Jerez de la Frontera

Jerez de la Frontera is a municipality and city in Spain, in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. With a population of 212,730 inhabitants in 2022, it is the 26th largest in Spain, the 5th in Andalusia and the most populous in the province, as well as in the Bahía de Cádiz-Jerez metropolitan area, the third urban conglomerate in Andalusia with a population of 639,994 inhabitants and an area of 2,026.3 km².

It is located to the south of the Iberian Peninsula, 11 km from the Atlantic Ocean and 85 km from the Strait of Gibraltar. In a central and well-connected position, Jerez has become the main communications hub in the province of Cádiz and one of the logistics and transport centers of Western Andalusia. Its size and capacity for growth have given it greater economic dynamism than the provincial capital.

Its municipal area occupies an area of 1,188.14 km² that extends over the Guadalquivir valley. The municipal area of Jerez was the largest in Andalusia until the secession of San José del Valle in 1995, from that moment is the second, just behind Córdoba, and sixth in Spain. In addition, it includes a wide extension of the natural park of Los Alcornocales and the Sierra de Gibalbín, known as Montes de Propio de Jerez. It is the episcopal seat of the diocese of Asidonia-Jerez, taking the Guadalete river as its natural border.

On May 27, 2009, the Parliament of Andalusia unanimously approved the declaration of the municipality under the organization regime of Law 8/08, on Cities with a large population, known as the law of large Andalusian cities. A large part of the historic center of the city is of cultural interest with the category of Historic-Artistic Site.

Toponymy

The classical Latin name of Asta Regia, without any connection to the current name, is applied to an ancient city that is located today in Mesas de Asta, about 11 km from the center of Jerez.

Based on the relative similarity of the name, the place name «Jerez» has been derived from Xera, a supposedly Phoenician city located near the Strait of Gibraltar. Later, the Romans would have called it Ceret, and the Visigoths Seritium or Xeritium. But the ancient cities closest to Jerez were the Punic city located in Doña Blanca and the city of Turdetana of Asta Regia. The name of Seritium or Xeritium is just the Latinization of the Castilian name of Xerez in modern times. The supposed city of Ceret responds to the existence of a Turdetan coin with the legend CERIT or CERTI, and some historical references to the Ceretani, who were actually the inhabitants of the Etruscan city Caere, today Cerveteri. It is possible that the name of Jerez documented for the first time in Arabic texts, Šeriš, comes from the name of a vicus or industrial village where wines were made in jars or serias, which would have been pronounced serés in late times.

With the Muslim invasion, the settlement began to consolidate as a city and its name would evolve into the Arabic form شريش Sherish. When the Kingdom of Castile took Jerez on October 9, 1264 from the Muslims In the period known as the Reconquest, the city was renamed Xerez in medieval Castilian, representing the phoneme /ʃ/ (similar to English sh) with the grapheme «X», as was the rule at the time. Xerez would be added shortly after de la Frontera, as it was on the border with the Kingdom of Granada, and was the usual scene of skirmishes and confrontations between the two kingdoms. More than two centuries later, after the conquest of Granada in 1492, Xerez definitively lost its status as a border city, but it did not lose that name. In the XVI century, the phoneme /ʃ/ notated «X» (Xerez) evolves into the current phoneme /x/ (jota), and in the XVIII century the spelling reform of the Royal Academy replace the “X” with the grapheme “J” (Jerez).

The old form Xerez thus remained in the name given to the city in several foreign languages until the very recent past, and today the name given to sherry continues to influence: in Portuguese and Galician xerez [ʃəˈɾɛʃ], in Catalan xerès [ʃəˈɾɛs], in English sherry [ˈʃeɹɪ], in French xérès [gzeʀɛs], in Italian xeres [ ˈksɛɾes], etc.

History

Protohistory and Ancient Ages

Roman statue of a male and Iberian torso of a lion from Asta Regia

There has been attested human presence in the area since the Chalcolithic or Upper Neolithic times, attracted by the natural wealth of the then-existing Lacus Ligustinus. The identity of those indigenous people the Phoenicians encountered is not very clear, but it is attributed to the Tartessos the first major protohistoric settlement in the area around the iii millennium BC. c.

In recent excavations carried out in the month of July 2009 in the fortress of Jerez, collections of cabins have been found, as well as traces of the presence of old silos that seem to correspond to settlements from prehistoric times, specifically from the Chalcolithic period from 5000 years ago.

Since then, seven cultures have passed through the municipality: Tartessian, Phoenician, Roman, Christian Visigoth, Muslim, Jewish and Christian.

Its territory was exploited by the Phoenicians and then it was intensely Romanized, as confirmed by numerous archaeological remains, especially from the city of Asta Regia, whose archaeological remains are found in the rural neighborhood of Mesas de Asta. But although this territory was given the name of Ager Ceretanus mentioned by Columela, this name actually corresponds to the Etruscan city of Caere.

Tartesian-Turdetan period

Asta Regia and other cities in the Kingdom of Tartessos

Although some theories with a scientific basis not yet proven point to a population in Gibalbín, it seems that the origins of the city of Jerez go back to the city of Asta Regia, founded by the Tartessos. Asta Regia (from the Latin regĭus: royal) was an ancient city located in the rural neighborhood of Mesas de Asta, 8 km from the center of Jerez. Its origins date back to the Late Bronze Age, around 1200 BC. C., as a settlement founded by the ancient Tartessian civilization, reaching the hypothesis that it could become the ancient capital of the kingdom of Tartessos. Other studies suggest the possibility that it could have been a city from the ancient civilization of Atlantis.

Asta Regia, with an extension of 40 hectares, was located next to the Lacus Ligustinus and was a coastal city that had its own port. The city was an important cultural and administrative center and acted as a control point for metal shipments that, from the Cástulo mines and the Huelva shores of Lake Ligustino, reached Gadir, from where they would be sent to the eastern Mediterranean.

The city became part of the Gadir circle through a commercial alliance. It was an emporium open to the traffic of merchandise of Punic and Greek origin, and in which commercial agreements were established. It is at this time that the name of the city changes to Hasta Regia, due to the commercial links that the city had. The city already extended its influence to much of western Turdetania. The city was embellished and its walled enclosure was consolidated. Until Regia administered the territories of the interior of the province of Cádiz, while the Libiofénicas factories of the coast (from Carteia or Baelo) would be in the orbit of Gadir.

After the fall of Tartessos in the year 500 a. C., the notoriety of the settlement would depend on the relations with the city of Gadir. Carthaginians and Greeks would then introduce a new type of exchange relations, prioritizing raw materials over manufacturing, which would lead to the appearance of a new mercantile class, to the detriment of the old Tartessian aristocracy and which Gadir developed until it became a polis .

Roman times

Until the outbreak of the Second Punic War (218 BC-201 BC), the Turdetan cities, which had been under the tutelage of Carthage since the Carthaginian invasion from 241 BC onwards. C. after the defeat in the first Punic war, they did not maintain any commercial relationship with Rome, but this new conflict left open the possibility of new commercial agreements. In the year 206 a. C., Gadir opened its doors to Rome, and later Asta, which, like the rest of the Turdetan cities, resisted, would fall to the Roman conquest. Since then, the Gadir polis would have preferential treatment in the region as a reward for its loyalty, although in Roman times the city of Asta was more important than other cities such as Baelo Claudia or Itálica, hence its nickname of Regia.

In 197 B.C. C., when Rome created the province of Hispania Ulterior, it substantially changed the territorial organization of Turdetania: it modified the borders and carried out a new administrative reorganization that meant the progressive incorporation of the territory of Hasta Regia to the Conventus Gaditanus, which also included the ancient Punic cities in the south of the province of Cádiz and the Libyan-Phoenice cities of the Mediterranean. Even Regia would finally be integrated into Gades. The city became a colony from which the development of the Romanization of the Jerez region was promoted.

It is in Roman times that the region became important. Its territory was an important agricultural area in Roman times, within the current municipality of Jerez de la Frontera. This territory has been given today the name of Ager Ceretanus mentioned by Columela, attributing it to Jerez with the support of a Turdetan coin with the legend CERIT or CERTI and an image of the goddess Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, crops and fertility. Also today we can see a statue of Ceres in the Alameda Vieja and a Jerez neighborhood bears the name of Ceret Alto.

Many historians support the theory that the Roman urban nucleus Ceret, together with the settlement of Asta Regia, is the Roman ancestor of the city of Jerez de la Frontera. In addition to the phonetic translation Ceret–Seritium–Sherish–Jerez, the identification also rests on the basis of secure numismatic testimonies, other possible epigraphic and firm literary documents. Another theory holds that the name of Jerez, first documented in Arabic texts as Šeriš, may come from the name of a vicus or village of industrial character where wines were made in jars or serious, pronounced serés in the Late Period.

Middle Ages

Jerez and the Visigoths

King Don Rodrigo sanding his troops in the battle of Guadalete (Museum of the Prado)

With the fall of the Roman Empire, all of Hispania was invaded by barbarian peoples of Germanic origin, leaving Hispania under Visigothic rule since the year 507. For a brief period of time, areas of the south of the Iberian Peninsula entered the orbit of the Byzantine Empire forming part of the province of Spania, for a short period of time, since the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo with the military campaigns of Leovigildo and Suintila, recovered the Mediterranean coast, thus unifying the entire peninsula under the same kingdom.

