The Arco del Pópulo is one of the remarkable historical monuments in the old town of Cádiz and serves as an impressive example of the city’s rich history and architecture. You wouldn’t think so when you see it today.
The archway was once part of the first city wall of Cádiz, which was built in the 13th century. It formed the main entrance from the port into the city. The city wall at that time enclosed a rather small area in a circle and there were a total of 3 city gates.
Later, with the expansion of the city area, the city wall lost its function. Houses were built right next to the wall and the old gates were built over, creating new living space.
Narrow house
We discover a very narrow house in the streets of the old town. Is this the narrowest house in Cádiz?
Atypical house corner
In many cities, it is absolutely typical for house corners in narrow streets, which usually have no sidewalk, to be protected by the house owners. Large stones are often placed in front of them. If a car or, in the past, a carriage takes the bend a little too tightly, the house wall is no longer damaged, but scraped along the stone.
In Cádiz there are many very narrow streets in the old town and here, too, house owners naturally want to protect their property from damage. However, if you look for exposed stones, you will find very few of them. Instead, they have opted for the principle of recycling and placed old cannon barrels on the corners of the houses. I only recognized this at second glance, but I think it’s a really good idea!
Old cathedral
We stand in front of a building that doesn’t look like a cathedral from the outside. The Old Cathedral of Cádiz looks more like part of the city’s fortifications. This is no doubt partly due to its location, almost directly by the sea and clearly visible to incoming ships. If Cádiz had obviously demonstrated the city’s wealth here with a magnificent building, it would certainly have been targeted by pirates. As it was, there was “only” a massive building complex with few windows. What can be seen in the building is quite the opposite…
The Old Cathedral was built in the 13th century on the ruins of a former Muslim mosque after Cádiz was reconquered by the Christian kings during the Reconquista. Originally built in the Gothic style, it also features elements of Baroque and Neoclassicism, which can be traced back to later extensions and renovations.
With the influx of many people into the town and the expansion of the urban area, the church building became too small. For many residents, the church building was also too plain. They wanted to show what the city had to offer and so, in the 18th century, the construction of the New Cathedral began just a few meters away.
The Cathedral of Santa Cruz served as the main church of the city of Cádiz until the New Cathedral was built in the 18th century. Despite the construction of the new cathedral, the Old Cathedral retains its religious significance and is still an important part of religious life in Cádiz today.
Admiral’s House
The so-called Admiral’s House dates back to the 17th century. The merchant’s house extends over 4 floors and, as was customary at the time, was used as a warehouse, office and residence. Something very typical of Cádiz can be seen in this house.
The house has two small towers. These were not built as living quarters, but as watchtowers. From there, the merchants could look out over the sea and keep an eye out for their trading ships. The towers were also used to detect possible enemy attacks on the rich trading town in good time.
In total, there were around 160 of these towers in Cádiz. Today, around 130 remain, most of which are now used as living space.
Plaza de las Flores
This square near the central market is popularly known as Plaza de las Flores. I don’t think even the locals know the real name Plaza Topete. The square got its name because the flower market has its stalls here. There used to be many different vendors here. Today, the selection is smaller, but no less beautiful!
The Plaza de las Flores is not only a popular place during the day, but also in the evening when the cafés and restaurants open their terraces.
San Antonio Square
The square right next to the church of St. Antonio is the festival square in Cádiz. This is where the Christmas market takes place, where you can go ice skating in winter and where numerous events are held during the famous carnival season. The carnival in Cádiz is one of the most famous festivals in the region and attracts visitors from all over the world. The whole city celebrates for 10 days.
In the 19th century, the Plaza de San Antonio was the civic and religious center of the city. Some of the city’s most representative buildings can still be found here today, such as the Casa Aramburu, the Casini de Cádiz and the Café Apolo. Political regulars’ tables were regularly held here, which shaped life in the city.
Gran Teatro Falla
The Gran Teatro Falla is the cultural heart of Cádiz and offers a wide range of events, including operas, ballets, concerts, theater performances and festivals. One of the most important events held at the Gran Teatro Falla is the annual Carnival of Cádiz, one of the most famous and lively carnivals in Spain. During this time, the theater becomes the focal point of the festivities, with competitions of chirigotas and comparsas presenting traditional and satirical songs.
