the important support of the Niño brothers; the cleric Martín Sánchez; the landowner Juan Rodríguez Cabezudo (who took custody of Columbus's son Diego while Columbus went on his first voyage); and Inés Enríquez, abbess of the Santa Clara Monastery and aunt of King Ferdinand. The Catholic Monarchs had ordered the towns of the Andalusian coasts to provide assistance to Columbus and by means of a commission directed the town of Moguer to comply with this provision. Columbus seized two boats in Moguer in the presence of the  notary Moguer Alonso Pardo; these boats were later discarded as unsuitable on the advice of Martín Alonso Pinzón. Later, upon his arrival from America, Columbus came promptly to the church of the Monastery of Santa Clara to fulfill a vow made when the "Niña" encountered a severe storm on the return voyage. Early modern era. During the sixteenth century, the village went through an era of commercial prosperity centered on colonization of, and trade with, the Americas. Many moguereños participated in the discovery and evangelization of the new lands, among them Pedro Alonso Niño, discoverer of the coasts of Paria  (Venezuela); Bartolome Ruiz, navigator, pilot on the "Famous Thirteen" expedition Francisco Pizarro and hence co-discoverer and of the Pacific; fray Antonio de Olivares, founder of the city of San Antonio, Texas; Alonso Vélez de Mendoza, leader of the group who repopulated the island of Santo Domingo (Hispaniola); the Franciscan Quintero, who accompanied the expedition of Hernán Cortés to Mexico; fray Andrés de Moguer, the first chronicler of Mexico; Diego García de Moguer, who took part with Ferdinand Magellan on the first trip around the world; and Juan Ladrillero, considered an independent discoverer of the Straits of Magellan. The seventeenth  century was a time of hardship for the Spanish monarchy, and Moguer could not escape this situation. The population decreased significantly. Nonetheless, the rise of Moguer in terms of relative importance was recognized in 1642 when Philip IV granted Moguer the title of a "city" ("ciudad"). The eighteenth century was characterized by economic, political and technical stability. Land, controlled in large part by the local oligarchy, continued to be much in demand by moguereños, who purchased small tracts. As for commerce, the wine industry grew, supplying Cádiz and exporting to an expanding market in the Americas, Russia and other countries  in Europe, as well as supplying the Spanish Royal Navy. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake caused extensive damage in the city, leaving only the strongest buildings standing: part of the castle, the Santa Clara Monastery and the Chapel of the Hospital. Other buildings had to be rebuilt or restored—as was the Convent of San Francisco, rebuilt in the mannerist style—or built from scratch—as were the city hall, a masterpiece of civil Baroque, or the Parish Church of Our Lady of Granada, which retained only its original 14th-century tower. Because of the dramatic 18th-century increase in the  population, this church was enlarged to cathedral proportions, with five naves, the highest and widest being the central nave. For wartime services to the Crown against England, in 1779 Charles III granted the City of Moguer the titles of "Muy Noble" and "Muy Leal" ("Very Noble" and "Very Loyal"). Contemporary history. The story of 19th-century Moguer is essentially that of 19th-century Spain. At the beginning of the century, Moguer was the most populous centre in its part of Spain (7,200 inhabitants) followed by Huelva. The French invasion during the Peninsular War left a general sense of provisionality and  bewilderment. Briefly in the 1822 territorial division of Spain and then permanently in the 1833 division, a province was established with Huelva as its capital, despite a long and bitter verbal struggle to make Moguer the capital of the new politico-administrative unit. Moguer remained, however, as head of a new legal district ("partido judicial") and notarial and registrational districts () having also comarcal courts, a court of first instance and an examining magistrates court (). Ecclesiastically, Moguer had been the seat of the vicarage of the same name since the mid-15th century and also core of a deanery ("arciprestazgo") whose area  was broader than the old parish, which only extended as far as Palos de la Frontera. The end of noble and ecclesiastical territorial privileges had a strong effect on local economic structures, especially with respect to the Church. The First