In the midst of the civil war between Rodrigo and Agila II (Witiza's successor), the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula would begin. General Tarik, with the help of the Visigoth supporters of Agila II, who received the Berbers, engaged in battle against Rodrigo in the vicinity of the Guadalete river, near Jerez, between July 19 and 26, 711, known as the battle of the Guadalete. The defeat of the Visigothic king marked the beginning of the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.

Andalusi period

Ataifor andalusí dated in the second half of the centuryXI. The epigram means "health". Decoated with dry rope technique

During the Andalusian period (711-1264), the city of Jerez de la Frontera was known as Sherish, and it was a city of great importance within the Sidueña region. XII and XIII centuries span> Jerez experienced a period of great development: its defensive system was built and the urban layout of the current old town (including the city's Jewish quarter) was configured.

In the year 1231, the battle known as the Battle of Jerez took place, in which King Ferdinand III of Castile sent his son, the Infante Alfonso X of Castile, together with Álvaro Pérez de Castro and Gil Manrique. From Salamanca and passing through Toledo, they headed towards Córdoba, where once the region had been taken and devastated, they headed towards Jerez. The battle, which took place in the vicinity of the Guadalete River, resulted in a Castilian-Leonese victory. The Muslim troops fled to the city of Jerez, from where 33 years later they would be definitively expelled.

Reconquest and the Castilian period

View of the cathedral in the old collation of El Salvador

With the conquest of Seville in 1248 by Ferdinand III the Saint, the Sherish area came under a kind of Castilian protectorate, between the conquered area and the Granada border. In 1264, after the revolt of the Mudejars, a military campaign led by Alfonso X the Wise definitively incorporated the city and its kingdom into the Crown of Castile, specifically to the Kingdom of Seville. According to the book of distribution of the city, drawn up after the conquest, there were twenty-one warehouses and seven mosques in it. However, some recent investigations place the reconquest in the year 1266 by a charter of the king.

At that time the current coat of arms of the city was established and the High Court of Appeal of Castile was located on the current Chancillería street until the conquest of Granada.

Diego Fernández de Herrera, an illustrious gentleman from Jerez, defended Jerez de la Frontera from the latest Arab invasions. He fought in 1339 under the reign of Alfonso XI against the continuous assaults of Abu-Malik. Years before the battle of the Leathers already took place.

With the Christian presence, the Arabic place name became Spanish, becoming Xeres or Xerez. Over time de la Frontera was added, because its term bordered on the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. From this period are the Cantigas de Santa María, in several of which the city of Jerez is mentioned.

In the 15th century, Jerez once again experienced strong cultural, social and economic development, boosting its agriculture, commerce and wine industry. In 1465 the city was named very noble and very loyal by King Henry IV of Castile.

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  Alcázar palatial tower

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  Old Consistory in the Town Hall

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  Tower of the wall

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  The tower of the Basilica of Carmen on the roofs of the old town

Modern Age

Map of Jerez in 1787

The discovery of America and the conquest of Granada in 1492 made Jerez one of the most prosperous cities in Andalusia thanks to trade and its proximity to the ports of Seville and Cádiz. In fact, the strategic situation of the city made Felipe II consider building a navigable estuary so that the boats could arrive from the city pier (in El Portal) to the city through the Guadalete and that the city was included among the 480 cities in the world that are part of the Civitates Orbis Terrarum.

During the 16th century, the time of the reign of Philip II, the city had approximately 25,000 inhabitants and was one of the most important cities of mainland Spain. During that century, a noble intellectual group stood out who, together with the clergy, stood out intellectually in the country.

Although in the 17th century the political, economic and social (and even demographic decline due to epidemics) decline of the Spain of the last Habsburgs also leaves its mark on the city, this does not prevent the city from continuing a new stage of modernization and development at a good pace during the next century. From then on, Jerez became world famous and recognized for its wines, especially the wine called Jerez (sherry, in English), and its many wineries are highly recognized.

View of Jerez de la Frontera, by Joris Hoefnagel (1570). Previous to Anton van den Wyngaerde's view, Hoefnagel's was the first representation of the entire city.

Contemporary Age

Recorded of 1835 with the palace of Villavicencio at the bottom

Monument to Miguel Primo de Rivera, work of Mariano Benlliure

In 1810, during the reign of José Bonaparte, and according to the project of the clergyman Llorente, a new administrative division of Spain was made into 38 prefectures, equivalent to the current provinces. The new prefectures were created starting from scratch and ignoring previous historical conditions and were governed exclusively by social and economic issues, and thus they were named after the closest geographical feature. Jerez was designated the capital of the "Prefectura del Guadalete", although it was common to refer to it as "Prefectura de Xerez". The chancellery of the prefecture was located in Seville. This administrative division, still in force at political, it was never carried out effectively due to the drift of the War of Independence. During this war, Jerez suffered the occupation and looting of the municipal offices and local churches from February 4, 1810 until the French withdrawal on August 26, 1812, which provoked significant resistance among its population, which organized to fight against the invader. However, this looting not only exposed famine and impoverished the population, it also meant the dispossession of valuable cultural objects.

The confiscation of Mendizábal meant the sale, in 1837, of the four paintings from the main altar of the Cartuja Monastery that are now in the Grenoble Museum in France. Even so, most of Zurbarán's works are preserved in the Museum of Cádiz.

The 18th and XIX brought industrialization to the city, and the arrival of the first railway line in Spain that would connect Jerez with Puerto de Santa María in 1854 and with the Trocadero area, in Puerto Real in 1856. This line is created with the purpose of transporting the wine casks from Jerez to the nearest ports for subsequent export. In 1870 an urban railway was built that connected several wineries. Since 1860, the city had gas lighting and, since 1869, it had running water brought from Tempul after a great engineering work. The firefighters consortium was also created, one of the first in Spain due to the common combustion in the stills of the cellars when distilling. And it also stands out that he created the local police force in 1841, which was the second in the country.

The Jerez society of the XIX century had a dual structure, a small group of citizens made up the bourgeoisie, in which the large owners, wine exporters and a large part of the nobility were integrated, at the other extreme were the popular classes, the rural and urban proletariat. This structure of duality led to several peasant uprisings that the government tried to control by running the rumor of the existence of La Mano Negra (1882-1884), a kind of anarchist secret society from Lower Andalusia that was said to have had its central nucleus in Jerez during the second half of the century XIX. This was the government excuse that was raised for the repression and the exemplary execution of several peasants.

On May 21, 1890, in ordinary session, page 266, of the Jerez de la Frontera City Council, it was indicated that after testing two streetlights with four lights each, carried out in front of the town hall, the installation was approved of twenty-two lampposts in two nearby streets that were mounted in July of the same year. Jerez is therefore the first city in Spain to have public electricity lighting, although this historical circumstance is also claimed by the town of Haro, in La Rioja. The truth is that both cities installed electric lighting almost in unison, although Jerez had the first electric lampposts in its streets, Haro was the first to completely finish lighting in the network of its streets. One hundred years later, the On September 17, 1990, to commemorate this fact, both cities began a twinning process, which was not completed due to protocol circumstances.

Map in 1977

At the beginning of the XX century, Jerez fought hard to combat the plague that destroyed European vines and caused the crisis in the cities that depended on wine almost exclusively. Jerez rebuilt itself, replanted its vineyards with American vines, integrated new agricultural products into its agrarian structure, and diversified its industry. However, the subsequent crisis in the winery sector caused the abandonment of winery infrastructures of artistic value.

After the Civil War, the importance of the city in the post-war period was such (with a large amount of industry) that the possibility of establishing maritime communication with Cádiz through the Port of San Telmo was studied, a project that never came to fruition. be consummated During the Franco period, the history of the city is parallel to that of the country: economic depression, autarky, developmentalism of the 1960s and a democratic system. Between the years 1940 and 1950 the government favored the creation of up to eight new colonization towns in the Campiña de Jerez.

Rotonda de la Venencia, following the elevation of the railway between the Barriada Spain and El Pelirón

Already in the democratic period, a profound transformation was carried out in the city, making important investments facing abroad, such as the Circuito de Jerez or the presence in Expo 92. Between 2000 and 2002 the elevation works of the railroad tracks in the northern area of the city and a small burial ground in the southern area. In January 2007, the new western ring road of the A-4 motorway as it passes through the city was inaugurated and the first phase of expansion of the Jerez airport was completed. That same year, three new delegations were created under the Large Cities Law: the Southern District, the Northern District and the Granja-Delicias District.

The Minotaur. This gigantic sculpture is oriented towards Crete. Represents a vanquished minotaur after his fight against Teseo and fleeing to Crete

On May 27, 2009, the Parliament of Andalusia unanimously approved the declaration of the municipality under the organization regime of Law 8/08, of cities with large populations, known as Law of large Andalusian cities. With the continuation of the reforms at the Jerez airport, in 2010 the terminal was able to double its capacity and a new building was built to park vehicles. The following year, the railway station next to the airport where commuter and medium distance stops.

Geography

Satellite view of the city

Capital of the Campiña de Jerez region, it is located 32 kilometers from the capital of Cadiz.

