Agricultural landscape of Carmona

Understand

Located 34.5 km (21.4 mi) east of Seville, the city of Carmona lies at the heart of an area known as Campiña de Carmona. It is one of the most populated parts of Los Alcores. Here, the landscape has been shaped by sediment dating back to the Miocene. A particularly defining feature is the sharp contract between rugged rocks, plains and rolling hills. The city is connected to the rest of Andalusia and Spain by numerous roads, in particular the A-4 , which links Carmona to Seville, Córdoba and Madrid. Indeed, Carmona has historically been easily reached from other parts of Spain, beginning with when the old settlement was located near to the historical mouth of the Guadalquivir, an important waterway connecting Lower Andalusia. This was around 70 km (43 mi) inland from its current location in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Two other factors historically contributed to its importance. The first was its thriving agricultural sector, made possible by the nearby river Corbones. The second is its location on a plateau, on a ridge formed from Los Alcores at 234 m (768 ft) above sea level. This means the top of the city offers sweeping views of the surrounding countryside, something that allowed it to control the area and become a place of great strategic importance. It is estimated that humans arrived in what is today Carmona around 500,000 years ago, during the Lower Palaeolithic period. However, the archaeological record of Carmona dates back to around 3000 BC, with an urban settlement being created by the Tartessos in the 8th Century BC. During the times of the Turdetani and Carthaginians, Carmo (as it was called by the Romans) was one of the main settlements of the Lower Guadalquivir Valley. It later became an important stop on the Roman Via Herculea, which connected the Bay of Cádiz to towns and villages in the provinces of Seville and Córdoba. The road later became known as Via Augusta (the longest and busiest of the major roads built by the Romans in ancient Hispania), and traces of it can be seen almost two millennia later, on the outskirts of the city. The strategic importance of Carmo explains why it was quickly captured by the Romans between the end of the 3rd centu

Get in

If you are coming from Seville (34 km (21 mi) from Carmona), you should look for directions to the A-4 . From Marchena you can take the A-380 , from Alcalá de Guadaíra the A-398 , from Lora del Rio the A-457 , and from Brenes the A-462 . The route is thought to be made almost completely by walk.

Drive

1 The Roman necropolis and amphitheatre Route: Entrance to the archaeological site at Jorge Bonsor avenue.

When arriving from Seville, you will approach the city from the west. This will take you through its outskirts, where the 1 Archaeological Site of Carmona is located. Here, you will find the ruins of the 2 Roman necropolis and 3 amphitheatre. These are separated by Jorge Bonsor avenue, named after the English archaeologist who began the excavation of the necropolis at the end of the 19th century. The site was used to house family mausoleums between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, and cremation was common practice. Not to be missed at the necropolis are the 4 Tomb of the Elephant and the 5 Tomb of Servilia. Due to its location on a hill, the site is a fantastic natural viewpoint. To the west, you will see part of the nearby farmland that surrounds the city, dotted with small towns and villages on the horizon, as well as the faint outline of the city of Seville in the distance. To the east, you will see many of the city’s buildings, including the towers of its city wall and churches, the highest of which belongs to the nearby 6 San Pedro parish church. This is the perfect place to fully appreciate the city’s architectural heritage. The Roman amphitheatre is elliptical, a typical shape for these kinds of buildings, and was built on a natural slope, testimony to the ingenuity of the engineers of the time. Inside the necropolis, you will also find a museum with a variety of fascinating artifacts from various periods of Roman history.

2 Paseo del Estatuto, the great suburb outside the city walls Route: Jorge Bonsor avenue, Sevilla street and Paseo del Estatuto (9 minutes).

After leaving the 7 Archaeological Site of Carmona, our route takes us to 8 Paseo del Estatuto, via Sevilla street or Enmedio street, which run parallel to one another. Both are the result of the expansion of the medieval city to the west, along the old road that connected Carmona and Seville. These wider streets contrast with the narrow roads we find within the city walls. Right at the beginning of Sevilla street is a 9 building formerly used to store grain. Built in 1946 by the National

Stay safe

The places included on the route are safe and have low rates of crime. However, the usual safety precautions should be taken, such as locking your car and keeping your eye on your rucksack and other personal belongings. As in the rest of Spain, the Guardia Civil is responsible for policing the countryside, although Carmona does have its own local police force. On many parts of the route, there are no areas of shade. As such, you should use sun cream and a hat when the weather is hot. A number of sections are not fully accessible and may require outdoor wear and walking boots.

Emergencies-112, ☏ 112. health Guardia Civil, ☏ 062. police

Stay healthy The hospitals nearest to the points along the route are:

1 Centro de salud Carmona Ntra. Sra. de Gracia, calle Imaginero Francisco Buiza, 7,Carmona, ☏ +34- 955 64 96 64. 2 C.A.R.E. Los Alcores, calle El Pedroso, Mairena del Alcor, Sevilla, ☏ +34-955039852. 3 C.P.E. Nuestra Señora del Águila, calle Santander, 6, Alcalá de Guadaíra, Sevilla, ☏ +34-902505060.