HISTORY OF MOTRIL
Origin: Phoenicians and Romans
The origins of Motril can be traced back to the Neolithic age, since there are some archeological sites in the area from that era, such as Cueva del Capitán de Lobres, with traces of human signs around the area of the river Guadalfeo around the 4th millennium BC.
But human activity cannot be proved until the 4th century BC. The Phoenicians created several harbours, since fishing and trade were their most important economic activities. It is said that it was them who establish the first settlements close to these harbours, even though this theory is not fully proved.
From the Roman era in the Iberian Peninsula, there are some remains of villas or small towns on the ancient Vía Hercúlea, a road built by the Romans going through Andalusia all the way to current Cádiz. In the area of Motril there was an important settlement, the Municipium Fimum Iulium Sexi (in the current Almuñécar), since the lands and sea around Motril were accessible and navigable. Some of the most important harbourings were those made by Hannibal and his army, to stock up with copper and lead, before departing to conquer Rome, causing the fall of the Roman Empire.
Middles Ages
During the Arab era, Motril was part of the Kingdom of Granada, becoming one of the most important urban centres in it. The Arabs left relevant traces in the town such as its name, coming from Mu-Tra-Yil.
In this period Motril had around 2,000 inhabitants who worked in farming, fishing, manufacturing sugar and silk, and trading. The town centre was walled, and had the alcazaba, a citadel where figures such as the queen Aixa al-Horra resided for the last years of the Kingdom of Granada.
The city used to have four mosques, four public baths (preserved until the 19th century), the auxiluguia or the court of the cadi (an Arab judge for judicial decisions on distributing the territories) and three neighbourhoods outside the walled city.
In 1489, the city was conquered by the Spanish Catholic Monarchs, and the city's inhabitant responded to that conquest in 1490 with an uprising. It ended with the final surrender of the city through the Treaty of Granada in 1491.
The 16th century began with new uprisings that ended in 1507 with the Expulsion of the Moriscos, who were the descendants of Arabs converted to Christianity. During this period Motril got its current name and obtained its own jurisdiction.
The city experienced a significant depopulation after that, so a Christian repopulation was initiated, being interrupted in 1569, with the beginning of the Rebellions of the Moriscos, reduced to silence. In 1570, after the Christian victory, the repopulation of Motril continued.
Because of several Berber and Turkish attacks, the city walls were renovated and rebuilt, now existing only two gates to the city and one main church, Iglesia de la Encarnación, the oldest monument in Motril.
In the 17th century there was an economic growth and expansion of Motril, mostly due to cane sugar production. In 1657, King Felipe IV granted Motril the title of very noble and loyal city. This period of prosperity did not last long, since it was stopped by the plague of 1679, decimating the city.
The 18th century began, after recovering from the plague, with the foundation of Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País in 1786, promoted by King Carlos III, to disseminate the scientific knowledge and the ideas from the Enlightment.
Contemporary Age
After the Spanish War of Independence against the French in the 19th century, a new period of economic expansion and sugar industrialization began in Motril, being one of the most important urban centres in the province of Granada. This economic growth came along with a cultural development of the wealthy classes, opening Teatro Sexi and Teatro Calderón de la Barca (the only one preserved noawadays).
In June 1873, there was a significant historical event for Motril, the proclamation of the independent canton of Motril (administrative region), because of the institutional abandonment and the lack of communication with Madrid, the capital. This kind of sudden republic only last for a month, making connections with Madrid again.
In the early 20th century, the harbour construction started and the roads infrastructures got better, offering better connections to Málaga, Granada and Almería. After Franco's dictatorship and the arrival of democracy, Motril has kept a modern socioeconomic change, leaving the agriculture sector behind and focusing on the services industry and tourism.
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