The relief of the municipality is characterized by a very fertile countryside area with scattered elevations. It is located between the plain of the Guadalete river and the Guadalquivir. In addition, in its territory there are various wetlands, such as the Medina lagoons. To the northeast are the first elevations of the Subbético System in the Sierra de Gibalbín (410 meters). In the extreme southeast, an appendage of the municipality enters the Sierra de Ubrique, where it reaches 755 meters (Cerro de la Novia), in the Los Alcornocales natural park, through which the Majaceite river, a tributary of the Guadalete, flows. The altitude oscillates between 1079 meters (Sierra del Aljibe) and 20 meters on the border with Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The city stands 56 meters above sea level.

Northwest: Trebujena	North: Lebrija (Sevilla) and El Cuervo de Sevilla (Sevilla)	Northeast: Arcos de la Frontera
West: Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María		This: Arcos de la Frontera, San José del Valle and Ubrique
Southwest: Puerto Real	South: Puerto Real, Medina Sidonia, Paterna de Rivera and Alcalá de los Gazules	Sureste: Courts of the Border (Malaga)

Climate

Jerez de la Frontera is in a zone with a Mediterranean climate with oceanic influences, characterized by humid and mild winters and dry and very hot summers. According to the Koppen climate classification, Jerez de la Frontera has a Mediterranean climate (Csa). The average annual temperature is 17.7 °C. Winters are mild, January being the coldest month, with 15.9 °C/5.4 °C. Summers are very hot, August has the highest averages, with 33.1 °C/18.4 °C, and every year temperatures exceed 38 °C on several occasions.

Precipitations have an annual average of 598 mm per year, concentrated in the months of October to April, December being the rainiest month, with 109 mm. There are 54 rainy days a year, 137 clear days, 2,966 hours of sunshine a year, very few frosty days, and no snowy days.

More than 15 days a year temperatures exceed 40 °C and it has a climate with oceanic influences, but also very dry and arid. On September 5, 2016, Jerez registers the highest temperature for a month of September since records have been recorded with 44.6 °C, just a few tenths of its absolute record of 45.1 °C reached on August 1, 2003.

During the winter there are some frosts on 13 or 14 days a year. The minimum temperature reached since there are records was -5.4 °C on December 22, 1979.

Climogram of Jerez. Airport observatory data

Average weather parameters of Jerez de la Frontera Airport Observatory (27 msnm) (reference period: 1981-2010, extremes: 1952-2018)
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	25.3	29.0	30.6	33.6	38.2	42.5	44.7	45.1	44.6	36.5	30.8	26.8	45.1
Average temperature (°C)	16.2	17.8	20.8	22.2	25.5	29.9	33.6	33.5	30.4	25.5	20.2	16.9	24.4
Average temperature (°C)	10.7	12.1	14.5	16.0	19.0	22.9	25.9	26.1	23.7	19.6	14.9	12.0	18.1
Temp. medium (°C)	5.2	6.4	8.3	9.8	12.5	15.9	18.1	18.7	17.0	13.7	9.5	7.1	11.9
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	−5.4	−5.0	−2.4	−2.0	5.0	7.0	9.8	10.5	7.0	2.8	−1.0	−5.4	−5.4
Total precipitation (mm)	77.6	56.4	36.8	49.0	29.9	9.4	1.0	1.7	27.0	72.2	96.1	108.7	569.6
Precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	6.4	6.2	5.2	5.7	3.6	1.1	0.3	0.2	2.2	5.8	6.9	8.4	52.5
Hours of sun	184	187	224	251	300	318	354	334	250	225	184	158	2965
Relative humidity (%)	77	73	67	64	60	56	52	55	61	69	75	79	66
Source: State Meteorology Agency

Nature

El Altillo Scenic Garden

Jerez has in its municipal area the Zoobotánico Jerez and the Montes de Propio de Jerez, belonging to the Los Alcornocales natural park and inhabited by various species, some in danger of extinction. Although its orography is not especially rugged, includes various mountains, most of them urbanized today.

In addition, for centuries it has had an abundance of trees in urban areas as well as in urban parks with a great variety of tree species of interest, as well as green areas in its municipal area, which help to improve the quality of its air. Likewise, in ancient times it had a large number of lagoons, most of them disappeared today.

Green door of Jerez

There is a Municipal Center for Animal Protection. Several parks have dog recreation centers:

• Atocha Park
• Parque de La Marquesa

To manage this heritage, an urban tree management plan has been defined with the help of the Spanish Association of Arboriculture (AEA).

There are also various routes to get to know the natural wealth of the municipality, both within its urban nucleus (Ruta de las Especies), and outside of it. Highlights, for example:

• Ruta de la Puerta Verde de Jerez, which with 13 km links the Laguna de Medina with the park of Las Cañadas de Puerto Real.
• Pinosolete Cañada

Demographics

According to the official data of the municipal register of inhabitants of Jerez, as of January 1, 2021, the municipality of Jerez de la Frontera had 212,801 inhabitants, which makes it the most populous in the province of Cádiz, the fifth of Andalusia (above four of the eight provincial capitals) and 26th in Spain. In 2021, the city had a total of 9,479 foreigners, which represented an immigration rate of 4.46%, where the largest group was made up of residents from Morocco (1349 foreigners 14.2% of the total).

Graphic of demographic evolution of Jerez de la Frontera between 1842 and 2022

Source: Spanish National Statistical Institute - Graphical development by Wikipedia.

Population classified by age and sex

Age Men Women Total Ratio H/M 0-5 4288 4195 8483 1,02 5-10 5697 5332 11 029 1.07 10-15 6768 6559 13 327 1.03 15-20 6838 6228 13 066 1,10 20-24 5890 5292 11 182 1,11 25-29 5513 5305 10 818 1.04 30-34 5985 6026 12 011 0.99 35-39 7007 7177 14 184 0.98 40-44 8534 8822 17 356 0.97 45-49 9181 9163 18 344 1,00 50-54 8344 8799 17 143 0.95 55-59 7708 8208 15 916 0.94 60-64 6640 7180 13 820 0.92 65-69 5141 5766 10 907 0.89 70-74 3999 4791 8790 0.83 75-79 3119 4065 7184 0.77 80-84 1806 2952 4758 0.61 85-More 1421 3062 4483 0.46 TOTAL 103 879 108 922 212 801 0.95

Immigrant population in Jerez (2021) Country/zone Population MoroccoMorocco 1349 ColombiaColombia 773 Venezuela Venezuela 541 BoliviaBolivia 539 ChinaChina 381 United KingdomUnited Kingdom 360 France 344 GermanyGermany 318 Argentina 303 Peru Peru 259 Dominican RepublicDominican Republic 258 SenegalSenegal 257 Romania Romania 220 BrazilBrazil 217 EcuadorEcuador 202 OTHER 3278 TOTAL 9479

Population distribution

The municipal term of Jerez de la Frontera is, with 1188.14 km², the second largest in Andalusia. This has led to the appearance of settlements separated from the urban nucleus, in the so-called rural area. The municipal term is made up of the city of Jerez, 7 districts and 16 rural neighborhoods, which make a total of 24 population centers.

More than 90% of the population is registered in the city, while the rural area has gradually lost importance. If we discount the nuclei attached to Jerez (Guadalcacín, Estella del Marqués and El Portal), since they are part of the natural urban growth of the city and its economy is progressively less centered on the primary sector, the total number of registered residents in rural areas is approximately of 7%.

Some of these rural areas are currently being engulfed by the main city. In several cases, urban centers are attached or less than 50 m away. Others, however, are more than 30 km from the historic center which, on the other hand, has become depopulated in recent years. Cases such as the districts of Torrecera or La Barca de la Florida, which are both 20 km from Jerez, are in the process of segregation to become independent as independent municipalities of Jerez, as San José del Valle did in 1995.

The list of population centers in the municipality of Jerez is as follows:

Administration and politics

Municipal government

The city of Jerez is governed by the Jerez City Council, whose representatives, as in other municipalities in Spain, are elected every four years by universal suffrage of all citizens over 18 years of age. The body is chaired by the mayor of Jerez who, after the 2019 municipal elections, is Mamen Sánchez Díaz of the PSOE.

Municipality of Jerez

List of mayors of Jerez since the beginning of the centuryXX. at present

Monument to Julio González Hontoria in the park of the same name

Territorial organization

In 2007, the city of Jerez, under the Law of Large Cities, was administratively divided into three large districts, which in turn were subdivided into neighborhoods. Each one of the districts was administered by a special delegate of the Mayor for said district, without there being a Municipal Board of the District, headed by a District Delegate, with powers focused on channeling citizen participation in them.

In May 2007, the administrative division was carried out, structuring the city into the following three large districts, leaving the historic center and the rural area aside, which depended directly on the city council and on the Delegation of Rural Affairs respectively. The districts were the North District, which included the north and west of the city, the South District, which included the southern part of the city, and the Granja-Delicias District, which included the eastern part of the city.

Due to the breadth of the districts, several citizen associations have requested that the number of them be increased, encompassing a smaller and more homogeneous population among its neighbors. On September 8, 2009, the creation of the district was announced. Central District and the separation of the Granja and Delicias Districts.

On August 26, 2011, the new municipal government proposed a new division into seven districts. Its final approval required three stages: informational assemblies, a period of allegations and drafting of the final proposal, coming into force in January 2012. The current districts are the following:

Economy

Vineyards in Jerez de la Frontera

Jerez was traditionally a city focused on the wine industry, with sherry exports all over the world, currently highlighting the centennial González Byass. It is an industrialized city, with various industries such as the sugar industry, with the Azucarera Guadalete, which dates from 1969. In addition to the production and sale of wine, fruits, cereals and vegetables are also grown and cattle and horses, being its Central Supply Market a reference in the region.

