Carmona Through the Ages: In Roman Footsteps Along the Via Augusta

Carmona has occupied a strategic position overlooking the fertile Guadalquivir valley, ever since it was first settled 5,000 years ago.

On this walking tour, you’ll see how Carmona’s beautiful architecture reflects the diversity of the people who’ve made the town their home. You’ll also find out how the town took on the favour of Julius Caesar under the Romans, and retained its importance under successive Muslim and Christian rulers many years later.

The tour starts at the imposing Alcázar de la Puerta de Sevilla, which guarded the main access into the walled town. You’ll follow Cardo Maximus, the town’s principal thoroughfare since Roman times, and pass through Plaza de San Fernando at its heart. On your way to the monumental Puerta de Córdoba, where the tour ends, you’ll weave through a maze of Muslim-era alleyways and past some elegant Baroque mansions.

As you walk, you’ll hear about colourful characters like Abd al-Rahman I and King Pedro I, who both sheltered from their enemies behind Carmona’s impregnable walls. I’ll also tell the story of the French-born British painter George Bonsor, who excavated Carmona’s Roman necropolis and became so enamoured with the town’s pastries that they were renamed “torta inglesa” (English cake) in his honour.

On this 90-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:

• See rare remnants of Carthaginian stonework at the base of the Alcázar de la Puerta de Sevilla
• Find out about the “message” Abd al-Rahman I sent to the Caliph of Baghdad after his victory near Carmona
• Discover where a few fragments of the former mosque are concealed within Carmona’s main church – the Church of Santa María (Iglesia de Santa María)
• Visit the once mighty Alcázar del Rey Don Pedro or Alcázar de Arriba (Upper Fortress), and learn why it now lies ruined and abandoned
• Enjoy spectacular views across the surrounding agricultural land on which Carmona’s prosperity was built
• Discern a fragment of the Via Augusta while looking down from Puerta de Córdoba, which once connected this town to Rome itself
• Learn why Pedro I is sometimes called “the Cruel,” and sometimes “the Just”
• Hear how the Duchess of Arcos transformed Carmona with her philanthropy

Carmona makes a wonderful destination for a day trip, for its beautiful architecture and fascinating history, as well as the many great bars and restaurants serving up delicious local cuisine. Join me on this tour to soak up the atmosphere of authentic Spain away from the tourists.