The municipality of Ecija, that of bigger surface of the county of Seville, is located in the oriental end of this, being adjacent with that of Córdoba and belonging to the district of the Countryside. In 1.996 it had a population of 37.292 inhabitants, most of which it resided in the main nucleus. Among the remaining entities of population of the term they highlight Hill Perea, Villanueva of the King, Round Island and The Sandbanks.
They exist in this term several archaeological remains of the eneolítico and of time turdetana, one of them coincident with the current location of the main nucleus. Although the historical origins of the town are not completely clear, it seems that the city of Astigi is of Celtic foundation. In Roman time it reached great importance, passing to be denominated August Colony Astigitana Signs. When the Arab take possession of her they call it Medina Esthiga or Istigga that it is conquered by the Castilian troops in 1.240. The Christian repopulation is very successful, due to the wealth of the earth and to the protection that him dispensan the Castilian kings for its strategic situation. Enrique III grant him the title of City in 1404, remaining from then on independent, without belonging to any military order, neither to any feudal dominion.
The municipal head settles on a surrounded depression of small hills for the north, the south and the east. The nucleus is located to the west of the bed of the river Genil that reflects from south to north that has always been its oriental limit. The historical center is summoned on an almost flat platform, and only for the Southwest it begins the ascension for the skirt of the near hill.
In Roman time an oriented urban axis already existed in Astigi from this to west, among the Door of the River and the Closed Door that today still persists with all its importance. In sense north-south another axis reflected between the Door of Palm and Osuna's Door, along the current ones you remain silent Canalejas, Santa Cruz and Cánovas of the Castle. On this axis and toward the north, the first expansion takes place outside, in a lineal development along the current one José remains silent García of Castro. Both axes (the thistle and the decumanus) they crossed in the space that today occupies the biggest Square that would be the forum of that time. The space within the city of the city current debit side to coincide in an approximate enough way with the lot of the Roman Astigi.
In the five and a half centuries that the Muslims were in the town a deep transformation of the urban morphology he/she took place. Of the Roman orthogonal layout he/she spends to the characteristic it schemes of the Arab cities, with streets full with quiebros, adarves abundance, etc. In the century X, Abderramán III order to demolish the walls that are reconstructed later two centuries by the almohades. The walled enclosure is conserved entirely until the conquest of Granada (1.492), being a fortified city of high military interest.
Until half-filled of the XVII century interior reconstructions are only made to the wall. At the end of that century, some establishments arise outside on it digs it, until creating a circumvallation beat. During the XVIII century, the village overflows the enclosure and the great urban expansion takes place: toward the west, occupying the available flat lands; toward the south, where the urbanization leans out to the stream; and toward the north, where the lineal axis is potentialized along the street José García of Castro and the external sidewalk of the street is urbanized Merino or external beat. Also, the boulevard is reordered on the edge of the river, building the dedicated monument to San Pablo. The streets within the city that they unite the four historical doors colmatando of churches, palaces and houses of great architectural value they leave.
In the second half of the XIX century the Living room is reordered and the strong line Ecija-Marchena is inaugurated (dismantled today) that gives place to an urbanization process along the one on the way to the station, creating the current Avenue of Portugal and María Auxiliadora. In the first half of the XX century he/she opens up the New street or Miguel of Cervantes that it is constituted in the fundamental axis of penetration to the center from the south, supposing a change of the constructive scale for their biggest dimensions and volumes.
In 1.960 population's maximum bench mark is reached (near 50.000 inhabitants), what potentializes the construction of new quarters, with the help of official promotions in the Southwest sector, following the old road of Seville. In the last years the development is guided toward the north (Polygon of the Almorrón), at the time that has been intensified the rehabilitation and renovation of the historical center.
Until few years ago, the highway N-IV surrounded the nucleus for their south ends and this, but the construction of the Railcar of Andalusia that he/she reflects more to the south of the term, it has put an end to this situation. The construction, nevertheless, it has overcome the layout of the old voyage in very few cases. In the northwest sector, the urban growth has been important in the last years, appearing so much tipologías of blocks of housings, as housings embedded unifamiliares.
Ecija was declared in 1966 Historical-artistic Group, highlighting among its numerous constructions of interest the towers and Baroque reed-maces of Santa María's churches, Santa Cruz (XVIII century), Santiago (XVI century), Santa Bárbara, San Juan (XVIII century), Virgin of the Carmen (XVI-XVII centuries), Our Mrs. of the Mercedes, San Francisco (XV century), The Victoria or Santa Ana (XVII-XVIII century), those of the convents of the Visitation (XVI century), of San José and of Santa Inés of the Valley (XV-XVII centuries), The Concepción's hospitals and San Sebastian (1.600), the hermitage of Our Mrs. of the Valley, as well as the palaces of Valverde's Counts, of the Marquises of Benamejí and of the Marquises of Peñaflor.