Central Abastos Market

After the winery crisis in the early 1990s, the city sought to diversify the industry. An economic sector that has been successfully promoted is tourism, due to the strong identity of the city's hallmarks (wine/brandy, flamenco and horses), the attractiveness of the festivities and the important historical heritage it possesses, in addition to events such as the Motorcycling World Championship.

Shopping on Porvera Street

In parallel, other actions are oriented towards the location of the city as a logistics center in western Andalusia, with large surfaces and distribution warehouses, seeking synergies between the railway, the airport and the nearby ports or the Agroindustrial Technology Park de Jerez, in which the University of Cádiz is investing through the Campus de Jerez. An attempt is also made to promote entrepreneurial and business culture through institutions such as the Jerez Chamber of Commerce, and various business parks.

Services

Education

Education in Jerez had a golden age in the Jerez of the XIX century, founding schools and coming to pay higher salaries than in the capital of the country, Madrid.

Compulsory education

The municipality of Jerez has 74 basic education centers, 41 secondary education centers, 12 adult education centers and 10 public libraries. the XIII centuries to the XV, a notary fund from the XIV century as well as other archives. In terms of formal training, the Institute Father Luis Coloma, first of the province, with more than 175 years of history.

University

Jerez Campus, rear view

Regarding higher education, it has its own university campus, belonging to the university of the province, the University of Cádiz. He is specialized in studies of the socio-political branch. The centers that comprise it are located in what is popularly known as Campus de la Asunción. They are the Faculty of Social and Communication Sciences, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy

Other resources

In the city there is also a center belonging to the Official School of Languages, a centenary center of the School of Art (which includes the School of Plastic Arts) and a Student Information and Attention Unit from the National University of Distance Education (UNED), a pioneer in Spain.

For 20 years, the San Juan de Dios Vocational Training Center operated, a benchmark in training the unemployed (mainly through occupational vocational training courses), but in 2017 the Junta de Andalucía closed it after mismanagement.

It also includes a large number of primary and secondary education centers, some of them among the best in Spain.

Since 1985, there has been a Teachers' Center (CEP), whose work was recognized with the Ciudad de Jerez Special Award 2017.

Apart from academic education, there are municipal schools for horse riding, bullfighting and road safety education, among others.

Health

Among the health services, there is a public General Hospital of the Andalusian Health Service (which became a University Hospital when it turned fifty in 2018) and another subsidized by the Hospital Order of San Juan de Dios, the Hospital de San Juan de Dios. In the Southern District there is the HLA Jerez Puerta del Sur Hospital, which is a private hospital, the private clinics of Serman and Los Álamos also stand out.

Hospital San Juan Grande

Transportation

Jerez is a city that has large avenues that articulate a huge load of vehicles (some with more than 30,000 vehicles per day).

In addition, it has the following infrastructure in public services:

Buses

Urban buses

There are 18 bus lines, with distinctive blue and white buses and red and silver-grey ones. Currently, the urban transport service contemplates the expansion of the bus park with the acquisition of 40 new units that will reinforce the existing ones.

Central Bus Station

The current bus station in Jerez is managed by the town council. This new station is located a few hundred meters from the previous one, next to the railway station since 2006, with improvement works being planned by 2013. Regular trips are made from it to Alcalá del Valle, Algeciras, Arcos de la Frontera, Barbate, Cádiz, Chiclana de la Frontera, Chipiona, El Puerto de Santa María, Los Barrios, Madrid, Málaga, Medina Sidonia, Ronda, Rota, San José del Valle, San Fernando, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Seville, Trebujena and Zahara de los Atunes.

In addition to daily and regular buses to the airport and the districts further away from Jerez, the nearby ones are connected by urban buses.

Roads

The highways that connect Jerez with other towns have a radial route with respect to the province of Cádiz and the province of Seville. Its main accesses are the following:

Airport

Jerez Airport

Jerez La Parra International Airport (IATA: XRY, ICAO: LEJR) It is located 8 kilometers northeast of the center. It was built in 1937 and opened to commercial traffic in 1946. In 1992 it became an airport for exclusive civilian use, and the military air base was transferred to Morón de la Frontera.

In 2006 the airport handled 1,381,560 passengers, with a growth of 6.51% over 2005 and 23.64% over 2004. It is the third airport in number of passengers in Andalusia, behind the airport Malaga-Costa del Sol and Seville-San Pablo.

The airport is connected to the city through a regular bus and train line. In the general state budget for 2008, several items have been budgeted to expand the airport infrastructure. On September 7, 2011, the Jerez Airport railway station was inaugurated, next to the same airport facilities and as part of the Seville - Jerez High-Speed Line. It is thus the second Andalusian city with an airport accessible by train.

Railway

Railway station in 2018, work attributed to Aníbal González

Plano of the railway lines of Cercanías and half distance passing by Jerez

Jerez has had a railway line since 1780, when the first line in Andalusia was established, and one of the first in Spain, between Jerez and El Puerto de Santa María, which two years later would be extended to the port del Trocadero, in Puerto Real, had a length of about 27 km in length. The objective of this line was to transport the sherry casks to the port and then embark them for the United Kingdom. The current building is the work of Aníbal González, in his characteristic Neo-Mudejar style.

Jerez station is the fourth busiest Adif station in Andalusia, after Seville-Santa Justa, Córdoba-Central and Málaga-María Zambrano. The following destinations can be taken from it:

• Regular line of proximity Jerez-Cádiz: with stop in Jerez Airport, Jerez, El Puerto de Santa María, Valdelagrana, Las Aletas, Universidad (Campus de Puerto Real), Puerto Real, San Fernando, Bahía Sur (San Fernando), Cortadura (Cádiz), Estadio (Cádiz), Segunda Aguada (Cádiz), San Severiano (Cádiz) and Cadiz (main station).

• Regular line of Seville-Jerez-Cádiz regionals: with stop in Cadiz (main station), Second Aguada (Cádiz), Estadio (Cádiz), San Fernando, Puerto Real, El Puerto de Santa María, Jerez, Lebrija, Las Cabezas de San Juan, Utrera, Dos Hermanas, San Bernardo (Seville) and Santa Justa (main station of Seville).

• Great routes: regular trips to Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Madrid, Malaga, Tarragona and Zaragoza take place at the railway station in Jerez.

• The city has the service of High Speed. With a service from Alvia, it is expected that in years the AVE will enter into operation.
• Initiatives have been presented to create three new attachments, one in the area of the González Hontoria-Sementales Park, another in the Guadalcacín Pedanía, taking advantage of the City of Transport (and its terminal of goods) and another in the neighborhoods of Zona Hipercor and San José Obrero.

The Jerez Airport station normally connects with the regular Jerez commuter line and the regular Seville-Jerez regional line, facilitating access and communication with Jerez airport.

The Ciudad del Transporte station is a freight train station located in the Ciudad del Transporte, in Jerez, near the district of Guadalcacín. In use only for the maintenance of wagons, although in 2018 its conversion into a dry port was put out to tender.

Bicycle

The city has 41 kilometers of bike lanes that mainly run along the main avenues of the city.

Until 2015, Jerez had about 17 kilometers of bike lanes, but after negotiations between the Junta de Andalucía and the City Council, an additional 24 kilometers of bike lanes were opened with extensions with all the districts and with Guadalcacín.

Tram

Jerez City Council and the Junta de Andalucía presented a layout study for the Jerez tramway system, which was awarded in 2008. In 2011, the former mayoress María José García-Pelayo Jurado resigned from the tramway due to the great expense involved (168 million euros).

The Bahía de Cádiz Metropolitan Tram will run from the Cádiz station to the Jerez de la Frontera airport, traveling along the Astilleros avenue, in Cádiz, to pass through the Cortes avenue and there connect with the bridge la Pepa to cross the bay of Cádiz. Then it will circulate along Trocadero avenue in the municipality of Puerto Real, specifically in the Río San Pedro neighborhood, to finally enter the city of Puerto Real through the Universidad commuter station and go to Jerez de la Frontera through the current via Cádiz-Seville.

Monuments and places of interest

In Jerez we can highlight the following tourist attractions:

Historical architecture

In the urban structure of Jerez we can clearly distinguish careful growth, where the old town with its Andalusian physiognomy is identified, and the expansion, which follows a more elaborate urban planning.

Religious monuments

Among the religious monuments, churches and monasteries stand out (some are still closed). However, what was once called the "City of Convents" is continually losing congregations, occasionally revealing sites archaeological sites of great antiquity.

