Carmona’s cultural landscape

Description

The cultural site proposed for inclusion on the Tentative List is Carmona’s cultural landscape. The city spans from the Alcores terrain elevation over the terraces of the Guadalquivir River, presiding over the area of the Vega del Corbones River basin. A heavily anthropized landscape, which was the stage where the main cultures of southern Europe developed.

Los Alcores is a triangular tertiary land formation spanning from north-east to the south-west of these lands. A hill range that rises from the alluvial deposits that form the terraces of the Guadalquivir River and culminates in steep escarpments towards the plain of the Vega del Corbones River basin to the east.

Carmona’s cultural landscape has as its central element Carmona, which symbolises and portrays its universal values. It is a medium-sized city of southern Europe, with a predominantly agricultural economy, based on the Mediterranean agricultural city model, located 30 kilometres away from the city of Seville, and had a population of 29,123 people in 2021.

Carmona is located at the highest point of the Alcores hill range, where water is plentiful and flows in springs, a region rich in agricultural resources. It presides over a wide area, high up, that due to its particular location makes it easy to defend. Yet, its success as a continuously inhabited area is undoubtedly due to its location next to one of the passes that crosses the Alcores hill range, which separates the Vega Corbones River basin and the Guadalquivir River terraces, along which we find one of the main paths that runs from the estuary of the Guadalquivir River to the hinterlands.

The first human settlements in the territory date back to the Neolithic period and are located mainly in the basin of the Corbones River, found in archaeological sites such as Las Barrancas, Los Álamos and the hills of San Pedro. During the transition from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic age, a new settlement strategy began, population on the plain started to migrate to higher points within the Alcores hill range. This marks the origin of Carmona, first inhabited approximately 5 000 years ago. Since then, Carmona has been permanently populated, given its strategic position and dominance over the landscape, becoming the main settlement of said large territory. A succession of cultures have inhabited the same area since then, which has resulted in numerous archaeological site formations in the area, and in a very rich archaeological stratigraphy. Reason for which, within Carmona itself we see a juxtaposition of architectures, testament of the entire history of the Guadalquivir valley and the decisive historical events that took place there.

From samples taken in archaeological excavations in Carmona, dating back to the late 4th or early 3rd millennium BC, we know that wheat and barley were cultivated, as well as livestock such as domesticated goats and sheep raised.

At the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, the settlement strategies of the territory underwent significant changes, which led to the rise of one of the most important cultures in southern Europe: The Tartessos. In the time span from the 9th and 8th century BC, together with the arrival of sailors from the eastern Mediterranean, the first proper urban centre was established. It was located below the present-day neighbourhood of San Blas, on a gentle slope that descends from the raised terrain of the Jewish Quarter (Judería) towards the north, in an area where the roads travelling to the mouth of the Guadalquivir converged.

Around that same period, the city began its fortification. In addition to the natural defences, posed by the abrupt and steep terrain of the Alcores hill range spanning towards the Vega del Corbones River basin, defences such as moats, palisades, bastions and walls to delimit a perimeter were added in the 8th century BC. They would remain functional until the Modern Age.

The first bastion at the Puerta de Sevilla fortification stands out among the structures still standing today. The fortification was built on a natural spur of rock located at the southwest end of the defensive perimeter, over a junction of roads. This outcrop is next to the pass that allows for the crossing between the Vega del Corbones River basin and the terraces of the Guadalquivir River.

In the area around the city, in the passage between the Alcores hill range and the Guadalquivir River terraces, the burial mounds of the Campo de las Canteras, the oriental necropolis of the Cruz del Negro and the burial mound of the Alcantarilla stand out.

From its vantage point, a position from which to see and be seen, Carmona presides over the landscape of the Guadalquivir River terraces and the roads that conform it, consolidating its power over the vast territory. It is an area of around 1,000 km2 (386 mi2), fossilised within its current municipal district.

During the Turdaean period between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC, the architecture of the Turdaean city in the San Blas neighbourhood became a continuation of the Tartessian one. Though at the end of the period- in the area where the city expanded- a different layout can be observed, which is a result of the influence of the Hellenistic movements that permeated the whole of the Mediterranean.

The conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Carthaginians in 237 BC- led by Hamilcar Barca- marked the start of a turbulent period that culminated in the Second Punic War and the Roman conquest.

The Carthaginians made Carmona one of their main strongholds, a decision that was strengthened by Asdrubal Giscón’s choice to concentrate the Carthaginian army in Carmona, which had remained in the Iberian Peninsula before the decisive battle of Ilipa, according to Apianus.

Once again, between 47 and 45 BC during the Civil Wars between Caesar and the supporters of Pompey, Carmona stood out for its military value. Caesar himself described it as “by far the strongest city in the whole province”. And in fact, archaeology recently revealed defensive structures next to the bastion of the Puerta de Sevilla fortification, which made it even more impenetrable, especially in the case of a cavalry assault. Said structure is made up of three ditches dug into the rock, two running parallel to the wall and another perpendicular to it, created for the defence of the northern flank of the bastion.

As early as the first half of the 1st century BC, the defences of the city were reinforced, precisely at the Puerta de Sevilla fortification, through the construction of the main gate leading up into the city and the adjoining gateway next to the Carthaginian bastion.

Toward the end of the 1st century BC, under the rule of Augustus, Carmona underwent a profound renovation, one which entailed the building of a new city designed according to the Roman ideal.

The rural landscape of Roman Carmona was heavily anthropized, evidenced by the numerous archaeological sites which had been farms in the Guadalquivir River valley, many with kilns for the making of the large ceramic containers used for the bottling and transport of oil. Still in the Vega del Corbones River basin, there remain traces of centuriation, or land divided into plots as delimited by the Roman surveyors.

An extraordinary example of the interaction with the surrounding natural environment, was the construction of a network of water extraction mines, which date back to Roman times. A prime example of civil engineering aimed at creating a system for collecting, channelling, and exploiting water resources.

From the 3rd century AD onwards, the economic crisis suffered by the local elites led to slower growth within Carmona, and an increase of rural settlements.

During the Visigothic reign and the Medieval Islamic period, Carmona regained its value as a strategic and fortified site, which is why it must have played an important role in the dominion over the territory.

In 763, ‘Abd al-Rahman’ prepared to resist the attack of the revolt led by the Abbasid caliph from the fortress of Carmona, where he even came under siege. Nevertheless, after suddenly attacking his enemy, he managed to proclaim victory and slay the most important leaders of said insurrection.

From the 8th century and until the end of the Caliphate of Córdoba, Carmona was the most important city within a cora (a territorial division within Muslim Spain).

Under Islamic rule, the ongoing importance of the city is seen in the reinforcement of the walls and the fortification of the Puerta de Sevilla. The Great Mosque, part of the original structure of which, is still preserved in the Patio de los Naranjos courtyard. With the passing of time, it became the grounds where the church of Santa María now stands.

The main road continued to be the old Roman road linking the Puerta de Sevilla fortification with the Great Mosque and the Puerta de Cordoba fortification.

Agricultural activities in the Cora and later Taifa (or Kingdom) of Qarmuna must have intensified during the Andalusi period, with agricultural holdings spreading out through the territory, in the form of farmsteads and probably some orchards.

As had happened previously, in the mid-13th century, Carmona became key for gaining access to the lower Guadalquivir River valley and in 1247, after Fernando III ravaged the area surrounding the city, a decision was made to reach an agreement with the Christians.

Mid-14th century, the reign of Pedro I (1350-1369) known as The Cruel or The Righteous is of importance, since he decided to: renovate the old Muslim palace of the Alcázar Real (Royal Palace), which he reinforced with a new barbican and two large square towers, and had a palace built inside it. He also had another fortification built on the other side of the Puerta de Córdoba fortification, the Alcázar de la Reina (Queen’s Palace). The Alcazar de Abajo (Lower Palace), the one of the Puerta de Sevilla fortification, was extended adding to it a Prisoners’ Hall and other rooms.

In the war between Pedro I and his half-brother Enrique for the crown of Castile, Carmona remained loyal to the king even after his death and withstood a two-year siege. After the capitulation in 1371, Enrique II executed the leaders loyal to his brother and punished the city.

