| Huelva
History
Its situation on the Atlantic coast, its
mild climate (relatively humid), its unique
rich mining deposits and its advantages
for settlers all explain why, centuries
ago, Huelva attracted a considerable wave
of migrants, whose traces still remain to
this day. In the city, and above all in
the province, one is struck by the legacy
of the ancient peoples of the eastern Mediterranean
- the Phoenicians and the Tartessians -
whose royalty settled here. At later dates
Roman, Visigoth and Arab royals came to
stay - the presence of the last of these
remains in the form of many monuments. Finally,
Huelva has a lot to do with the discovery
of America. The voyage that was to change
the course of history originated in La Rábida
and set sail from Palos de la Frontera.
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Its situation on the Atlantic coast, its mild
climate (relatively humid), its unique rich mining
deposits and its advantages for settlers all explain
why, centuries ago, Huelva attracted a considerable
wave of migrants, whose traces still remain to
this day. In the city, and above all in the province,
one is struck by the legacy of the ancient peoples
of the eastern Mediterranean - the Phoenicians
and the Tartessians - whose royalty settled here.
Tartessus (Atlantis) is today one of the unsolved
mysteries of our past; the city has not been discovered
yet, but traces of buildings and other objects
have been found near Huelva, at the mouth of the
Odiel and Rio Tinto rivers (remember the ancient
Rio Tinto mines), at the mouth of Guadalquivir,
and other places, like Sevilla. This is not obviously
a proof that Tartessus did really exist, but it
demonstrates the existence of an ancient West
Mediterranean culture, which could give us the
answers to many questions about our past.
At later dates Roman, Visigoth and Arab royals
came to stay - the presence of the last of these
remains in the form of many monuments. Finally,
Huelva has a lot to do with the discovery of America.
The voyage that was to change the course of history
originated in La Rábida and set sail from
Palos de la Frontera.
Christopher Colombus planned his 1492 voyage
to the west and discovery of the New World while
staying at the nearby La Rabida monastery. The
Port of Huelva was also the point of embarkation
for the New World.
Christopher Columbus was believed to have been
born in Genoa (Italy) in 1451, but it was Spain
that gave him his fame and fortune as the man
who “discovered” America. At that
time, everyone believed the world was flat and
that it was impossible to sail to the west. Columbus
thought differently; he believed it was possible
to sail west and he decided to sail to India.
In 1492, with funding from King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella of Spain, he was able to start
his exploration. He left from the port of Huelva,
Houston’s sister city. Columbus took three
ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa
Maria. To everyone\'s surprise, he reached America.
He called it the New World.
The Spanish influenced many parts of the world,
especially the United States. Many U.S. cities,
such as Los Angeles, California, and St. Augustine,
Florida, were founded and settled by Spaniards.
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