Huelva Ancient History

The Roman poet Rufo Festo in the fourth century wrote about the island between two rivers and spoke of the travel of Phoenician sailors to the area from the eighth century AD and Tarschish of "The Book of Kings" in the bible refers to contact with the Greek world in the mid-seventh century AD.

Traditions and myths prompted many researchers like Adolf Schulten, to find between the Guadiana and Guadalquivir invaluable treasures that were attributed to these people that settled in the rich land of Tharsis or Tartesios.

The land flourished thanks the Phoenicians partnering with the local residents who were pastoralists devoted to animal husbandry and agriculture, and this resulted in a significant metallurgical and commercial culture and the dawn of the Bronze Age.

The magnificent kingdom of Tartesio disappeared between 530 and 508 AD when the Punic instituted a ban on Greek trade with this area. This crisis despite having material affect on the town did not stop the mining activities.

In the 15^th century remains of a Roman Fort were discovered, and a shrine called Our Lady of the Ribbon is situated there where a very devout population with many miracles, and near it is an ancient aqueduct.

The Roman presence in the city and a few ruins slowly disappeared through centuries of neglect. Later studies on these sites like the aqueduct, several homes and factories show the importance of the city at least as a commercial port. The first modern person to conduct studies on the Roman presence in the city in the mid-eighteenth century was Jacobo del Barco,

But Pliny the Elder in his work Naturalis Historia mentioned as Onuba Aestuaria as between the rivers Urium Luxia Tinto and Odiel .

Scientific research found an ancient necropolis in the grounds of the French school.

In the Middle Ages the kingdom of Huelva taifa in 1492 the town had a wall of stone with a bazaar doing business in various trades. Historical research on the Visigothic era in Spain is thin and full of controversy and the time is better known as "Welba" e

Tartesios, Phoenicians and Romans
The Plaza de las Monjas, was renovated in the Heart of the city which used to be the stables of the palace of the Duques de Medina-Sidonia.

Tartesio from the mythical kingdom of Argantonio to the Roman Empire, the Visigoths and the destructive colonization of various European Powers led to the establishment of a melting pot culture that included Arabic influences that has become the Province of Huelvan and is the roots of the Andulusian culture.