Regarding urban planning, throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, the suburb of San Pedro and the urban development around the street of San Felipe, which must have been consolidated at a still undetermined point in the medieval period, were consolidated. The 15th century is also of particular interest for Carmona’s architecture, due to the demolition of the old mosque and the construction in its stead, on that same site, of the Priory Church of Santa María. During this period, the convent of Santa Clara was founded, and the defences of the Alcázar de Arriba (Upper Palace) expanded with the Cubete artillery fort.

By the 16th century, Carmona’s cultural landscape was fully consolidated, including its main elements, as documented in Anton Van den Wyngaerde’s “Vista de Carmona desde el Sur” (View of Carmona from the South), painted in 1567.

In the surrounding rural areas, toward the end of the 17th century and during the 18th century, olive groves grew steadily as a result of the trade increase in oil and its derivatives local, national and internationally. This led to a decline in uncultivated lands, vines and pastures, to the point of almost disappearing. It was then that a rise in Baroque-style estates was seen within Carmona’s countryside, of which Vistahermosa, La Buzona, La Plata, El Corzo and Palma Gallarda estates are exceptional examples. In the existing countryside between the rivers Corbones and Guadaíra, the rainfed cereal farms were distributed over large estates, with the cortijo or stately home as the residence model.

The 17th century saw the rise of the Lasso and San Blas town squares, as well as the construction of the convent of Las Descalzas, in a space that covered the old Albollón thalweg and rubbish collection area.

The 18th century meant the definitive triumph of the Baroque style, in terms of ornaments and architecture seen in the great noble houses of Carmona, either in newly built or renovated palatial homes. A prime example is found in the Marqués de las Torres palatial home where, during its adaptation for its use as a museum, Mudejar style arches hidden under brickwork and lintels were uncovered. In addition to Baroque being the architectural style chosen by the nobility, this style had a considerable influence on the churches and convents of the city; where new doors were opened up, façades raised, and new domes built under the previous coffered ceilings. Even the traditional Mudejar style houses were transformed and adapted to fit the prevailing aesthetic.

The Contemporary Age - with the triumph of bourgeois values - meant that Carmona’s society experienced profound changes.

During the 19th century, after the confiscation of the Church’s seized property, the nobility benefited, and to a lesser extent so did the rising agrarian bourgeoisie. Though the day labourers, saw their living conditions worsen as a result of the loss in communal lands.

The disposal of the Church’s assets also allowed for the completion of important public projects, such as: the construction of the market square within the courtyard of the convent of Santa Catalina, the partial use of the convent of San José as a prison, and the creation of a cemetery outside the city walls within the convent of Santa Ana.

Its buildings and monuments are the result of past buildings being rehabilitated. The city is constructed upon the ruins of former buildings that have fallen into disuse, resulting in a rich archaeological stratigraphy. Idea expressed graphically quite well by the elders of the city, when they say “under Carmona, there are many Carmonas”.

The Puerta de Sevilla fortification and the church of Santa María, are two outstanding examples of the integration of architecture from different secular cultures and continuity of land use. Thus, the Puerta de Cordoba fortification stands as a true symbol of the interdependence between the inhabited landscape and the rural one. The city opens onto the immensity of the river basin, the rural landscape, the winding road between crop plantations… From there, the fortification can be seen, majestically resting on the escarpment, as an unmistakable sign of the identity of its people.

It is a cultural landscape that shows a contrasts between the architecture of its churches, convents and old houses, and the local architecture of stone and lime.

A cultural landscape that comes alive with its preserved festivals and traditions, yet it has adapted to modern times.

In Easter, its Holy Week is filled with brotherhoods, the religious celebration that brings together the most Carmona residents with their neighbourhood and ancestry. It is the peak of emotive union, in a setting where the procession’s floats carrying the statues follow their course through the Puerta de Sevilla fortification, an architectural asset contemporary to the Passion of Christ.

The Mayas are celebrated at the start of May, originally a pagan celebration of spring rejoicing in the abundance of the region (festivities that date back to the ancient world). In the streets, wreaths adorned with wildflowers crowning a small chair, sanctified with an image of the Virgin Mary and wrapped in a white cloth, are carried around by children asking for a charitable coin. It seems that it may originally have been a celebration where virtuous girls, adorned with flowers gathered from the fields, participated in a procession within the city.

