From a geographical and cultural
perspective the city belongs to Lower Andalusia, particularly in the area ofCadiz and its Flemish
ports. Situated in Costa de la Luz and the Marco de Jerez it forms part of the
coastal and wine tourist routes.
History
A Marble statue of the Roman emperor divinized in the second Century AD was
found in the waters of the smallisland
ofSancti Petri in 1905.
The origin of Chiclana dates back as the Paleolithic time and recent
excavations are credited to the historian Bohorquez Sunday. On the coast of
Chiclana Islet is Sancti Petri, where it is thought that the Phoenicians built
theTemple ofHercules
Gaditano and later was built theCastle ofSancti Petri.
The island was
visited in 1930 by Manuel de Falla, seeking inspiration for his music of his
scenic cantata Atlantida. Recent excavations have revealed a Phoenician
settlement in the locality, and classic authors such as Strabo suggests the
existence in the area of the famousTemple
ofHercules Gaditano
without being able to accurately determine the exact location.
The origin of the current population dates back to the year of 1303 during the
reign of Ferdinand IV. On May 15 of that year, the king gave the land of the
then barrenvillage
ofChiclana Don Alonso Perez de Guzman,
founder of the Casa de Medina-Sidonia, in whose family ruled for centuries. The
city benefited from trade of from the nearby city ofCadiz.
During the Spanish War of Independence, on
March 5, 1811 saw the Battle of Chiclana, in which the Anglo-Spanish troops
defeated the French. It is in the nineteenth century that saw the city population
grow and King Alfonso XII was awarded title to the City in 1876.
In the twentieth century the city was consolidated as a tourist destination and
priority focus of development. Playa de la Barrosa obtained the Blue Flag
status for its beaches since the introduction and this award is granted by the
European Union each year to the beaches with good environmental management. The
Board declared Andalusia Chiclana “Tourist
Town” in 2005, a title
which gives the main Andalusian cities recognition as established in the
tourism sector.
The city was
constituted in 1877 and located in theSpanish
Province ofCadiz
inAndalusia. TheBay ofCadiz
is a major tourist attraction on the Costa de la Luz.
Chiclana de la Frontera is 20 kilometres fromCadiz the provincial capital. The North of
the city borders on the municipalities ofSan Fernando
andPort Royal, along the coast to the South
is Conil de la Frontera and inland Vejer de la Frontera and Medina Sidonia.
It is the seat of the judicial districts in theprovince ofCadiz,
under which are the towns of Alcala de los Gazules, Benalup-Casas Viejas, Conil
de la Frontera, Vejer de la Frontera and Medina Sidonia Paterna de Rivera.
