Town hall

Écija was founded by the Greek Astur, origin of his name. In the Antiquity, the Roman stage, maximum splendor was one of those of , turning in the "Cologne Agusta Firma", being the capital of a juridical convent of the Andalusia.
Between Cordova and Seville placed in the vale of the Genil, arises the most beautiful "city of the Sun", popularly "City of the Towers" because of his hamlet they emerge eleven towers, nine bulrushes and numerous temples, palaces and lookouts, and ‘La Frying pan of Andalusia ’. In one fertile vale of Andalusia between the gully that forms the bank of Rio Genil proceeding from the skirts of Sierra Nevada in the peak called "Muley-hacem" and the heights of St Kitts with Cerrezuela, find placed Écija. Considered like one of more important artistic centers of the South, magic corner, where esthetic vibrations of the legacy of the cultures that have gone away, reward the traveler who arrives of this place. On having gone down, there scatters the singular panoramic vision of towers, domes, bulrushes. ..., rising on the hamlet, the only and unrepeatable vision, which does that places as the "City of the Sun" make the old woman proud and big Andalusia.

Astigi, name by which the City was known in the antiquity of Ecija, was occupied by the Romans in the year 208 before J.C.
Ecija was so, the first big city of the Peninsula occupied for the Muslims, to that they changed his ancient name of Astigi for that of Istigga, which it was meaning "the advantages have met". Later the Arabs distinguished it with the name of Medina Estiguia or Rich City and they enriched it with everything what his high one civilization was bringing. They constructed aqueducts, drinking troughs, ditches of irrigation for the use of the river Genil, raising the water for way of gigantic treadmills (of which still some of them preserve traces in the margins of the river), giving him this way the first big plan of irrigation that was known in this wide fertile plain, imposing, between others, the cultivation of the cotton on him, in so big scale and of so excellent quality, which gave place to a new name to the population: Medina Alcoton or City of the Cotton.

To this epoch there belonged the sumptuous Citadel, of which still they preserve remains, placed in the highest area of the population known at present like "Manege". The above mentioned citadel was constructed in the same place in which centuries earlier the Town existed turdetano and a Roman acropolis, part of of whose constructions and materials the Muslims made use.

As work of big importance of the epoch, we emphasize it also water conduction from the source of the Christians to the city, of the one that still remains of the construction preserve.

To this epoch there belongs big part of the town-planning tracing of Ecija, as he remains demonstrated by the big quantity of narrow streets, markets, sources, small squares, etc... as well as the courtyards, grills, lattices and halls that preserve in many of the houses of our city.

During his stay in our city, the Arabs taught us them arts of the silver, pottery, silk trade, tiling and especially her saddle-type shop, at present of big prestige for his chairs of to mount Moorish style, typical zahones, bridles and saddle-bags, as well as the cultivation of the cotton, linen, hemp, etc...

Of the splendor of the reconquest very little survives, it was during the XVth to XVIIIth centuries when in Ecija splendor reaches the maximum , in that the embellishment of the Gothic bloomed, of the plateresque renaissance and of the brilliant baroque art.

Epoch of big splendor in the unions (wrought iron, silversmiths, gilders, stonemasons, lamplighters, upholsterers, master builders and teachers of cars) and in that Ecija receives the best writers as Garci-Sánchez of Badajoz, Vélez de Guevara and to the teacher of the letters Miguel of Cervantes, about which it is said took here the name for his famous person and universal "Quixotic".

It is provided with numerous houses - palaces.

The square of called Spain "the lounge", it is much agreeably planted of palm trees and flanked by houses - lookouts with big grills and projecting balconies. The town hall of the XVIIIth century, there contains a small archaeological museum, Roman mosaics, objects usual Iberians and visigoths found in the excavations of necropolis.

The church of Santa Maria, with belfry of brick, lodges also a small museum: sacred art and archaeology. The Écija churches, constructed along his history, were enriched in the XVIIIth century with a decoration baroque high quality (reredoses, belfries): this one the case is of the church of Santiago, which Gothic reredos was surrounded in the century XVIII of angels and baroque candelabra; the case of is also a church of Santa Cruz, of San Juan, with a belfry decorated with tiles of living colors, of San Pablo and Santo Domingo with roof Mudejar of the XVth century and which interior was redone completely in XVIIIth century; it is, finally, the case of the Renaissance church of The holiest Trinidad, which very notable embellishment dates of 1700.

In the alleys that surround the Biggest square, some most beautiful copies of stately mansions exist of XVIIth and XVIIIth century, especially the Palace of built Peñaflor between 1750 and 1755; the Palace of Benamejí, with his front of brick and stone, and the Palace of Valverde (1756). Events cultural. Spring fair or of May, similar to the fair of Seville, with parades of calashes, Andalusian suits, Flemish music, etc. typical Products. Cakes and egg yolks prepared in the numerous ones Écija convents. Work of the leather (chairs of mounting).

Nuclei: Astigi Urban development, Gully of the Head shepherd, Hill Perea, Ecija, Isla del Vicario, Isla Redonda, The Aceñuela, The Sandbanks, Navalagrulla, San Anthony, Route Augusta Urbanización, Villanueva of King