The Fair has its origins in the cattle fair granted to the city by Enrique IV in 1466. It has evolved and changed venue and motivation, as it is now consolidated as a lively and adaptive secular celebration rooted in this territory.

The legendary patron saint festivities, remain closely linked to the landscape of the city. The pilgrimage departs from the Puerta de Córdoba fortification in the direction of the chapel, which entails leaving the city and entering the rural landscape, physically and symbolically. During the short journey, the people of Carmona enjoy the view of a fertile plains, with family and friends.

Justification de la Valeur Universelle Exceptionnelle

The exceptional universal worth of Carmona’s cultural landscape resides in its unique characteristics. A cultural landscape in which Carmona is the main axis and expression of the settlement strategies that took place in this territory throughout history. A heavily anthropized landscape, over which Carmona presides, dominating the Alcores hill range, the terraces of the Guadalquivir River and the Corbones River basin. A territory that the city overlooks and from which in turn Carmona can be seen. It is a unique and outstanding example of the interaction between human beings and the natural environment, how they have both shaped this land, in which its strategic location and fortification are the key for its continuous human settlement.

The main characteristics that convey exceptional universal worth to this site are evidently expressed in Carmona itself, a city which is an example of human interaction with the environment, testimony of the settlement strategies of this land.

The origins of the city of Carmona lie in the choice of a site on a hill, with natural resources, easily defensible which allows control over the territory and the roads. Carmona has been permanently inhabited for 5 000 years, with a succession of cultures present until today. A settlement that -because of its unique characteristics- soon became the main inhabited location, a determining factor in this territory’s settlement dynamics.

The cultural landscape of Carmona is a one built over the course of history, resulting from the interaction between people and the natural environment. Evidence of its values and special characteristics, are the numerous archaeological sites preserved in the territory, and the existence of a very rich archaeological stratigraphy and cumulous of well-preserved architecture in the city. One that documents the entire history of the Guadalquivir River Valley and the important historical events that unfolded there.

In addition to the natural defences created by the abrupt terrain, moats, palisades, bastions and walls were added in the 8th century BC, delimiting a defensive perimeter that would remain functional until the Modern Age. From its strategic and fortified position, the city controlled the main communication routes in the Guadalquivir River valley and the landscapes that it drew its resources from: the Alcores hill range, the river basin, and the terraces of the Guadalquivir River.

The evident military value of this site as a strategic and fortified location -undoubtedly a key feature - is defining. However, this becomes less important from the Middle Ages onwards when the city transforms gradually into a consolidated agricultural one, during the Modern Age. The transmutation of its symbolism and of the perception of its identity, can be seen as the strategic position and dominion of the territory value morphs, and evolves to acquires an economic significance. Conversely, the symmetry between the rural and urban landscape, between social and agricultural structure, and between architecture and piety, remain.

One of the most outstanding characteristics of Carmona, still is the ongoing use and functions some of the different sites and material assets serve within its cultural landscape.

Carmona’s cultural landscape is an eminent example of the traditional processes and modes of human settlement in the south of Europe. An example too, of the interaction between humans and their natural environment, dynamically developed through history.

Carmona’s cultural landscape presents extraordinary universal values, which are evidenced by the duality represented by this binomial and way in which population and land interact.

Carmona’s cultural landscape -in addition to the terrain abruptness and the natural features of its surroundings- is a clear example of the economic and social processes that have occurred in the territory, which are made evident by the distribution and type of settlements found in it.

Thus, in addition to the main characteristics of the site, a series of features stand out:

1. The symbolism of Carmona’s cultural landscape, has as its main referent in the bastion of the Puerta de Sevilla fortification, in the walls and the natural defensive advantage present in the abrupt relief. An outstanding example of the fortification systems built over almost three thousand years, to defend the city, and above all, to dominate over a territory and crossroads of regional worth.

2. The geological makeup of Los Alcores hill range’s subsoil, composed of a highly permeable detritic sandstone rock formation, under which is a layer clay from the Tertiary era. This favoured phreatic layers formation, exploited by the Romans through the excavation of water mines. A complex system which serves as an example of the engineering and construction ability displayed in the ancient world, aimed at collecting, channelling, and exploiting water resources. A network of mines and wells that have supplied water and is still in use currently. This system is subject of systematic study since 2016 thanks to Carmona’s city council, which has made it possible to locate, explore and document a large number of mines, both in the urban area of Carmona and in the rural area of Los Alcores hill range.