Night view of the cathedral, where is Our Lady of Relief, co-sponsor of the city

Church of San Miguel

Monastery of the Carthusian

Bertemati Palace

Puerta del Arroyo

Former convent of the Servants of Mary

• Jerez de la Frontera Cathedral, former schoolgirl of San Salvador.
• Church of San Miguel, nestled in the Gypsy neighborhood of the same name, the Church of San Miguel dates from the centuryXV. In the style of Gothic isabelino and Baroque, it stands out in addition to its beautiful covers, the magnificent altarpiece by Martínez Montañes and José de Arce.
• Church of St. Matthew, the oldest Gothic church in the city. Its interior of a single nave, with a brick floor.
• Cartuja de Santa María de la Defensión, is the monumental group of greatest artistic value in the province of Cadiz. Its initial architectural style corresponds to the late Gothic and dates back to the centuryXV.
• Church of Santiago, declared a Historic Artistic Monument, is enslaved in one of the most flamenco neighborhoods in Andalusia. Ancient hermitage founded by Alfonso X "the Sabio", is an impressive Gothic construction, with Renaissance elements and later baroque.
• Church of Saint John of the Knights, temple of great artistic interest, St John of the Knights preserves his primitive Mudejar plant, with Gothic and Renaissance sections. It is worth highlighting its manierist facade, covers and apse almenado of Mudejar style dating from the centuryXIV.
• Basilica of Merced, where is the Virgin of Merced, patron of the city.
• Church of San Lucas, built on an old mosque, the church of San Lucas, in Mudejar style stands out for its baroque interior.
• Monastery and Basilica del Carmen, of the Carmelite order, the first order that is established inside the Murado of Jerez after the reconquest.
• Church of San Marcos, built on an old mosque, the church of San Marcos consists of a single flowery Gothic-style nave with Mudejar elements, and a Baroque Major altarpiece.
• Church of San Dionisio, built on an old mosque, San Dionisio Areopagita, patron of the city since the reconquest of the city in 1264, provides Mudejar elements. Review the tower of the Watchtower, tower vigía annexa to the main construction.
• Church of San Francisco, where the remains of the White Queen of Bourbon lie.
• Hermitage of the Ina Building of the last third of the centuryXIV, of Mudejar style and seems to belong to the type of visigothic basilica, such as that of San Juan de Baños, and although it does not have the same antiquity, it is built under the visigothic architectural influence, used in the Mozarabic temples especially in Andalusia, where it does not feel just the influence of Romanesque art.
• Church of La Victoria, was a convent of Minimum Fathers of Saint Francis of Paula.
• Convent of Las Reparadoras, of neomudéjar style.
• Church of Los Descalzos
• Church and Cloisters of Santo Domingo, where Our Lady of Consolation, co-sponsor of Jerez, is venerated. It is also home to the Brotherhood of the Rocío de Jerez de la Frontera.
• Hermitage of San Telmo
• Guide hermit (popular name), whose real name is hermitage of San Isidro Labrador.
• Church of Saint Peter
• Convent of the Holy Spirit, specialized in sweets until its recent closing.
• Convent Santa Maria de Gracia, known as the convent of Santa Rita.
• Convent of Saint Joseph, inhabited by the Franciscans Clarisas Descalzas.
• Disampered Chapel
• Chapel of Saint John Lateran
• Chapel of Calvary, at the headquarters of the Major Seminary of Asidonia-Jerez.
• Convent of Mother of God, inhabited by the Franciscan Clarisas known for their pastry.
• Cemetery Our Lady of Merced.
• Church of Mother of God
• Sanctuary San Juan Grande
• Hospital of the Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is abandoned after being an asylum for years.
• La Yedra Chapel
• Church of the Most Holy Trinity
• Chapel of Santa Marta
• Church of Santa Ana
• Chapel of the Angustias
• Parish Saint John the Baptist Of The Salle And Our Lady of the Star
• Parish of San Rafael, presided over by a Christ of Antonio Illanes.
• Monastery of the Pure Conception, of the minimum nuns.

Palaces and stately homes

The city has a rich palatial heritage that, however, in many cases does not receive adequate care.

• Duque de Abrantes Palace, headquarters of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.
• Camporreal Palace, Benavente Square.
• Bertemati Palace, built in 1758, stands out its balcony of extraordinary hardware and moved plant. At the end of 2006, the Bishop of the Diocese of Asidonia-Jerez moved to the Palace.
• Palace of Riquelme, the facade of the unfinished palace of the Market Square is a good example of the centuryXVI Hi. Highlights the silver cover of two bodies.
• Domecq Palace, model of the typical Jesuit manor house, of baroque style, was built in 1778. It has a porticodo patio, of Italian red marble, with decorated arches.
• Palacio Dávila, Renaissance palace with an elevated soberly decorated cover, and a balcony and cornered window with classic architectural elements.
• Palacio de Luna (also known as Palacio de Pérez-Luna), built in 1777, is another example of baroque-style palace house. Highlights its beautiful cover on Rafael Rivero Square and the decoration of the balcony on which it rests.
• Palace of Villapanés, on Empedrada Street without number is partially restored.
• Palacio Pemartín, headquarters of the Andalusian Centre of Flamenco, formerly belonged to Antonia de Villavicencio, in the second half of the centuryXVIII (1770-1780).
• Palace of Villavicencio, located within the Alcazar.
• Palace of the Morla and Melgarejo, in Plaza Melgarejo.
• Petra de la Riva House in Rafael Rivero Square.
• Casa-palacio de la calle Lealas, number 20, included as a monument in the General Catalogue of the Andalusian Historical Heritage.
• San Blas Palace, located in the San Mateo district.
• Marquis Palace in Villamarta, on Larga Street. Now it's a shop.
• Palacio del Conde de los Andes or Palacio del Virrey Laserna, on Pozuelo Street.
• Palace of Mirabal
• Casa-palacio de los Ponce de León, currently headquarters of the Sisters of El Salvador.
• Palacio del Barón de Algar del Campo, also known as Palacio de Carrizosa for being in the square of that name.
• Palacio de los Condes de Puerto Hermoso former headquarters of the National Police.
• Palace of the Counts of Montegil, I sit in the square of Bethlehem.
• Casa de los Basurto, built between the centuries XVI and XIXWhat remains of it is incorporated into the Domecq Bodegas.
• palatial house of the current school Miguel de Cervantes.
• Garvey Palace
• Palacio de la Condesa de Casares
• Disappeared Palace of the Marquis of Salobral

Museums

Interior of the Clock Museum

Archaeological Museum

• Archaeological Museum, located in the old market square, among its attractions is the Corinthian helmet, unique in the West, found in the vicinity of the Cartuja on the Guadalete River.
• Museums of the Watchtower, include the Mystery of Jerez (Museum of Wine) and the Palace of Time (Mouse of Watches).
• Museo del Enganche
• Taurino Museum
• Museum of Bethlehem.
• Museo del Traje Andaluz o del Traje Corto, by Antolín Díaz Salazar.
• Rivero Pinacoteca
• Museo de Tecnología Agraria Antonio Cabral, located in the IES Santa Isabel de Hungary.
• Museo de la Fundación Espinosa de los Monteros includes guitars and string musical instruments.
• Museum of Natural, Physical and Chemistry Father Luis Coloma is located in the IES Coloma.
• Flamenco Museum, is still a project but with funding.
• Museum-restaurant La Tonelería, currently abandoned.
• Museo Suite Vollard of painting and sculpture, in Bodegas Real Tesoro.
• Museo de la provincia Bética de la Basílica del Carmen de Jerez de la Frontera

Other monuments

Zoo of Jerez

• Old Town Hall, Renaissance style.
• Zoo and Botanic Garden of Jerez.
• Villamarta Theatre.
• Blue Gallo.
• Alcázar (old Arab city-fortress), which has the Palace of Villavicencio and a Dark House inside it.
• Wall of the city, from which there are pieces in various streets (both in the air and in buildings).
• Tabanco St. Paul.

Main wineries

Royal Treasure Bodegas

Wine has been a key piece in the history and economy of Jerez, and has also left its mark on the city with a large number of wineries of great architectural value:

• González-Byass
• Domecq
• Strategic Group
• Garvey Group
• Williams & Humbert
• Bodegas de Pilar Plá (originals of 1830).
• Bodegas Tradition, which has an important pinacoteca and Archive with documents since 1666.
• Sánchez Romate, one of the few that has bodeguera facilities inside the city.
• Bodegas Lustau, recognized as the seventh best winery in the world in 2014 by the International Association of Wine Writers and Journalists.
• Bodegas Maestro Sierra, awarded the European Gold Medal to the Merit at Work.

Likewise, new wineries are appearing recently that develop high-quality red wines under the name Vinos de la tierra de Cádiz. It must be borne in mind that from time immemorial until the XVIII century, the wine made in the region was of this type.

Other Notable Places

IFECA

Bullring

• It is worth noting the crocodile farm, Kariba, as the only one in Spain. It contains more than 1300 specimens that live in an artificial habitat that includes a river.
• Circuito Permanente de Alta Velocidad de Jerez.
• Jerez Airport.
• Cadiz Fair Institution (IFECA).
• Chapín sports complex, includes stadium for athletics and football (with gym), covered pavilion and high-performance water centre.
• Centro Andaluz de Flamenco, located at the Pemartín Palace, holds the Chair of Flamencology.
• Zoco de Artesanía de Jerez, Centro cultural, commercial and playful for the promotion of crafts and local culture.
• Plaza de toros de Jerez
• Yeguada Militar de Jerez de la Frontera
• Room Company
• Vieja Fishing Room
• Sala Callejón de los Bolos
• Ancient Astoria Summer Film
• Fundación Caballero Bonald
• Fundación Teresa Rivero
• Torre del Agua, currently in works.
• Theme Park Ciudad de los Niños de Jerez
• Old convent of Saint Augustine, century buildingXVII that will host a business center.
• Reception Center, Attention and Information to Tourists (CRAIT), next construction.
• Jerez told at the beginning of the centuryXXI with a spa, the spa of San Telmo, which currently occupies a SPA center.
• Paseo de la Fama de Jerez
• Lithographic Stones of Jerez Industrial
• Jerez74, is the highest building in the city, is located in the North District and is more than 50 meters, has 15 floors.
• Traffic children's park.

