History of Sanlúcar La Mayor

The municipality of Sanlúcar the Greater one is located in the western end of the region of the Aljarafe and the province of Seville, being bordering with the one of Huelva. In 1.996 it counted on a population of 10,412 inhabitants, most of which resided in the main body. Between the remaining organizations of population of the term it emphasizes the small village of Tablante.

These earth have been occupied by the man from very remote times, existing archaeological rest of the Neolithic one. The Romans constructed the city of Locus Solis here, with a temple in honor of the God Sun. With the visigodos (Solucus) and the Arabs (Soluqar), the locality lived a certain decay. Its conquest by the Castilian troops takes place in 1.251, happening to depend on the city of Seville, until 1.635 Felipe IV turns it capital of the ducado one of Gaspar de Guzmán. Four years later it receives the title of City.

The main body is located next to the western edge of the plateau of the Aljarafe, on the course of the Guadiamar river. The topography of the place is very characteristic, to locate one on the brink of madness cárcava, with two arms that determine a platform oriented towards the west, serving those natural ditches as natural protection. The present urban center was formed towards the east, moving away of the edge of cárcava.

Its origin as nucleus goes back to Roman time, at which the urban plot would have two fundamental axes (the thistle and decumanus), oriented in sense the north-south (present streets San Vicente and Count Reus) and East-West (Jose Luis Escolar and Juan de Mesa). In the central space of crossing the forum would be located, with the famous temple of the Sun (present church to mudéjar of San Eustaquio). At Arab time, the locality is walled, being created a suburb around the place that today occupies the church of Santa Maria. In centuries XIV and XV, the Christian Sanlúcar grows towards the north and the east. At the end of century XVI the New District arises to the west of the Muslim nucleus, with axis in the Real street Down, and an expansion also takes place towards the north (streets of the Orchards and Cambullón).

After two centuries of decay, century XIX means the beginning of the recovery. An annual fair of cattle, located in the prolongation of the Real street begins to be celebrated, to the east of the population. The construction of the railroad and the layout of the Huelva-Seville highway constitute decisive territorial infrastructures for the urban growth, originating, at the beginning of century XX, the transfer of old lands of the fair from the Eastern end to the western one of the nucleus.

In years 70 an important demographic increase takes place. The municipality acquires certain air of city-dormitory of the capital, being connected with her by means of railcar. The urban development takes place with polygons, quarters and urbanizations throughout the Seville-Huelva way and its perpendicular, that connects Olive groves with Benacazón, being tangent to the historical center by the east. The urbanizations have been arising from dispersed form, connectionless with the historical helmet, honoring Our Lady of Waters, San Miguel, the Joy, San Bartholomew and the Flowers.

Between their constructions of artistic historical interest the churches of Santa Maria and San Eustaquio can stand out (both of style to mudéjar), the one of San Pedro, the Convent of San jOse, as well as the Cilla of the Town hall and the Property of Benazuza.

The shield that the City council uses, presents/displays a "sun rising", that leaves over a "forest", and flanked by two "columns" in which letters "S.P.Q.S are ***reflxed mng." that they mean:

"SENATUS POPULUS THAT SOLUCENSIS".

Over the "sun" name "SOLUCAR" is ***reflxed mng,
and below the "forest" the words "EST LUCUS SOLIS", that mean:

"SANLUCAR IS IN THE PLACE OF THE SUN".

This symbol is remembering that in this place was the sacred forest of the sun at the mitológica time.

To the timbre:
"It crowns Real Medieval".