The municipality of Gilena is located in the Southeastern end of the province of Seville, belonging to the region of the South Mountain range. In 1.996 it counted on a population of 3,840 inhabitants.
These earth were occupied by the man from prehistoric times. After the passage of diverse civilizations, during the Roman republican period one gets rid in this zone one of the battles between the legions of Caesar and Pompeyo. The establishments then existing were villae agriculturists, located throughout the road of union between Gades and Corduba, and who did not reach the category of urban. The Arabs take advantage of the wealth the Earth and operate the limestone quarries, still today one of the main economic tricks of Gilena. After the Christian conquest, this territory enters to comprise of the possessions of the Order of Santiago, without constituting a true urban nucleus during all the Average Age. The present population has its origin in a foundation of century XVII, having belonged historically to the Marquesado de Estepa.
The urban nucleus is based in the suroccidental skirt of the Steppe Mountain range, on the brink of madness small Gilena stream and on a topographic platform with smooth inclination towards the fluvial channel. Is prote'ge' to the north by a mountainous barrier, conformed by spurs of the tip of the Yearling calf.
In the middle of century XV, a geographic plane of the Kingdom of Granada mentions the place of Xilena, of certain strategic importance being the last drinking trough for the cavalries in the Dirt road of Granada, before arriving at the border. The reason to fix the establishment must be in the existence of a spring (the "Eye"), around as small dispersed houses occupied by a agroganadera population would be arranged, that also would provide services to the travellers of the mentioned Dirt road.
The nucleus can begin to be described like urban in the middle of century XVII, when it is constructed like center of same the Parochial Church of the Immaculate Conception. The locality agglutinates around the temple, in the northern margin of the stream, whose channel would follow the layout straight of the present Alamos street, to curve themselves soon towards the south in front of the present City council and to continue by the street San Pablo. Gilena is satisfied throughout century XVIII with parallel and perpendicular streets to the stream. In first half of the XIX it is continued appreciating his adaptation the fluvial channel and the centralidad of the church. The main access comes from Osuna (to the west) and arrives until the seat of the church and the spring. The left margin of the stream, next to a zone of orchards and gardens, begins to urbanize itself, appearing the first streets of which soon it will be the district of Triana.
At the end of century XIX and principles of the XX an important development takes place. The urban emptinesses are completed, orients the growth towards the south, on the way of Stone quarry, and the district of the Garden is constructed. During first half of century XX, Gilena linearly grows throughout the East-West axis that unites to him with Osuna, being created to the west the call New District. Also the channel of the stream is canalized until the outskirts of the town, maintaining the "eye" for public use.
In second half of the century a new district, encaramado of unnatural form in the pending forts of the Acebuchosa Mountain range arises to the north of the nucleus, originating its location some infrastructure problems and the consequent degradation of the landscape. Also the southern facade of the Alamo street is completed and the New District is extended towards the west. In the last years the parcelaciones of the Orchard and the Chalina have been promoted. The growth of the urbanized area has been accompanied by the progressive abandonment of the historical center with its consequent deterioration. At the present time, Gilena presents/displays an irregular morphology and rather extended.