3. Carmona is testament of an urban nucleus evolution, from its origins as a hut settlement to present day. The first hut settlement led to the creation, during the 8th century BC, of the first urban nucleus in the north of the city, currently the neighbourhood of San Blas. Carmona grew organically from this point towards the south and the eastern limits of the defensive perimeter. When the change of era came about, the city expanded in accordance with Roman urban planning, turning the laid out Via Augusta, formerly Herculea, into the main street of the city or cardo maximo. To this day, it remains the main axis that structures the map of Carmona.

4. The constant traces of Roman urban planning present in the fabric of the city and the centuriation in the Corbones River basin, as well as the distribution of villae on the terraces of the Guadalquivir River, exemplify the settlement strategies of and resources used within the territory. Still standing and well preserved in Carmona are the necropolis, two of its gates, the amphitheatre, and the quarries. In the subsoil of the city lie remains of the roman baths, the forum, the roads, the circus, and the public fountain, among others. Preserved too are many unique ruins from the Roman period that can be visited, which shed light on the life and work of a Roman city, integrated in Carmona’s cultural landscape.

5. The uniqueness of Mudejar style lies in the wealth of examples preserved, which encompass all types of architecture, and which prevailed as the main architectural language until the Baroque style reigned. Mudejar architecture has remained intact or hidden under later reforms in a large number of buildings, which are examples of popular, palatial or religious architecture.

Traditional architecture traits have survived, illustrating the adaptation of Carmona’s landscape to the natural environment by means of bioclimatic constructions, testament of the comparison and contrast of experiences over centuries. The very hot summers are tempered with tapial or wide clay walls, few small windows toward the outside, and a central courtyard protected from the sun by a canopy, a ‘vela’ or sail, made from the textile remains of the sacks used for transporting grain. This allows for the whole house to be cooled at night, when the canopy is drawn back, and air can circulate. The heat refractory properties of lime used to paint the walls do the rest. Winters are also more temperate in Carmona, softened by this adaptation to the environment and the productive elements offered by its landscape: lime from the transformation of limestone, bricks made with mud from the Tertiary era, and wood from the distant Seville Sierra Norte mountains.

6. Carmona’s cultural landscape is one that is alive, a setting in which secular celebrations and festivals are held every year, rooted primarily in the traditional agrarian society that it boasts.

Criterion (v): Carmona’s cultural landscape, complete with a combination of natural and anthropic elements, is an outstanding example of the first human settlements in southern Europe, testament of their evolution and adaptation strategies to economic changes from the Neolithic period till today. A traditional agricultural landscape with an economy rooted, for thousands of years, in cereal crops cultivation and olive trees plantations; one that has over time evolved in harmony socially and culturally, while preserving its traditions.

A cultural landscape currently threatened by the dangers derived from climate change and the use of new technologies.

Carmona, and the cultural landscape in which it is set, are a prime example of traditional forms of human settlement, representative of the different cultures that have inhabited it.

This city presides over the Alcores hill range, overlooks the landscape of the Corbones River basin and the terraces of the Guadalquivir River, and controls the roads which are the backbone of the territory.

A landscape marked by the geographic characteristics and the history that has unfolded within this territory, one which bears witness to the development of different cultures from the beginning of human settlements to present day.

The origin and development of Carmona’s cultural landscape is a consequence of the economic and social changes, and transformations, that have occurred in the territory. An interactive and interdependent process exemplified by its history and how Carmona’s cultural landscape is configured.

One which awards outstanding examples of an agricultural city in which the palatial homes, convents, churches, and popular architecture are a clear reflection of its economic and social distribution. Within it we find significant examples of the interwoven rural and urban landscape, as seen in the presence of oil mills -such as the mill of La Romera- connected to the olive groves in the terraces bellow it; or in the sober architecture of the Cabildo granary, built for the storage of grain from the cereal fields of the Corbones River basin.

