Almeria province information - Almeria enterteinments - Andalucia, Spain

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Almeria Information: THE PROVINCE OF ALMERIA

The province of Almeria saw the development of the Metales
and Millares cultures, the most representative from the Metal Age. Phoenicians and Carthaginians built factories on the coast of Almería. The Romans called it Puerto del Mar, Port of the Sea. In the ninth century it was to prosper as an independent sea town, until in 955 Abd ar-Rahman III subjected it to his power, building defensive walls and part of the presentday Alcazaba. During the Taifa era it was to become a more important trade emporium than Granada. The farming horticultural products became a major source of wealth.

The Alcazaba is one of the largest military areas in Spain, covering 43,000 square metres. It
is hard to distinguish what was founded by the caliph Abd ar-Rah-nan, tended by al-Mansur and completed by Ferdinand and Isabella, the 'Catholic Kings'. It has an uneven layout due to the terrain and the zigzag line of its walls protects three landings at differing heights, projecting from the solid wacthtower. The two upper levels were used as living quarters by the inhabitants, from the military governor to the soldiers. Gardens now occupy the lowest landing. The Cathedral has an appearance almost as defensive as it does religious. In 1522, an earthquake demolished the original mosque, and the decision was made to build a cathedral that could withstand earthquakes, Berbers and pirates. The thick plain walls, with three towers and no windows, confirm this defensive tendency.

Although the style of Siloe can be slightly discerned, it was Juan de Orea who designed two truly inspired facades, facing north and west, as well as the choir stalls, produced in a plateresque style. Important features inside the cathedral include: the altarpiece by Araoz, from the Flemish school; works by Salzillo, Alonso Cano, Murillo, and Ribera, and a retrochoir by Ventura Rodriguez, with sculptures in alabaster that help to alleviate the fortress-like spirit of the cathedral. In the square, and on side of the doors, stands the statue of Diego Ventaja, the bishop, martyr and saint who was to govern the dioceses for only one year.

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