Culture

Popular festivals

Jerez celebrates the Harvest Festival, the Flamenco Festival, Holy Week and the well-known Horse Fair. The Spanish Motorcycle Grand Prix takes place annually in Jerez, which is usually one of the first events of the Motorcycle World Championship.

Feast of Harvest

• The Festivals of Vendimia have been held since 1948 (as well as the oldest in Spain). The first step of the grape is made in the first half of September. In addition, cultural events of the most varied themes, international puppet shows, theatrical performances, Flemish performances, etc are offered for about two weeks. Each year is different from the previous one, and it does not usually have fixed or the type of show offered or the name of the celebration, because at times it has made it known as Fiestas de Otoño; in previous years there have been offered exhibitions of battery or horse racing in the historic center, among other shows. Contrary to the other parties in the city that usually search for the visit of the foreigner, this is usually intended for the enjoyment of the native. In 2015 they were declared parties of Tourist Interest of Andalusia, although in 1980 they were declared Festivals of International Tourist Interest by the Ministry of Commerce and Tourism Industry.

• Patron Festivals: La Merced (September 24) is the day of Our Lady of Merced, Patron of Jerez) and San Dionisio (October 9, the Patron, San Dionisio Areopagita).

People celebrating a zambomba

• Christmas is usually celebrated with zambombas that were traditionally celebrated in the courtyards of neighbors, rocks and, above all, in the flamenco neighborhoods of the city (Santiago and San Miguel). Coplas, usually villancicos, are usually passed from one generation to another through unwritten media, although in recent times and with the emergence of new information technologies this has changed markedly, even lost flanges are recovered in times or new ones are created. In fact the jerezana zambomba has been declared a Good of Intangible Cultural Interest, while working on the declaration of Christmas in Jerez as a National Tourist Interest Party (in 2021 the recognition was obtained as a Festival of Tourist Interest of Andalusia). There is also a long tradition of public belenes.

• San Antón: The festive cycle is possible to consider it on January 25, the feast of San Antón, with the blessing of the animals in the González Hontoria park.

Brotherhood of the Vera-Cruz, Holy Week

• The Holy Week stands out for being one of the most important in Andalusia in terms of the number of hermandades, quality in its sizes and iconographic sets refers. This allows you to enjoy every year of mystery steps loaded with undeniable flavor, which still retain the aura with which they conceived, and equally, pallium steps that inherit from history the design, the goldsmith's and the embroidery of the great masters. The Holy Week of Jerez was declared a National Tourist Interest on February 25, 1993 and is currently in the process of being declared an International Tourist Interest. The Holy Week has every year corners specially dedicated to the arrow that catalyzes the enormous cultural acquis that subdues of this genuine way of understanding this art, with styles ranging from the followiya to the martinete, passing through the soleá or the carceleration, being of special relevance the singing of the saeta to the passing of the images in the vicinity of the flamenco neighborhoods of the city. The Holy Week is complemented by other public samples of the suffering feeling, such as the Magna Procession in 2000 or the Marian Lucis Way in 2013

• The Festival de Flamenco de Jerez is considered the best in the world by various media, including the flamenco.com digital magazine. In 2007, the festival held its XI edition, which was attended by 31 700 attendees (a 15% increase compared to the previous year and 40% compared to 2004). A total of 140 performances (9.8 per cent more than the previous year) and 36 flamenco courses were held. The festival was attended by a total of 32 different nationalities, of which are Japanese (17.18%), Germans (12.51%) and Americans (9.9%). The festival was a reason for Jerez to move 120 media from around the world.

• The Spanish Grand Prix of Motorcycles is usually one of the first tests of the World Cup, and it is the one that most spectators come to. Having such a massive entry, it has a lot of impact in the engine world and is one of the most wanted drivers to win. In 2007 the circuit of Jerez achieved the absolute record of attendance at a sports show in Spain with 134 138 people. To the city, and neighboring districts, there were 246 000 tourists (an 11.7 % more than the previous year) who spent 47.4 million euros (a 2.4% more than the previous year).

Horse Fair

• La Feria del Caballo, also known as Feria de Mayo, or simply Feria de Jerez, is declared of international tourist interest by the Secretariat of State of Tourism and Commerce, belonging to the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce of Spain. The fair of Jerez sinks its roots in the Middle Ages, suffering the evolutions and obvious transformations until we reach our day. It's a fair that revolves around the horse world. It has now lost some traditions that have been maintained for many years, such as charity Battle of the Flowers or the horse races, keeping others, such as the contests of riders and carers, activities of harassment and demolition, morphological contests and other activities related to the horse world. In the 1990s, and given the proliferation of private landlords at the fairs in Andalusia, Pedro Pacheco took the initiative to prohibit the entry of any cassette to the general public (except for a single day of fair that is called the day of the partner and that each cassette sets as appropriate). This opening has encouraged a multitude of visits to the fair and has led to several expansions of the fairground. All this has made it one of the largest and most visited fairs in Andalusia.

• Corpus Christi: This party is commemorated in June.

• El Carnaval de Jerez: another local party, with activities during the weekend.

Gastronomy

More than the dishes, its gastronomy is characterized by the culture of tapas. Typical dishes of the gastronomy of Jerez de La Frontera are pork rinds, stew, bull's tail, hot garlic, kidneys in sherry, Andalusian gazpacho, Jerez cabbage, tagarninas and artichokes in sherry. Jerez is the place of excellence for finos, amontillados, olorosos and musts (the latter only in season). As for desserts, it is the cradle of bacon de cielo, which has been produced since the XIV century. and integrated many influences.

Since 2018 the city has a restaurant recognized with a Michelin Star.

Wine

Interior of a Lustau winery

Traditional Tabanco of the city

The history and development of the city of Jerez (including its architecture) have historically been linked to the wine industry.

The first vines were brought to the Jerez area by the Phoenicians around 1100 BC. C. A very imperfect wine was made, which was cooked so that it would not spoil during transport. He had a very high ranking. In the year 138 B.C. C. Scipio Emiliano pacifies the region and begins to export products to Rome: wine, olive oil and garum (a fish paste similar to pickle).

In 711, the Moorish domination of Spain began, but wine continued to be consumed despite the Koran's prohibition. In 966, Almanzor, vizier of Caliph Alhaken II, decides to uproot the vines, but the people of Jerez convince the caliph that raisins give energy to soldiers, and a third of the vines are preserved.

In 1264, with the reconquest of Jerez by Alfonso X El Sabio, wine consumption spread. Christians drank wine and ate pork to differentiate themselves from Muslims. They even gave it to the horses to drink before battles. Already then, in the 12th century, the wine was sent to England, where it began to be known by the Arabic name of the city, Sherish, origin of the word sherry.

How to take a wine to not warm the wine with your hand

In the 15th and XVI, Jerez wine becomes a source of wealth for the region, it is protected by the King and is exported to England, France and the Netherlands. As an example, in all the ships that went to America, a third of the cargo was reserved for wine.

In 1587 Martin Frobisher, from Francis Drake's fleet, attacked Cádiz and Jerez, taking 3000 casks of these wines. This loot made sherry fashionable at the English court.

From 1682, after some violent attempts, the English decided to bring wine peacefully, and English businessmen settled in Jerez, founding wineries such as: Garvey, Duff-Gordon, Wisdom & Warter, Osborne. After them came the Spanish capital repatriated after the independence of the colonies (González, Marqués de Misa) as well as the French Domecq or Lacave.

The Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Denomination of Origin was created in 1935 (being the first in Spain), and helped to popularize wines throughout Spain during the dictatorship. At the same time, some auxiliary sectors flourished, especially the cooperage.

However, at the end of the 1980s the sector suffered an acute crisis, mainly due to the decrease in national demand, despite continuing to be a world-renowned wine. This crisis affected the economy of the city, which has sought to diversify its industrial fabric.

The turn of the XXI century saw a resurgence of the tabanco as a venue for leisure and wine tasting.

Related to the production of sherry is Jerez brandy and Jerez vinegar, both protected by the designation of origin. As well as the breed of Andalusian winemaker Ratonero dog.

In 2014 it was the European City of Wine, named by Recevin (Network of European Wine Cities)

Music

Moraito Chico

In the field of popular music from Jerez, the zambombas are characteristic, very lively and well-attended gatherings that are held around Christmas Eve, in which the singing of Christmas carols (usually flamenco through bulerías) is essential. Especially characteristic are the repetitive pascual ballads. Similarly, flamenco and popular culture often pervade Christmas celebrations.

In the field of cultured or academic music, there are several works whose title alludes to Jerez. The eleventh piece of the Iberia Suite (1905-1908) by Isaac Albéniz is entitled Jerez. From 1928 are the symphonic notes Campos Jerezanos by Germán Álvarez Beigbeder, as well as the Suite Jerez for guitar and orchestra, a compilation of music by the same composer performed by his son Jose Maria Alvarez-Beigbeder Perez. The work Campos Jerezanos was also posthumously retitled by his son to Campos Andaluces , to make such an excellent work known in our land. Likewise, the Cordovan musician Joaquín Villatoro Medina, who was director of the Municipal Band from 1962 to 1980, composed for this city the work Jerez: canto al vino y al trabajo. And more recently, we find the work the Dance of the Steeds by Luis Cobos.