A symbiosis that articulates its Universal Value from two perspectives: the one from which we view the city from the countryside, in which the cultural landscape is perceived in the distance, the terrain rising slightly. Ant the other view, from the city gazing over its surroundings, in which the rural landscape acquires the value of an infinite expanse of shifting colour, depending on the crop and the season. These two perspectives cannot be disassociated from Carmona’s cultural landscape evolution.

Carmona’s current cultural landscape is the result of the combination and sum -throughout its history- of its different architectural and artistic styles, such as the Modern Movement, historicism, neoclassical, baroque, Mudejar, renaissance, Gothic, Islamic art, classical art and or oriental art. Styles that are all present in Carmona and its syncretic landscape, whose main value resides in its continuity and perseverance. Tenets that are exemplarily expressed and symbolised by the different and outstanding assets of Carmona’s cultural landscape: the bastion of the Puerta de Sevilla fortification, the Priory Church of Santa María, and the urban layout itself.

The bastion of the Puerta de Sevilla fortification built by the Tartessos, in which the Carthaginians built the bastiontower, to which the Romans annexed the two gates, and the Muslims increased the wall height, and that later the Christians converted it into a fortress, is a great example.

The Priory Church of Santa Maria, perfect sample of the continuous use of a site through the ages and by different cultures and religions. A former mosque, constructed over the remains of previous architectural assets, and rebuilt by the Christians in the 15th century as a Gothic cathedral, who added to it the sahn or ablutions courtyard.

Carmona has enjoyed a settlement continuity that highlights the significance of the periods represented within it, and that bears witness to the shaping of its landscape and the successive settlement strategies. Its organic growth during the protohistory period, the roman urban layout, the Christian suburb creation, and finally, the modern urban adjustments where squares have been broadened, edges shaped and a consolidated expansion on the outer walls of the city.

A cultural landscape fashioned by its core heritage landmarks which are articulated around a main axis: the persistence of the Cardo Maximus or main street within the city walls, and the Via Augusta Road outside the city.

A cultural landscape in which the Baroque is the predominant artistic style, symbol of the triumph of an agricultural city model consolidated in the Modern Age. A style that predominates in the façades of the palatial homes and in the religious architecture, which stratifies and is superimposed on preceding architectures and styles.

Déclarations d’authenticité et/ou d’intégrité

Carmona’s cultural landscape has preserved intact the characteristics that award it Outstanding Universal Value.

The main characteristics of Carmona’s cultural landscape are its strategic position and control over the territory, its persistent and continuous habitation, and its agricultural city appeal.

Carmona has not suffered the effects of the industrial development of the 19th and 20th centuries. The cultural landscape has a contrasting authenticity, and the city has largely maintained its traditional housing. The historic centre of Carmona is well preserved, with few sites lost during the 19th century. Carmona’s urban structure retains the fundamental Roman town planning layout (cardo maximo). Additionally, Carmona’s cultural landscape has kept its essential elements and characteristics since the 16th century, as evidenced by Anton Van den Wyngaerde’s drawing ‘View of Carmona from the South’.

The city’s cultural landscape has had a harmonious evolution through time, preserving its heritage legacy  –integrated in the daily life of its citizens– and respecting it in its civil engineering plan and in the evolution of its traditions, processes, and economic and social purposes.

Archaeological excavations and the application of stratigraphic analysis to local architecture, corroborate the authenticity of characteristics that portray the Outstanding Universal Value of Carmona’s cultural landscape, an endeavor supported by the local administration for more than thirty years.

The strategic location of the urban centre and the territory it spans over, preserve and are testimony to different cultures, which are visible in the spatial distribution of archaeological sites, farms, cortijos or stately homes, mills, pillars, and other agricultural and livestock facilities. All good examples of the settlement continuity of different cultures in these lands, of its evolution and of the socio-economic strategies and means of exploiting this territory.

The different cultures that over centuries have lived in this territory, are testament to the close interdependence of the different elements that make up Carmona’s cultural landscape. An area in which dynamic processes, relationships and purposes have merged and are sometimes difficult to explain. A good example is the evolution of the perception and meaning that the urban area of Carmona has, where once again, its strategic location overlooking the territory as a fortified place predominated in the past and was of high military value. Presently, the area has become a thriving example of an agricultural city, in which the value of its strategic location has morphed to make it an economically significant area.

