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Medina Sidonia | |
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 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Medina Sidonia Location of Medina-Sidonia in Spain | |
| Coordinates:36°28′N5°55′W / 36.467°N 5.917°W /36.467; -5.917 | |
| Country | Spain |
| Autonomous community | Andalusia |
| Province | Cádiz |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Manuel Fernando Macías Herrera (Izquierda Unida) |
| Area | |
• Total | 493 km2 (190 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 337 m (1,106 ft) |
| Population (2024-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 11,764 |
| • Density | 23.9/km2 (61.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Website | http://www.medinasidonia.com/ |
Medina Sidonia is a city andmunicipality in the province of Cádiz in theautonomous community ofAndalusia, southernSpain. Considered by some to be the oldest city inEurope, it is used as a military defence location because of its elevation.
Medina-Sidonia, one of Spain's most importantducal seats in the 15th century, produced anadmiral,Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia, who led theSpanish Armada againstEngland in 1588. The title ofDuque de Medina Sidonia was bestowed upon the family ofGuzmán El Bueno for his valiant role in taking the town. The line continues and was led until March 2008 by the controversial socialistLuisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo, 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia (born 1936).
The city's name comes fromMedina (Arabic for 'city') and Sidonia (ofSidon) and means 'City of Sidon'. Locals are known as Asidonenses.
This city was most likely ancientAsido, anIberian settlement which may have been founded by thePhoenicians, hence the later nameSidonia reflecting its foundation bySidon. Its earliest phase is known through its coinage and its 2nd and 1st centuries BC issues bear theLatin inscriptionAsido but alsoPunic inscriptions such as 'sdn orb'b'l, withHerakles anddolphins being notableobverse and reverse designs. TheBarrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World equates this site with modern Medina Sidonia - lying within theancient Roman province ofTurdetania some 30 km (19 mi) inland from the southern Spanish coast, this site lay upon a hill about 35 km (22 mi) to the east of Gades (modernCádiz), and 15 km (9 mi) to the west of theBesilus river.[2]
By the 3rd century BC the Romans had gained control over much of southern Spain; once coming under Romanhegemony this site was later referred to as Asido Caesarina.[3]In 571, Visigothic kingLiuvigild attacked theByzantines and captured Medina Sidonia.[4]In 712, the town wasconquered by theMuslim commanderMusa ibn Nusayr, and became the capital of the province of Sidonia in theemirate of Spain. The city was attacked by Vikings in 842.[5] It returned toChristian hands withAlfonso X of Castile, in 1264, becoming a stronghold along the frontier with the last Muslim country in theIberian Peninsula, theKingdom of Granada. It was also the seat of severalmilitary orders.
In 1440, it became part of the lordship of theDukes of Medina-Sidonia.
| demographic vertical bar chart of Medina-Sidonia[6] between 1842 and 2021 |
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De facto census population, according to theINE. |
The town is characterized by medieval walls and tidy, narrow cobbled streets flanked by rows ofreja-fronted houses.Sights include:
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