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Villages in Almeria

Adra

Villages in Almeria

Adra

Adra is located in the most western zone of the province of Almeria; its shape seems to be triangular and it is crossed longitudinally by the road N-340A Cadiz – Barcelona, between the milestones  377,700 to 397.

The western side of the municipality sets the limit with the province of Granada and covers from south to north the municipalities of Albuñol and Turón.

The oriental side borders on Berja’s municipality (Almeria).

The municipality of Adra is located in the foothills of the South-east of Sierra Nevada.

The orography of Adra is characterized by the existence of a set of hills and gullies beginning at sea level in the South-east vertex of the municipality, increasing their height the more we move forward  the North and the West, reaching their maximum levels at 1000 meters. The highest elevation of   960 meters stands out, and belongs to the hill of “La Pendencias and the houses of Cabañuelas”.

Adra’s origin corresponds to the ancient city of Abdera, after the inquiries carried out after some excavations made in Cerro Montecristo. A colony of 49,38 meters of altitude over the sea level and considered as Property of Cultural Interest, where the Phoenicians settled themselves in the 8th century B.C.

In these excavations important remains were found, which highlight the Punic origin of the city: house structures of the 4th century B.C., materials and remains of republican Roman period, high and low imperial, basically salting rafts.

In the Greco-Roman bibliography there are plenty of literary reviews from authors as Estrabón, Plinio or P. Mela mentioning Abdera, together with another cities founded by the Phoenicians in the south peninsular coast, as Sexi (Almúñecar).

Monuments in Adra

Parish Church of the Inmaculada Concepción
San Sebastián Hermitage
Ntra. Sra. de las Angustias Church
San Isidro Hermitage
Lead Smelting Factory San Andres – The Tower of the Perdigones
Wall
Baroque Houses
Arch of the Animas
Mill of the Place
The Fabriquilla of the Vinegar
Montecristo´s Hill
Guainos Watchtower
Bomb Shelters
Old Square

Square Sea´s Door

This square has its name because it was the main entranceto the old walled town Adra, that wast built in the first half of the XVI century for defensive purposes. To protect it from artillery shelling from the sea, there was a low outgoing wall or revelin in this place. There the Real Street began, and it ended in the parochial church.

In order to protect the population from invasions and epidemics, on the vault of this door there was a tribune, also called chapel, hermitage and public oratory, with Marian´s image, la Virgen de Populo (The patroness of the town), called since 1620 “de la mar” (Virgin from the sea). At the end of the 17th century and beginning of the 18th century several chaplaincies were built in this tribune, so people could attend the mass from the street, “because many poor people don´t attend the mass every Sunday, for not being decent to access the church”.

In 1753 the Brotherhood of the Nª Sª del Mar was built. It was constructed by fishermen and sailors, who assumed the obligation to provide A sailor per boat for this work. They celebrated their feast on September the 8th, with fireworks and parades.

A City Council report, dated 1833, notes that the sea had retreated some distance, “and shots from vessels couldn´t reach the ships” and, in early 1839, the Captaincy General of Granada authrized to break this stretch of wall. In May of that year, La Virgen del Mar (the Virgin of the Sea) was moved to the church and, although the Guild of Merchants tried to return it to its tribune, it wasn´t possible due to the demolition of la Puerta del Mar (The Sea´s Door). But it didn´t disappear completely: in the corner of the square, hidden among houses, you can still find a tower.Lighthouse in Adra

The square acquired its final shape in 1884, after the purchase of several lands, and is bounded on the south by the main street of Adra, Natalio Rivas street. In 1937 they built the City Council Building, which previously was located in the old square.

How to get there

By road : From Almería take the Nacional 340 (N-340) till Adra, total distance of 51 Km. and about 40 minutes.

Distances from the town

Berja 17 km
Motril 56 km
Almería 57 km
El Ejido 22 km
Málaga 151 km
La Rábita 17 km
Granada 115 km
Aguadulce 46 km

Adra Town Hall

adra-puerto

adra-rotonda1

adra-rotonda

Fuente del Mar - Adra

Edificio del Químico - Adra

Centro de Arte

Jardín de las Culturas Mediterráneas


Un comentario

  1. Ana Paula Galdiano escribio:

    Ciudad donde nacieron mis bisabuelos.En 1905 emigraron a Brasil.

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