Known artists from Jerez are the composer Manuel Alejandro (son of Álvarez Beigbeder, also from Jerez), David DeMaría, the group Los Delinqüentes, the tenor Ismael Jordi, José Mercé, Jesús Méndez, María Carrasco or the rap singer La Mala Rodríguez, and the talented flamenco guitarists Manuel Valencia, Menuito and Miguel Salado.

As for the musical offer, the Teatro Villamarta is an important lyrical theater in Andalusia.

Currently in Jerez it has its Municipal Band, founded in 1930 by the illustrious Jerez composer Germán Álvarez Beigbeder, having been directed throughout its history by distinguished musicians such as Moisés Davia, Joaquín Villatoro, José Ramón Cabrera or Francisco Orellana. It also has two orchestras: the Campos Andaluces Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (JOFCA), founded by young musicians from the city, led by Pedro Gálvez, and has members from all over the province of Cádiz. Despite her short career, and much of it having been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, she has already been awarded in Moscow for her performance of the gypsy ballet El Amor Brujo by Falla. This orchestra is associated with Eurochestries International, whose international festivals for young orchestras and choirs are the longest-running and most prestigious in the world. We also find the Álvarez Beigbeder Orchestra in the city, in operation since 1998, founded by the Georgian violist Archil Pochkua (professor at the Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra) and the lawyer from Jerez Antonio de la Herrán. This orchestra has traveled to France, Canada, China and Russia on numerous occasions at the Eurochestries festivals, and has performed numerous zarzuelas in conjunction with the UCA Choir (directed by Juan Manuel Pérez Madueño). It has a training project, the Joven Camerata Jerezana, where the youngest musicians learn to train in orchestral practice. It is under the musical direction of José Colomé. There are also various musical groups, such as AM San Juan or AM La Sentencia with more than thirty years of history.

Flamenco

Flamenco table with María José Santiago

In the geography of flamenco singing, Jerez is considered the cradle of the art, highlighting the bulería, along with the tango, the seguiriya and the soleá. This interest can be seen in the high number of flamenco activities and clubs, currently 16. The oldest of them, the Peña Flamenca Los Cernícalos dates from 1969, being the third in Spain.

Among the fundamental artists of flamenco in Jerez are various families of gypsy origin, including Antonio Chacón, Lola Flores, Manuel Torre, Terremoto de Jerez, Tío Borrico, La Paquera de Jerez, Agujetas, Manuel Morao, Sernita de Jerez, Parrilla de Jerez, José Mercé and Moraíto.

In Jerez (in the Pemartín Palace) is the Chair of Flamencology and Andalusian Folk Studies of the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco (which has undergone organizational changes recently) and the construction of the Ciudad del Flamenco is projected, whose Nave del Oil will be available shortly.

In 2013, Jerez 2013. Year of Flamenco was celebrated, with the collaboration of the central government and the Junta de Andalucía.

In 2017 the Ciudad de Jerez International Flamenco Research Award was announced, which aspires to become the world scientific reference on this art.

The horse

Carthusian horse inhibition

The horse has played a key role in the history of Jerez. Since the time of the Phoenicians (IV century BC) there were already testimonies written by Greek historians about the special care that they were given to horses in the area. The first crossbreeding of horses that occurred in Jerez dates back to the times of the Muslim conquest, when they crossed their Arabian horses, known as Pure Arabian Blood, with the local horse, resulting in the famous Spanish Arabian horse, popularly known as pure Spanish blood or Andalusian horse. In the XV century, the monks of the Cartuja de Jerez carried out a new crossing. This time the Carthusians crossed the Hispano-Arab horse with one of German origin, which gave rise to the famous Carthusian breed, or Jerez horse, which has survived to this day.

Equally, the sport of polo was also of great importance, which had a club in 1870 (one year after the sport was invented) and jockey. Although some infrastructures have been lost (such as the Chapín racetrack), It maintains various infrastructures related to its breeding and exploitation. Likewise, an incipient equine tourism industry is developing. Jerez hosted the 2002 world equestrian games.

It was elected European Horse City 2018 at the General Assembly of the Network of European Horse Cities (Euro Equus).

Some equestrian complexes and facilities in the city are:

Other institutions

Conservatory

• Real Academia San Dionisio de Ciencias, Artes y Letras de Jerez de la Frontera
• Ateneo Cultural de Jerez
• Ateneo Cultural Andaluz
• La Zaranda Theatre Company, National Theatre Award.
• Jerez de la Frontera Conservatory, dedicated to Joaquín Villatoro.
• Musicry, Centre for Musical Studies,
• Jerez Studio Theatre (School of Theatre and company of performing arts).
• Asociación Cultural Memoria Histórica Jerezana
• Asociación Cultural Cine-Club Jerez: The Cine-Club Popular de Jerez is a cultural association founded in 1976. During his forty-four years of existence he has received recognition for his work in the dissemination of cinema, the rescue of lost cinematographic documents, the creation of the Audiovisual Documentation Centre and considered one of the most important in Andalusia.

Religion

Holy Week

The religion with the most practitioners in Jerez is, like the rest of Spain, Catholic Christianity. There are numerous temples and sacred places for the worship of this religion in the city. However, in the city there are various non-Catholic temples, such as mosques and evangelical churches. The municipal cemetery of Jerez has facilities for burial by the Islamic rite.

Jerez has great autonomy in its ecclesiastical administration in Andalusia, it is the only non-province capital city, along with Guadix, that is the episcopal seat of a Catholic Diocese. The Diocese, named Asidonia-Jerez in honor of the former diocese of the Arab province of Saris, covers the northern fringe of the province of Cádiz, taking the Guadalete River as its natural border to the south. The regions included in said land are the Northwest Coast, the Campiña de Jerez and the Sierra de Cádiz, together with most of the urban area of El Puerto de Santa María, as it is located on the north bank of the river. The main temple of the diocese is the cathedral of San Salvador and the bishopric of the diocese is located in the Bertemati palace, in the Plaza del Arroyo.

In addition to Holy Week, other religious festivities are also celebrated, such as Corpus Christi, its patron Saint Dionisio Areopagita and its patron saint Nuestra Señora de la Merced (not the Virgen del Socorro, co-patron saint). Brotherhoods and religious congregations carry out social works at the local level.

Sports

In the 19th century the aristocracy of the area echoed the first modern sports, creating themselves in the city the first polo club in Spain (and fourth in the world) in 1864, and there is evidence of the celebration of a soccer match in 1870.

Jerez Circuit

Circuito de Jerez

Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber in a 2010 test

Jerez de la Frontera has held motor sports events since the Gran Premio Nuestra Señora de La Merced began in 1958. However, the largest investments in sports infrastructure in the city They are part of the Circuito de Jerez, located 8 km northeast of the city.

The Circuito de Jerez, previously officially known as the Circuito de Alta Velocidad de Jerez, is a 4,423.101 m (2,752 mi) racetrack built in 1986 to host the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix. the 1990 edition lost the organization of the race at the hands of the Circuit de Catalunya. During the years 1994 and 1997 the circuit hosted the European Grand Prix. Numerous tests are carried out annually and it is used by many teams to make their official presentations before the start of the competition.

Since 1987, one year after its construction, it has been the scene of the Spanish Motorcycle Grand Prix, the main event of the last edition, in 2009 it had a following in Spain of 3.2 million people, 36, 6% share of the screen. In addition, the test usually has high audiences on televisions around the world. In the 2009 edition, 282,000 visitors came to the city, leaving tourist spending of almost 57 million euros in Andalusia, most of it in Jerez and the nearby regions.

The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) designated Jerez as the World Capital of Motorcycling in 2015. This capital brought other events to the city such as Enduro, Supermoto, Freestyle and Trial, in addition to the already traditional GP or Superbikes. In addition to the tests, the Jerez Walk of Fame and the Parque de las Naciones were created, taking advantage of and reforming the Altillo park to put up replicas of other circuits in the world and establish twinning with other countries.

Chapín Sports Complex

Municipal Stadium of Chapín

Located in the Northeast district, is the Chapín Sports Complex, the largest concentration of sports facilities in the city. The Chapín municipal stadium, owned by the Jerez City Council, was built in 1988 and remodeled in 2002, and is the most representative facility in the complex. It has a capacity of 20,523 spectators and is currently the headquarters of the Xerez Deportivo Fútbol Club Sports Association. Xerez Deportivo FC play their home games at its facilities. In this stadium, it is also worth noting how the Xerez Club Deportivo, the city's historic club, marked an era in Jerez football with its promotion to the first division of Spanish football in the 2009/2010 season. The Athletics Chapín Xerez Deportivo FC also carry out training and athletic tests.