Spanish Republic (1873–1874) also left its mark with the construction of road and bridge over the Río Tinto, basic infrastructures for the development of the municipality. In 1899 Moguer had 8,523 inhabitants, of whom 99 percent were farmworkers. Wine remained Moguer's fundamental product and the river natural means to export that wine, although traffic to the river port had  declined sharply due to silting that decreased the depth of the channel. On 23 December 1881, poet Juan Ramón Jiménez—author of "Platero y yo" and winner of the 1956 Nobel Prize for Literature—was born in the house at number 1, Calle de la Ribera. The centuries-old strategy of economic prosperity based on the wine industry was frustrated in the early 20th century by the infestation of phylloxera. The population began to decline unstoppably until the industrial development of Huelva in the 1960s and, most importantly, until the adoption of strawberries as a crop in the 1970s. Moguer  is now Spain's principal producer of strawberries, which has led to great population growth in recent decades. Now, in the early 21st century, the economy of Moguer is largely driven by the growth of strawberries and raspberries; the construction industry and service sectors are also strong. Economy. In ancient times, the economy of Moguer and its region was based in fishing and seafaring. Moguer has been connected since ancient times to the principal ports of the Mediterranean and North African coasts. This activity continued through the Middle Ages. In the Low Middle Ages, Moguer experienced economic growth through agricultural  development (including the raising of livestock). Moguer thrived thanks to the cultivation of wheat, wine grapes, esparto, hemp, and other crops, as well as continued prosperity in fishing. During the 15th century, this was supplemented by several industries relying on ovens: soap, bread, and bricks. This period also saw the growth of agricultural warehouses and mercantile enterprises for agricultural industries. Moguer also prospered through its role in discovery and trade with the Americas. Nonetheless, Moguer was significantly affected by Spain's deep 17th-century economic crisis. In the 18th century economic activity began to grow again, especially the trade in  wine. For decades, the largest customer for Moguer's wines was the Spanish Navy. In the 19th century, wine continued to boom, with a considerable increase in land under cultivation and a spectacular development of vineyards. The arrival in the early 20th century of phylloxera, a disease affecting "vinifera" grapes, was very harmful to Moguer's vineyards, but the industry has since recovered to a significant degree through the use of resistant rootstock. Moguer now belongs to Denominación de Origen (DO) Condado de Huelva. The loss of the vineyards was partially compensated by a growth in the chemical industry, but  was only finally overcome with the cultivation of strawberries in recent decades, which has driven a new period of economic development and demographic growth. At the end of the 1970s the "Las Madres" estate of started growing "Fragaria x ananassa"—the garden strawberry—which spread rapidly through the municipality and the rest of the province. As noted above, Moguer is by far Spain's leading producer of strawberries. More recently, this has been supplemented by the cultivation of "Rubus leucodermis" (raspberries), and by a growth in construction, the service sector, and tourism. The construction sector has benefited from the growth in  agriculture, which has impelled a sharp increase in the number of construction companies and real estate firms in the town, which now constitute 15 and 19 percent of non-agricultural economic activity, respectively. The commercial sector has also greatly benefited from the agricultural growth, now constituting 43 percent of non-farm economic activity. At the same time, recent development of the urban center of Mazagón for tourism has increased the number of hotels and other short-term accommodations to constitute 12 percent of the municipal economy. Agriculture. The local economy has long been based in seafaring and fishing, but above  all in agriculture: cereals and olives, then later wine grapes, strawberries, and raspberries have long been the basis of the economy. The strong current growth is based on crop irrigation, and primarily on strawberries and, secondarily, raspberries. These have been the economic engine underlying other activities. Other rain-fed farming continues in the traditional growing area