Marchena is a town in the Province of Seville in Andalusia, Spain. From ancient times to the present, Marchena has come under the rule of various powers. Marchena is a service center for its surrounding agricultural lands of olive orchards and fields of cereal crops. It is also a center for the processing of olives and other primary products. Marchena is a town of historic and cultural heritage. Attractions include the Church of San Juan Bautista within the Moorish town walls and the Arco de la Rosa (Arch of the Rose). The town is associated with the folkloric tradition of Flamenco. It is the birthplace of artists including Pepe Marchena and Melchor de Marchena, guitarist.
Etymology
The town's Moorish name was Marshēnah (مَرْشَانَة) which means "of the olive trees".
Location
Marchena is located in the south of Spain, east of Seville. To the north are the hills of the Sierra de Horncheulos Nature Park. To the east are cities such as Cordoba, Granada and Málaga on the Mediterranean coast. To the south is Gibraltar.
Geography
Marchena lies on a plain in the Guadalquivir Valley at an elevation of . The climate is described as "Mediterranean Continental" with cold winters, hot summers and moderate rain. Summer temperatures can be over 40 degrees Celsius. Water comes from branches of the Corbones River such as the Arroyo del Lavadero stream.
The area of the town is and in 2006, its population was approximately 19,773. Marchena is a centre for primary industries such as olive, cotton and wheat farming and secondary industries such as canning and greenhousing. These industries are supported by public amenities including schools and sports centres. Marchena's historical area is located in the northern part of the town. Urban development has occurred in the western (San Miguel neighborhood), southern (Santo Domingo, San Sebastián) and southeastern (San Andrés) parts of town. The railway delimits the northern part of the town.
Economy
Marchena is located in an agricultural region. The products include grains, olives, tobacco, turkey meat, and eggs. There are also supporting services and industries such as food processing factories and abattoirs. Marchena's manufacturing industries produce textiles, furniture, metal and chemical products. Other sectors of industry include building, hospitality and tourism.
History
Early inhabitants
Human habitation of the Marchena area dates to prehistoric times at the third millennium BCE.
In the eighth to seventh century BCE, a Phoenician community lived at Montemolin near Marchena.
From the first millennium BCE, the Tartessian civilization gathered metals such as tin and gold from the waters of the Guadalquivir River and brought their culture to the area of Marchena. This may have included centres of ceremony and ritual.
Roman era
Around the 6th century BCE, the Carthaginians occupied Seville. Products of the area were transported to Carthage. In the late 3rd century BCE, forces of the Roman Empire under Publius Cornelius Scipio reached Seville. The region flourished under Roman rule for centuries. However, records of the time do not clearly identify the archaeological ruins about Marchena. Local authorities suggest they may include Castra Gemina, Cilpe and Colonia Marcia. Marchena fell into the Roman province of Hispania Ulterior and within that, in Hispania Baetica and within that, Hispalis (Seville).
Germanic tribes
As the Roman Empire declined, in the early 5th century CE the Vandals (a Germanic people), the Alans (an Iranian nomadic people of the North Caucasus), and the Suebi (another Germanic tribe) entered Spain from the north. In their division of Spain, Hispania Baetica fell to the Vandals. The Visigoths also invaded Spain from the north. They ruled Baetica from 497 CE to 711 CE. However, in comparison to the flourishing economy under Roman rule, under the Visigoths, the population decreased, agricultural endeavours were abandoned and once trading towns became small forts. Evidence for this change comes from the archaeological surveys of the kilns used for manufacturing amphora, and of olive presses and basins.
Muslim era
From 711 CE, in its weak state, the Visigoth Kingdom gave way to Muslim invaders from North Africa. In July 712 CE, Musa bin Nusayr, the provincial governor of northwest Africa, brought 18,000 men across the Strait of Gibraltar, paused at the fortress of Carmona, approximately northwest of Marchena, and then took Seville. Iberia became part of the greater Umayyad Caliphate under Abd al-Rahman I (731 CE 788 CE).