Carmona is a town of southwestern Spain, in the province of Seville; it lies 33 km north-east of Seville. Carmona is built on a ridge overlooking the central plain of Andalusia; to the north is the Sierra Morena, with the peak of San Cristobal to the south. The city is known for its thriving trade in wine, olive oil, grain and cattle, and holds an annual fair in April.
History
Carmona was originally a Tartessian-Turdetani settlement. With the arrival of Phoenician traders from Tyre, Carmona was transformed into a city, known by them as "??? ???", or, "QRT-ḤMN", meaning "City of Hammon". Centuries later, it became a Roman stronghold of Hispania Baetica. It was known as Carmo in the time of Julius Caesar. The city was made even more impregnable during the long occupation of the Moors, who erected walls around it, and built fountains and palaces within. In 1247, Ferdinand III of Castile captured the town, and bestowed on it the Latin motto Sicut Lucifer lucet in Aurora, sic in Wandalia Carmona.
Climate
Carmona has a Mediterranean climate with a sunny spring and typically some rain in that season. In October, the average temperature ranges from a minimum of 13 °C to a maximum of 26 °C. The city experiences a moderate level of annual precipitation and has pleasant winter temperatures.
Roman Necropolis, discovered in 1881. It is located close to the town, beside the Seville road, and contains more than nine hundred family tombs dating from the second century BC to the fourth century AD. Enclosed in subterranean chambers hewn from the rock, the tombs are often frescoed and contain a series of niches in which many of the funeral urns remain intact. Some of the larger tombs have vestibules with stone benches for funeral banquets and several retain carved family emblems.
The Tomb of the Elephant and the Tomb of Servilia in the necropolis
Roman Amphitheatre, also discovered in 1881, together with a group of tombs, all belonging to the first four centuries AD, near the original necropolis.
Carmona's restaurants and bars demonstrate a variety of Spanish cuisine including tapas and other dishes. The city is known for its traditional Andalusian cooking. A pub crawl of various bars, called the Ruta de las tapas is noteworthy; it is marked with blue and white signs, and even appears in the seal of the city. Typical Carmonan dishes include: sopa de picadillo, pringá, chickpeas, snails, salmorejo, spinach, italic=no, Serrano ham, partridge from the mountains, gazpacho, chickpea soup, tomato soup, potatoes, and cuajados. Sweets include: torta inglesa, hojaldres, rice with milk, torrija, polvorónes, almond cakes, chestnut stew with cinnamon, porridge sprinkled with cinnamon, and cortadillos. A variety of desserts are made in the convents of the city, mainly by the nuns of Santa Clara. A common alcoholic beverage is AniseLos Hermanos, which is distilled and packaged in Carmona; it comes in three degrees of dryness: crisp, sweet and semi.
Films
With its rich historical and artistic patrimony lending the city an especially atmospheric appearance, Carmona has been the setting of numerous films, and continues to attract movie crews. The Location Managers Guild of America, an association that coordinates shoot locations for movie and television production companies from the United States, has shown special interest in the city centre.
Gallery
File:Puerta_de_Cordoba_di_Carmona.JPG|Puerta de Cordoba File:Puerta_de_Sevilla_di_Carmona.jpg|Puerta de Sevilla File:Molino_de_la_Romera_di_Carmona.jpg|Molino de la Romera File:Iglesia_de_Santiago_di_Carmona.JPG|Iglesia de Santiago File:Iglesia_de_San_Bartolome_di_Carmona.jpg|Iglesia de San Bartolome File:Iglesia_de_San_Felipe_di_Carmona.jpg|Iglesia de San Felipe File:Capilla_de_la_Caridad_di_Carmona.JPG|Capilla de la Caridad