The theater of Cádiz is over 100 years old, it was built at the end of the 19th century and completed at the beginning of the 20th century. Inside there is a large auditorium, designed in the traditional style, with space for a large audience. The interior is richly decorated, with elaborate woodwork, stucco and an impressive painted ceiling.
Monumento a la Constitución de 1812 on the Plaza de España
For me, the most impressive monument in the old town of Cádiz is in the Plaza de España. The Monument to the Constitution of 1812 (Monumento a la Constitución de 1812) was erected to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the constitution.
The Constitution of 1812 was the first free constitution in Spain and Europe. It was one of the most progressive constitutions of its time. After the signing, a solemn civic procession took place through the city.
The monumental memorial, designed by sculptor Aniceto Marinas, stands on a square surrounded by houses and overgrown with trees. If you come here at lunchtime, when the neighboring schools close, you will experience a lively place with children playing. In the mornings and evenings, the square is rather quiet. Some of the park benches are occupied, people sit in the shade and enjoy the peace and quiet. Even though it is one of the largest monuments in the city, I didn’t see a single group of tourists there in 7 days.
The monument contains allegories of war, peace, agriculture and industry as well as reliefs showing the resistance of Cádiz during the War of Independence. On the column are female figures bearing the Constitutional Law of 1812.
Around the Plaza de España are several buildings that are important for the political events in the city: Parliament building, Palace of the Provincial Deputies and the old customs building. We were there during the election campaign and on a Sunday the square was transformed into a campaign stage for a politician. People from all over the city flocked there with flags, listened to a few speeches and after 4 hours it was all over again.
Town hall and town hall square
The town hall of Cádiz, “Ayuntamiento de Cádiz” in Spanish, and the square in front of it, the “Plaza de San Juan de Dios”, are striking landmarks in the old town of Cádiz.
The town hall square, the Plaza de San Juan de Dios, is named after the Hospital de San Juan de Dios, which was once located nearby.
It was once the center and marketplace of the city. It was used as a parade ground and even for bullfights. Today, it still serves as a venue for various public events, including festivals, concerts and markets. The town hall square is surrounded by historic buildings, cafés and restaurants.
The town hall of Cádiz is a magnificent example of neoclassical architecture and dates back to the 19th century. The façade of the building is characterized by its symmetry. The centrally located clock and the coat of arms of Cádiz, which adorn the front of the town hall, are striking. I particularly like some of the images that have been added as decoration. Phoenician coins, for example, are shown with the image of a tuna. Tuna is one of the most important fish in the region. It swims past the coast twice a year and is still one of the most important fish for fishermen today.
Puerta de Tierra on the Plaza la Constitution
Throughout history, the Puerta de Tierra has served as the main access point to the city and separated the old town of Cádiz from the rest of the peninsula. The building dates back to the 18th century and shows its strategic importance as a fortified city. Originally, the gate was part of the extensive city walls and consists of a central archway flanked by two massive towers connected by bastions. The façade shows elements of the Baroque style, which was typical of the military architecture of the time.
The Puerta de Tierra is home to the Lithographic Workshop Museum and the Ibero-American Doll Museum.
The city gate forms an impressive entrance to the old town. Two marble obelisks depicting the patron saints of Cádiz stand in a square in front of the gate.
Flamenco
What would Andalusia be without flamenco? In addition to the tourist attractions, there are also places in Cádiz where hardly any tourists can be seen performing flamenco. We had been tipped off that there would be a free event in a small restaurant one evening. All we had to do was reserve a table.
The table was reserved and we were there on time. I don’t think they had expected us to actually show up. There was actually no table left and they “chased” two Cadiz people away from a small table. We got them back a little later, as there were still 2 chairs free…
Our food order was only possible with hands and feet – they only spoke Spanish. It was a good thing that I could at least speak a little Spanish and understood to some extent what we were ordering. The two old men at our table didn’t understand us and were happy about the few words I spoke. At least we found out that the guitarist was the son of one of them.
It turned out that we had ended up at an event in honor of a well-known flamenco star. We were apparently the only “ignorant” and non-locals. It felt a bit like a club event. First there was a talk about the artist. All around us, enthusiastic nodding of heads … the previous day must have been good. And then the music finally started. A guitar player and a singer were on stage. There was no dancing, which didn’t bother me at all. The singing was excellent, expressive and really got me. An unforgettable evening for me!
We discovered many of the places on a city tour that Cádiz Turismo made possible for us.
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