near the town of Moguer, but is less profitable. The irrigation has been made possible by community three groupings of growers: C.R. de Valdemar, C.R. de Palos and C.R. del Fresno. The businessman Antonio Medina Lama began the first local experiments with growing strawberries  on his "La Madre" farm in the late 1970s. Over the years, cultivation techniques were improved to the point of becoming the basis of the local economy. Berries are grown by intensive hydroponic methods in transparent plastic tunnels, on top of a black plastic base, using drip irrigation to supply water and nutrients. As of 2008, in the municipality are devoted to growing strawberries, making Moguer Spain's leading municipality in this crop. Moguer's production is 27.5 percent of the national total of and 32.3 percent of the Andalusian total nearly all of which () is in the province of  Huelva. In the 2000s, production has diversified to include raspberries, Japanese persimmon and Northern highbush blueberry. Administration and municipal infrastructure. Municipal buildings. The municipal hall (), known as the Casa Consistorial, is located in the Plaza del Cabildo, in the historic center of Moguer. Expansion of local government in recent years has been accommodated by new buildings, rather than by adding onto this small historic building. Social Affairs ("Asuntos Sociales") is located on Calle Daniel Vázquez Díaz and Urban Planning ("Urbanismo") on Calle Andalucía. The municipal archive also has a new facility, opened in 1994 in a portion of the San  Francisco Convent. The most recent archives remain on the upper floor of the municipal hall. Municipal politics. In the municipal and regional elections of 2007 the Juan José Volante Padilla of the right-of-centre People's Party (Partido Popular, PP), was reelected to the mayoralty, which he has held since 2003. The Municipal Corporation comprises 17 councillors. In the municipal elections of May 27, 2007, the PP won 9 council seats with 45.73 percent of the votes, while the left-of-centre Spanish Socialist Workers' Party-Andalusia (Partido Socialista Obrero Español-Andalucía, PSOE-A) won 6 seats with 30.19  percent. The Asociación de Vecinos de Mazagón (AVEMA, the Neighborhood Association of Mazagón) won 2 seats and 13.32 percent of the votes. Two other groupings, the Partido Independiente de Mazagón (PIM, Mazagón Independent Party) and the left-of-centre Andalusian nationalist Andalusian Party also ran, but did not obtain representation, in the 2007 elections. If one takes into account the Union of the Democratic Centre (Unión de Centro Democrático, UCD), predecessor to the PP, this is roughly representative of the major parties in local politics in the years since the Spanish transition to democracy. The United Left (Izquierda Unida, IU ) has also elected councilors on several occasions, as has the Andalusian Party. AVEMA has been a force in local politics since the 1995–1999 legislative session. PIM was newly formed in 2007. The fourth Thursday of each month, at 20:00, the Council of Moguer holds its plenary sessions, open to the public at large. The sessions of the commission of government are on the first and third Friday of each month. The informative committees "Urban and Internal Regime", "Social Welfare", and "Economy and Development" are held on the first, second and third Thursday, respectively. Other components of local administration are the  Municipal Culture Foundation, the Municipal Patronate of Sports and the company housing and land company "Envisur". Security forces. The city of Moguer has three types of security forces: Judicial administration. Moguer is seat of legal district ("partido judicial") number 6 of the province of Huelva, encompassing the towns of Moguer, Niebla, Bonares, Lucena del Puerto, and Palos de la Frontera. The court facilities are located on the Calle de San Francisco and consist of two courts of first instance and an examining magistrates court. Health. Moguer has two health centres, both part of the Andalusian Health Service (Servicio Andaluz de  Salud, SAS): Education. The town has the following schools: Sports. The municipality has two multi-sport centres ("polideportivos"): There are several teams that compete in these facilities. The most notable is the Club Balonmano Pedro Alonso Niño, which plays in the national first division for handball. Natural areas. Over 60 percent of the Moguer municipality remains in a natural state. Only some of these natural areas have protected status. Among those that are unprotected are the Monte