The best traffic-free bike rides around La Carlota

The municipality was founded under the leadership of the enlightened Pablo de Olavide and, by 1767, had a Central European population. Funded by the state at the request of King Charles III, the colonization was intended to promote agriculture and industry in an uninhabited area threatened by bandits, as well as to increase the security of the royal road connecting Madrid with Cadiz. Initially, the municipality belonged administratively to La Carlota, which, along with other municipalities, was also founded on this occasion.

Sebastian, and Easter eggs. It's safe to say that San Sebastián's colonial and "German" roots are still very present among its residents today, and they are often proud of them, so much so that even the local first name is "Sebastianenses" or "Alemanes." But... what about the language? Why has nothing of the language of these settlers survived to this day? The majority of the population was, of course, German, since the French settlers also came from German-speaking areas. It is believed that the first settlers and their children spoke exclusively German. However, when they came into contact with the locals, they had to learn Spanish. Therefore, it is quite possible that for several decades they spoke German among themselves, especially at home, and Spanish on the street or at work. Certainly, there were German expressions used when speaking Spanish, or words from both languages were mixed when speaking (as happens today in Gibraltar, where they speak the famous "Spanglish," a mixture of English and Spanish). Over the years and across generations, the German language fell into disuse until, almost 250 years later, it reached what it is today. It is striking that (at least as far as I know) there is not a single vernacular word or expression in German or of German origin. Proof that German expressions continued to exist in everyday life even when the Sebastianians spoke Spanish was provided to me by a good friend from the city named Sebastian. This man, about 55 years old, remembers how, when he was very young, his grandmother, who was already very old, fed the chickens instead of calling them with a voice of "PITAS, PITAS, PITAS!" He called them in German: KOMM, KOMM, KOMM! (come, come, come).

The Benamejí Palace: model of civil baroque in Andalusia. The Benamejí Palace, which houses the museum, is a monument declared a "cultural asset". Built in the first half of the 20th century. XVIII, it is one of the most important examples of civil baroque in Andalusia.

The old parish church of Santa María belonged to the Gothic-Mudejar type of church. It seems that it was built by D. Pedro Fernández Gragera, a knight in the service of San Fernando in the reconquest of Écija. According to sources, it was completed in 1262. The structure was designed with three naves and a polygonal head, later two side naves were added, so its plan was irregular, with a tower, a patio with orange trees and a cemetery. The building was extensively renovated in the 16th and 17th centuries, with the church being demolished and rebuilt in 1758.

The Peñaflor Palace, one of the most important sights in Écija Even from the outside, it is one of the most iconic images of the city.

About the Rabilarga Stream

The tower's origins date back to the 15th century, when it was built on an ancient Arab tower. Due to lightning damage in 1892, it was partially demolished, and the first part of the old Mudejar tower remains today as a bell tower.

Its large balcony running along the facade distinguishes it from the rest of the buildings in Écija. It is a 13th century palace, recently restored and inhabited until 1958.