The Spanish national soccer team played a friendly match against Germany there in 1995. It was also one of the venues for the 2009 Peace Cup international club trophy and is the frequent scene of various athletics events. The Chapín Sports Complex is also the center of various athletics teams. Among them, Atletismo Chapín Xerez Deportivo FC, one of the best Spanish athletics teams, which from 2001 to 2008 revalidated the title of champion of Spain for men's clubs without interruption. It has been champion of the Copa del Rey de Atletismo in several times. In the 300-meter event held during the III Ciudad de Jerez International Athletics Meeting, held in Chapín on September 3, 1990, the world record was broken by two athletes, the Cuban Roberto Hernández and the American Danny Everett, who in the same race did the same time (31.48 seconds). This mark was in force as a world record for ten years, until the American Michael Johnson made a mark of 30.85 seconds.

The Complex also has the Palacio de Deportes de Chapín, which is the usual headquarters of the women's basketball club Chapín Jerez Baloncesto (Chajeba), champion of Andalusia in 2009 and who played in the Women's League 2 in the 2009-10 season, and the DKV Jerez basketball club, which plays in the EBA League (fourth category of Spanish basketball). The Spanish basketball team played a friendly match at this palace in 2006. The facilities also have courts for indoor soccer and volleyball. The stadium was remodeled in 2019

Water facilities

On the other hand, in the equestrian facilities there is the Municipal Riding School. Likewise, the Andalusian Sports Institute conducts training for official qualifications (horse riding).

In the Pradera Hípica de Chapín, also called simply La Pradera, is located the rugby field where Club Rugby Xerez Deportivo FC trains and plays its official matches. This large enclosure is used as a training area for local soccer teams, other clubs from different sports disciplines, as well as a recreation and leisure area open to the general public. It is also used by clubs of other sports disciplines, such as the Venenciadores de Jerez Béisbol Club baseball club and the Jerez Quidditch Club, who, due to the lack of land in the city dedicated to these sports, carry out their training sessions on this meadow.

Next to La Pradera there is a skatepark remodeled in 2019. Tennis and paddle tennis club and the headquarters of the Jerez Tennis Association (ATJ), which has hosted many important tournaments at the regional level.

It is the usual setting for Jerez Industrial CF, a soccer team that plays in the Andalusian Primera División as well as other teams in the city. The sports venue has a natural grass field with a capacity for 5,000 spectators, an attached artificial grass field for training, a gym and an indoor sports center.

Other sports complexes

Pedro S. Garrido Stadium, formerly called Youth Stadium

Municipal Stadium of Guadalcacín

Sports Complex of La Granja

Ruiz-Mateos Pavilion

Polideportivo de La Asunción

Jerez has other facilities equipped for the practice of football and sports, of these the most relevant are:

• Pedro S. Garrido Stadium, located in the South District, has a capacity of 5000 spectators, dimensions of 108x69 meters and with all the regulations of the LFP for the practice of professional football. It was the first sports complex built in the city. Formerly, the football field belonged to the youth hostel that is located in the vicinity of it, where it receives its name. It is the usual stage of Jerez Industrial CF, football team that militates in the First Andalusian Division as well as other sets of the city. The sports grounds have a natural lawn field with a capacity of 5000 spectators, an artificial grass field attached for trainings, a gym and a covered sportsman dedicated to Antonio Vega «Veguita».

• Estadio Municipal Antonio Fernández Marchán, headquarters of the CD Guadalcacín, team that competes in the Third Division. Built on the old campes that existed in the entity, in the 1990s, the City Council carried out a reform of the facilities. In 2010, the name of Antonio Fernández Marchán is given to the Stadium.
• La Granja Sports Complex, located in the homonymous neighborhood in the northwest district. It is the usual headquarters of the New People's CD. These facilities have two football pitches, with a grad with capacity for 600 people, a football-sala track, two petanque tracks and four paddle tracks.
• La Canaleja football field, the usual headquarters of the Xerez Club Balompié, located in the neighborhood of the same name in the East district has a capacity for 1000 people. It consists of an artificial grass football field, with dimensions of 100 x 63 m. Inside are also marked 2 football fields 7, with dimensions of 63 x 40 m. The facilities are completed with 4 wardrobes for equipment and a wardrobe for referees, in addition to two offices. Within the facilities there are also 4 paddle tracks and a petanca area, plus a parking area.
• Manuel Millán Stadium is located in the San Ginés de la Jara district, next to the San Benito Polygon. It has artificial grass and pool football fields, lounge football courts, recreational areas, large parking lots and offices. It is the headquarters of the San Benito CF.
• Juan Fernández Simón football field is located in the neighborhood of San José Obrero, on the outskirts of the city, next to the passage of the railway to the entrance of the city and to the pedanía of Guadalcacín. It is the headquarters of the CF San José Obrero.
• Picadueña football field is located in the neighborhood of Picadueñas, next to the N-IV at its pass through the city. Built in 2015, it has an artificial grass football field and has a stands for 150 people. It also has a sportsman.
• Polideportivo Ruiz-Mateos, is a sports facility that has 4 fields for the practice of various sports activities such as: soccer room, soccer, boxing, halterophilia, gymnastics. It has hosted important sport competitions such as the European Vóley Pre, the European Women's Basketball Championship, International Soccer/Football Tournaments and Vóley World Headquarters 90. The pavilion is home to the Xerez Toyota Nimauto that competes in the Second Division B of Football Room.
• Domecq Stadium was the first football stadium built in Jerez de la Frontera. Built in 1923, it was the headquarters of the Xerez CD and the Jerez Industrial CF. In 1932 he suffered a series of reforms to host higher-level matches in Spanish football. It was shot down on 7 June 1988, when Xerez CD moved to the newly opened municipal stadium in Chapín. Currently the urbanization Parque Stadium is located where the stadium was old.
• Pools José Laguillo.

Other sports

Jerez has been chosen by the Vuelta Ciclista a España to start or finish several stages during the 1950, 1970, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1997 and 2013 editions. Several of these stages have been time trials with beginning and end in the city itself. In the 1986 edition, it was chosen to develop the last stage (being one of the only seven final cities in the race), this being a time trial through the streets of the city and finishing that year the test. In 2014, it was He carried out a 12.6-kilometre team time trial that ran through an urban route through the most emblematic points of the city.

Back to Spain 2014

Jerez has hosted the first women's Eurobasket held in Spain. The championship was held in September 1987, in which 12 national teams participated, with the matches held at the Jerez headquarters in the Ruiz-Mateos Sports Pavilion.

Other important teams in the city are the Club Natación Jerez, winner of several championships in various categories, and have won the Spanish Masters Championship on several occasions. As well as the Club Gimnasia Rítmica Jerez, participant in various Andalusian and with Andalusian champion components. All of them develop their activity in the different public indoor swimming pools of the city.

Regarding golf, the town has a municipal course to the south of the city (Sherry Golf Jerez) and the Montecastillo course, to the northeast, in a luxurious hotel complex that includes a high performance sports center used for team concentrations elite like Manchester United or Real Madrid.

Golf Montecastillo

The city is home to the oldest greyhound race in Spain, the Copa La Ina de Galgos, which is 100 years old.

During the 1990s, Jerez had the only Andalusian team in the Futsal Division of Honor, Garvey Jerez (later called Caja San Fernando). He qualified for the play-offs on one occasion and was awarded the League's sportsmanship trophy. Outstanding players such as Manolo Oliva (goalkeeper of the Spanish futsal team) and Nilo passed through their ranks. However, the transfer to San Fernando to play their matches due to works in their usual pavilion caused the team to descend and start a series of economic problems that caused his disappearance.

Jerez is also the headquarters of the Sierra del Pinar Mountaineering Club, one of the oldest mountaineering clubs in Andalusia.

Notable in the XXI century is the amateur soccer team Alma de África, which has African players and refugees as way to make the situation of the group visible.

The Speleological Research Group (GIEX) has existed since 1979, the result of the merger of the Underground Exploration Group (GEX) and the Speleological Research Group in 1974, which took over the practice of speleology in Jerez after the Montesinos Sports-Scientific Speleological Society, created in 1955. This association has stood out for its contribution in caves and karstic chasms, mainly in Andalusia, carrying out both rescues and scientific studies (Ramblazo-Parralejo-Cueva del Agua System, GIEX Room in the Sima de Cacao, etc).

The city has a tennis club, the Jerez Tennis Association.

Media

Headquarters Diario de Jerez

Newspapers

Radio stations

TV stations

Currently, three local television stations broadcast on digital television: Onda Jerez Televisión, a municipal station, Onda Luz and 8 Televisión.

Jerez de la Frontera, together with Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Rota, Chipiona and Trebujena make up the digital terrestrial television demarcation TL05CA, called Jerez de la Frontera and which will occupy channel 30 of the signal. Onda Jerez Radiotelevisión, being the local public television of the demarcation head city, automatically received its license. A second local public channel will have the mission of covering the rest of the cities within the territory (the Northwest Coast), having to reach 95% of the population in 2012. In addition, on July 29, 2008, the Junta de Andalucía granted three private licenses, falling on the companies Producciones Antares Media SL, Alcestes SLU and A.Ruiz-Berdejo.

Twin cities

Incomplete sibling plate in Haro

Monument to Lola Flores

The cities with twinning agreements with Jerez de la Frontera are:

On September 17, 1990, a twinning process began with the Rioja town of Haro to commemorate the centenary of both cities being the first to have electric public lighting in Spain, but it was not completed due to protocol circumstances. A twinning process with Jerez de García Salinas, in Mexico, also began, but was never officially completed.

Notable people