Osuna is in fashion
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Welcome to our blog where we offer our fellow travelers and culture enthusiasts the best information about... visit to Osuna and to be able to enjoy the "Petra" of Andalusia as it deserves.
Lately, many media outlets, bloggers, and writers about travel and heritage have been highlighting the beauty of the city of Osuna, sometimes referring to it as the "Petra of Andalusia".
From here we offer you the possibility of getting closer to an ancient city of the Southern Sierra Seville, with a beautiful historical, artistic and cultural heritage, extends its beauty to the richness of its natural landscapes that it also harbors in the surroundings of its municipal area.
With these defining characteristics and being heart of Andalusia, Due to its strategic centrality, Osuna is today an ideal destination for numerous travelers who are committed to the richness offered by inland tourism.
A clear example of Spanish Renaissance, A stroll through the streets of Osuna is a journey through its history, allowing you to enjoy its monumental beauty and the architecture of one of the towns that has always been committed to preserving its intrinsic character. to be a Andalusian village.
Situation
Osuna is located southeast of the province of Seville. To the North we find Écija, to the East, Estepa, to the West, Morón, Marchena and La Puebla de Cazalla; and to the South, El Saucejo, Los Corrales and Martín de la Jara.
It occupies a strategic location within Andalusia, as it is situated in the heart of the region. .
The municipality of Osuna has an area of 593 km2, making it the fourth largest in the province of Seville.
Our town is a meeting point for two very different regions. On one side, there's the Campiña Sevillana, with its almost flat terrain and clay and limestone soils, where the land is used for dryland farming. On the other side, there's the Sierra Sur, with its limestone and gypsum soils, where olive groves and scrubland predominate, and its mountainous terrain, sometimes exceeding 500 meters in altitude.
As for the climate, Osuna is characterized by mild winters and short autumns and springs, with an average annual temperature of approximately 18º Celsius, the average maximum being 42.3ºC and the average minimum being 3.6ºC and with rainfall ranging between 550 and 600 l/m2. .
Osuna and its history
Prehistory
Classical historians and geographers already provided the history of our town. Strabo, Pliny, and Ptolemy all mention it. Urso Romanized. Previously, Appian and Diodorus narrate the presence of troops from Italy, who settled in this Turdetani place to fight the Carthaginians or Viriathus.
However, human settlements in Osuna date back many centuries earlier. There are traces of prehistoric cultures beyond 1000 BC The best known were discovered by Engel and Paris in 1903. The Bull and the series of The Reliefs of Osuna They speak of an ancient Iberian civilization, which gave rise to an extraordinary culture where the best Mediterranean traditions from the East and Greece coexisted.
Genitive Colony Iulia
The intervention of Rome It will bring about a complete change in all areas. After the Battle of Munda, Urso becomes the last Pompeian stronghold against Caesar's troops in the Civil War that pitted the two factions vying for power in the Republic against each other. Captured after a siege, it is named as Gentive Colony Iulia by Caesar, receiving his own colonial law, the remnants of which, the Osuna Bronzes, These are very well-known legal documents from that period.
The city, included within the Astigitano convent, is transformed into one of the most developed centers of Baetica. The remains of the forum, the theater, and the hypogean necropolis of the Caves testify to its former splendor.
Unfortunately, little has been preserved from the centuries of Visigothic domination. The crisis of the Late Roman Empire led to the barbarians dividing the vast territory formerly controlled by the Romans into small kingdoms.
Muslim rule in Osuna
Everything will change abruptly with the arrival of Muslims At the beginning of the 8th century, the new lords did not initially alter the administrative and territorial organization of Osuna, which had been in place since the time of Constantine. It would be with the Caliphate, Following the revolt of Ibn Hafsun at the beginning of the 10th century, Ûsuna attained the status of a cora, ending its previous dependence on Écija. This marked the site's greatest period of importance. With its fortification, it acquired the appearance of a city. However, the few remaining vestiges from the Islamic period date from the final stage, the Almohad era. These include the Water Tower and the walls of the old citadel.
The Reconquista in Osuna
The subsequent development of the urban landscape may help explain the lack of remains from that period. In 1240, Ferdinand III The town was peacefully conquered. Initially, this change of ruler brought no alterations or problems. It was after the Mudéjar revolt of 1264 that significant transformations occurred. The Muslims were expelled, and Osuna fell into the hands of the Order of Calatrava, which was responsible for the defense of a sector of the border region known as the "Moorish Strip.".
The Golden Age of Osuna.
After two hundred years in which Osuna faced many difficulties, another important event occurred in 1464. Pedro Girón He ruled as lord of Osuna, creating a manorial state that he managed to consolidate for his son., Alfonso Téllez Girón, 1st Count of Ureña.
Osuna will link his destiny to this family and his peculiar portrait will be a product of the actions of this aristocratic family. The Girones Their aim was to create a series of buildings that spoke to the symbolic importance of the ducal town, reflecting the image they desired. They remodeled the old Almohad citadel at the beginning of the 16th century, as if it were a palace. The medieval parish church of Santa María was replaced by the magnificent Renaissance building of the Collegiate Church of the Assumption, a work that is completed with the ensemble of the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre.
To conclude their artistic projects, The Counts of Ureña—Juan, Pedro, and Juan—hired the best artists working in Seville at the time. Among them were Diego de Riaño, Martín Gaínza, Hernando de Esturmio, Roque Balduque, Luis de Morales, Arnao de Vergara, and Juan de Zamora. Catalina Enríquez de Ribera completed the decoration in the 17th century with five magnificent works by José de Ribera and the carving of Christ of Mercy by Juan de Mesa.
The monumental complex will be defined by the building of the University and the Hospital of the Incarnation, founded by the 4th Count of Ureña.
In parallel to this process, the city in the first half of 16th century It extends beyond the city walls. Furthermore, the main religious buildings will be constructed: San Francisco, Santo Domingo, San Agustín, La Victoria, El Carmen, Consolación, La Concepción, Santa Clara, San Pedro, El Espíritu Santo, and Santa Catalina. Finally, in the 17th century, it is completed with the Jesuit convent – San Carlos el Real –, La Merced, Las Descalzas, and the hermitage of the patron saint, San Arcadio.
The Baroque in Osuna.
In it 17th century and especially in the XVIII, Important nobles arrived in the city of Osuna. They were responsible for giving it the Baroque atmosphere that permeates its streets, especially those of San Pedro, Sevilla, and La Huerta. Although there were already some palaces and ancestral homes from the Renaissance period, it was the grand mansions of the 18th century that stood out in Osuna's civil architecture. The Cepeda, Torres, Govantes, Rosso, and Tamayo families were among them. The palace of the Marquis of La Gomera is undoubtedly the most remarkable example. Its portal, articulated in two sections of columns, is crowned with the noble coat of arms. The profile of its cornice is broken at the corner by the lookout tower that flanks the spectacularly theatrical façade.
Civil architecture also stands out for its Baroque decoration. The two best examples are the Cilla of the Seville Cathedral Chapter and the Convent of La Merced. Their architects were the Ruiz Florindo family, in the last quarter of the XVIII.
Osuna today
The 1960s did not bring significant industrial development to Osuna. Emigration replaced the factory construction boom, and the town center, though somewhat depopulated, remained largely unchanged. Agriculture remained the primary economic activity, and while it imposed harsher living conditions, at least the town's artistic heritage was preserved intact.
To learn more…
If you would like to learn more about the history, culture and art of Osuna, we invite you to contact us. Culturea Experience and book your guided tour of Osuna for the date and time that best suits you.
cultureasevilla@gmail.com
Phone +34 665 160 854
We'd love to be with you!