Over the course of 5,000 years, different cultures and religions have succeeded one another in Carmona’s cultural landscape, contributing to the shaping of the land and the city. The research, conservation and protection of this legacy fosters a better understanding of its cultural diversity and its universal value.

The degree of conservation of Carmona’s cultural landscape is evident, and recorded in its natural features, topography and urban structure, all defined by Carmona’s urban layout and territory division. Buildings and open spaces are shaped within the city; whereas the defining feature of its outside are the escarpments and natural surroundings. This is portrayed through the volume, style, scales, materials, colours, and deco, all of which answer to concepts and traditions which spring from its own secular experience.

Carmona’s cultural landscape is better preserved than that of other cities nearby. In fact, it has preserved the particularity of its unique buildings, lost in most other medium-sized Spanish cities. Few are the cities that keep their farmhouses unaltered with little changes, and when changes had to be made, the new buildings respected the single-family house concept and were built following the traditional style. High-rise and multi-family buildings are scarce in the historic perimeter of the city, less than half a dozen, which date back to the 1970s mostly.

The buildings that make up Carmona’s cultural landscape, for the most part, are two-storey houses, built following the traditional style, with few outward-facing windows and a tiled gabled roof. It is usually inhabited by one family unit or the main family unit and its descendants. It customarily has an interior courtyard and few windows on the outside, adorned with wrought iron grilles. The façade facing the street is typically painted white - either with lime or paint - and may have yellow or red ochre motifs, colours which have been the city’s traditional ones at least since the 18th century.

Comparaison avec d’autres biens similaires

The World Heritage List includes only two cultural landscape sites: “Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between Mountain and Sea” (Brazil), in the Latin America and Caribbean region, and the “Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a Landscape of Arts and Sciences” (Spain), in the Europe-North America region.

“Rio de Janeiro:  Carioca landscapes between the mountains and the sea”.

In this listed site, the dimension of the city is what is highlighted as exceptional for an urban settlement. The city brings together key natural elements, which in turn, have inspired urban development. It coincides with Carmona’s Cultural Landscape proposal because they both fulfil Criterion (v), transcribed here for comparison purposes: “The development of the city of Rio de Janeiro has been shaped by a creative fusion between nature and culture. This exchange is not the result of persistent traditional processes, but reflects an exchange based on scientific, environmental and design ideas that led to large-scale innovative landscape creations in the heart of the city, for over a century. These processes have created the city’s landscape, perceived by many writers and travellers as one of great beauty, a landscape that has shaped the culture of the city.

The “Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a country of Arts and Sciences”.

The Paseo del Prado in Madrid is a cultural landscape designed within an urban setting, which has evolved over time while still maintaining its essence: the desire to combine culture and nature at the heart of the city. The Paseo del Prado is a typical boulevard, dating back to the mid-16th century. King Felipe IV, a century later, chose this privileged site to build his new palace and gardens. In the 18th century, King Carlos III opened the Buen Retiro gardens to the public, as part of the park’s integration within the city’s general improvement plans. A new concept of urban space was born, a complex project with a clear social component that included an innovative and decisive factor that made it unique: the creation of a set of buildings devoted to science and facilities within the gardens.

“The Paseo del Prado y Buen Retiro, is a setting for the Arts and Sciences, a cultural landscape designed in an urban area, a perfect example of the Spanish boulevard (tree-lined avenue), which provided citizens with a leisure and recreation area where they could enjoy nature. The model was based on three pillars: the integration of nature into the city, social interactions and how important these were”.

Carmona’s cultural landscape encompasses the exceptional value provided by the continuity and persistence over time of its settlement (in one single site), and its integration with the surrounding rural landscape for more than five thousand years. Characteristics that justify the fulfilment of Criterion (v), as Carmona and the cultural landscape in which it is located constitute an eminent example of traditional forms of human settlement, representing the varied cultures which have inhabited it. Hence, the differences between the landscapes referred to are evident. Aside from other characteristics, the comparison between Rio de Janeiro and Carmona - regarding the criteria fulfilled - in one of contrast based on the more modern transformation of Rio, as opposed to Carmona’s settlement history. While in the example of the Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro in Madrid, the cultural landscape is the result of design, as opposed to the evolution undergone by Carmona’s cultural landscape.