Medina Sidonia- Roman roads and Ducal mansions

Medina Sidonia is a lovely village perched on a mountain about 45 minutes from Rota. In June, we went on a tour organized by the base Fleet and Family Service Center. I am so glad we went! The 40 Day Trips from Rota book mentions that the only reason to go to Medina Sidonia is for the pastries. At first glance, the town didn't appear to be very different from any other white village we had visited. However, thanks to our tour guide and some behind-the-scenes opportunities, we had an amazing opportunity to discover all that this town has to offer: Roman ruins, a history museum, gorgeous views, and yes, some pretty good food.:-)

We started our tour at the plaza in front of the town's main church: Santa Maria la Mayor. Like many other Spanish churches, it is a Renaissance style church that was built on the site of a mosque. Now, only the lower portion of the bell tower contains any remnants of the mosque.The name of the city, Medina Sidonia, is actually Arabic. It means 'city of Sidon.' This is perhaps a reference to the Phonecians, who originally settled the city.

 If you climb up the steps from the Plaza near the church, you will reach the ruins of a castle that was built in the 13th century. It is clear to see why a strong defensive position was necessary here: Medina Sidonia commands sweeping views of the valleys all around it. The Romans, the Moors, and the Spanish all used this city as a stronghold. Each civilization built on top of its predecessors, and the castle is at the top of the heap. Unfortunately, it is mostly in ruins now.

Though the city walls have been destroyed in most places, they are still standing in some areas of the modern city. Most notable is this archway, which is one of the original gates of the city wall. You can see that the walls were several feet thick. In fact, the upper window above the gate is actually incorporated into a private residence, that was built into the wall section. Apparently it is owned by a British man who walks through a medieval wall every day to enter and leave his home. How cool is that? These are the kinds of details that our local guide provided us. She had grown up in Medina Sidonia, and gave the tour in Spanish, but our FFSC guide Clemente translated for us. I really appreciated the insider information, which made the history come alive.

Another wonderful aspect of having a local tour guide was that she gave us private tours of areas that typically have limited access. She unlocked the door of the city's museum for us, and we were the only people in it that day. It is a very small, yet very interesting building that seeks to demonstrate what life was life in the 1800's in Medina Sidonia. The first room displayed agricultural equipment and tools-- some which were not that different from antique items on my parent's farm in America! There was also this school-room display, which my children enjoyed. 

The museum also demonstrated the contrast between the upper and lower classes in the 1800's. Medina Sidonia became an important ducal seat in 1440. Medina Sidonia was the next important town, when traveling inland from Cadiz. In fact, the Duke of Medina Sidonia was appointed Admiral of the Spanish Armada when the original Admiral died. Unfortunately, this proved disastrous since he was a nobleman, not trained in naval strategy. His inept decisions led to the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English in 1587. Here we see a 19th century dining room with china and fine furniture. (Sophia called it a tea party!)

Meanwhile, those who were not upper class did not enjoy the same lavish lifestyle. They dined at smaller tables, and sat on chairs woven from rushes. Without fireplaces, their source of warmth was a small brazier of coals located under the table to warm those who sat around it. They slept on straw mattresses, which were too dangerous to be heated by any coals. Their kitchens obviously lacked electricity and running water, a concept that baffled my children. The small holes beneath the counter held small fires over which you could cook--a 19th century stove.

After exiting the museum, we went even further back in time, into the Roman foundations of the city. Again, our tour guide unlocked a museum for us, and inside we saw well-preserved Roman roads and Roman sewer systems. Here, Danny is sitting on a 1st Century Roman road. Beside him you can see scratches in a circular and diamond pattern. This was a game scratched into the pavement, that Roman children used to play with rocks or marbles. He thought it was pretty cool to be sitting next to a game that started so long ago!

We also walked through a somewhat extensive excavation of the Roman sewers. As the rest of the city was built upon the Roman buildings, these tunnels were left intact. Don't worry, the sewers were dry and had no smell at all! We could walk comfortably through the larger tunnels, but had to explore the smallest tunnel one at a time, because it tapered off into a tiny opening my kids called a 'rat-hole.' The architecture of anything Roman is always impressive in its details and precision, and these sewers were no exception.

After walking through so much history, we finally arrived at what many group members viewed as the highlight of the tour: visiting the Church of Santa Maria de la Victoria and, most importantly, the attached bakery. Medina Sidonia is the pastry capital of the Cadiz province. The local specialty is a shortbread roll called alfajor with almond and fig flavors. It is very rich and flavorful. The nuns also make assorted flavors of cookies. We enjoyed a shortbread cookie with a chocolate fudge topping--it reminded me of the Spanish version of a Baltimore Berger cookie! A package of 6 large cookies is only 3 Euros. When we explored the church, one of the nuns came to the reja (iron gate) to talk to us. They are cloistered, so do not leave the convent, but they are free to show themselves and talk to visitors, either at the church or the bakery. This sister was the oldest in the order: 90 years old. She joined when she was 15, and had spent 75 years at that same church building!

Just past the Iglesia de la Victoria is the main Plaza de Espana, and this is the town hall. The Plaza has several good restaurants surrounding it, as well as a bakery established in the 1800's. This is another good source of pastries if you are planning to bring some home. (We didn't). Just east of this Plaza is the main parking lot. So because the bus dropped us off near the Church of Mary Mayor, at the top of the hill, we sort of did the tour backward, walking DOWN hill through most of the city. Usually you would park in the parking area and have to walk up several steep areas to reach the main church. But again, the views are worth it! Medina Sidonia has a lot to offer to anyone who enjoys history, so I'm sure we will be visiting again!