Público of the municipality of Moguer. The protected areas are: Notable people. Many moguereños have distinguished themselves as mariners; others have distinguished themselves  in the Church, politics, and the arts. Craftsmanship and gastronomy. Moguer is heir to a rich artisanal tradition: coopering, bobbin lace, embroidery, saddlemaking, and the making of traditional Andalusian costumes, among other things. Moguer's cuisine features cuttlefish ("chocos") with beans, skate in paprika, school shark marinated in adobo, , bean clams ("coquinas") and other species of clam ("almejas"), wedge sole, true sole, and croakers. Its fruity white wines and a wine made from oranges are produced under the Denominación de Origen (DO) Condado de Huelva. Other characteristic products are a pastry known as "La Victoria", vermouth from the Sáenz cellars , and, of course, strawberries. Culture and traditions. In addition to its monuments and its streets, the history of Moguer is reflected today in various festivities and celebrations that occur throughout the year. The evening in honor of Our Lady of Montemayor, known in Moguer as "Days of Our Lady", has been held on or around September 8 without interruption since the Late Middle Ages to worship Moguer's patron saint. At the end of August, a solemn novena begins in her honor in the Parish Church of Our Lady of Granada, to culminate with the Principal Function of the Institute  and the procession of the "Señora" through the city's streets for the day of the Nativity of Mary, September 8. Meanwhile, for about five days, the festival continues in a more playful for in town fairground, which has more than 250 booths. The Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Montemayor takes place every second weekend of May in the pine forests surrounding the shrine of the patron. On this weekend, thousands of pilgrims come to the precinct to venerate the "Queen of the Pinares (Pine forests)". At present there are eight filial brotherhoods ("hermandades") spread over the provinces of Huelva , Seville and Madrid dedicated to the patron saint of Moguer, who also participate in this celebration. Easter in Moguer has a special significance, as is evidenced by the various brotherhoods that process from Palm Sunday until Holy Saturday. Currently eight confraternities ("cofradías") conduct the stations of penance: Hermandad de la Borriquita ("Brotherhood of the little donkey") on Palm Sunday, Holy Monday the Hermandad del Cristo de los Remedios ("Brotherhood of Christ of the Remedies"), Holy Tuesday the Hermandad del Cristo de la Sangre ("Brotherhood of Christ of the Blood'), Holy Wednesday the Hermandad del Cristo de la Victoria ("Brotherhood of  the Victory"), Holy Thursday the Hermandad de la Oración en el Huerto ("Brotherhood of the prayer in the orchard"), Good Friday in the dawn hours the Hermandad de Padre Jesus ("Brotherhood of Father Jesus) and in the evening the Hermandad de la Veracruz ("Brotherhood of the True Cross"), and on Holy Saturday the Hermandad del Santo Entierro ("Brotherhood of the Holy Tomb"). The "Romería del Rocío" is a pilgrimage to the village of El Rocío on Pentecost weekend. It has a deep association with this community. It is believed that the Hermandad filial de Nª Sª del Rocío de Moguer  ("Filial brotherhood of Our Lady of El Rocío de Moguer) dates from the end of the 17th century; documents from the 18th century attest to the celebration of this pilgrimage by faithful moguereños. Juan Ramón Jiménez in "Platero y yo" wrote an entire chapter about the Romería del Rocío: Corpus Christi. On this occasion the entire route of the procession is dressed out in sedges and is filled with pilgrims and altars. There are, throughout the year, other cultural activities related to the discovery of the Americas and to Juan Ramón Jiménez. On March 16 is the celebration of Columbus 's fulfillment of his vow and the Santa Clara Monastery; Columbus's departure is celebrated on August 3, and the discovery itself on October 12. Juan Ramón is commemorated in several ways by the Fundación Juan Ramón Jiménez. Their highest award, the ""Perejil de plata"" ("Silver Parsley"), is given out annually, as is the ""Premio Hispanoamericano de poesía Juan Ramón Jiménez"" ("Juan Ramón Jiménez Prize for Hispano-American Poetry") There is also an annual Festival de Cante Flamenco de Moguer ("Moguer Festival of Flamenco Singing"), organized by the Peña de Cante Jondo de Moguer on the second weekend in July . Twin towns and sister cities. Moguer is twinned with the following cities: