Rota is a town of approximately 27,000 people in the
Andalusia region of
Spain, located in
Cádiz province, across the
Bay of Cádiz from the city of that name. Rota is bordered by the towns of
Chipiona,
Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and
El Puerto de Santa María. It is located on the
Atlantic coast, approximately halfway between
Portugal and
Gibraltar.
History
Archaeological evidence suggests that there was a
Bronze Age settlement on the present site of Rota. The current town was founded by the
Phoenicians at approximately the same time as Cádiz. Rota is assumed to be the same city known as
Astaroth of the
Tartesian empire. It later passed to the Romans, who knew the town as
Speculum Rotae.
Following the arrival of the
Moors in Spain, the city became known as
Rabita Rutta ("watchtower of Rota"), from which it derives its present name. From 1248 onwards, the Moors were gradually expelled from Spain, and the city became Christian. In 1297,
Sancho IV awarded the town to
Alonso Pérez de Guzmán in honour of his defence of
Tarifa. Later, Pérez de Guzmán gave it to his daughter, Isabel, as a wedding present when she married
Fermin Ponce de León, Maestre of
Alcantara and First Lord of
Marchena. Construction of the
Castillo de la Luna (Castle of the Moon) had begun in 1295, two years prior to the bequest to Pérez de Guzmán, as part of Sancho IV's effort to develop strong coastal defenses, especially near the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. During the
Middle Ages, the town was an important port for trading with North
Africa. In 1780 the 11th
Duke of Arcos died without issue, and the city was rendered to the
Duke of Osuna.
Economy
Rota is primarily a
resort town, offering eight hotels (including the four-star Hotel Duque de Najera) and nearly two thousand beds. It is a summer destination for tourists from all over
Europe. During the off-season, its main commercial activity centres on the fishing industry.
Rota is also the location of the
Rota naval base, a joint
Spanish and
U.S. naval base, opened in 1955 (which also hosts
U.S. Marine and
Air Force units). It is also the usual first port of call for U.S. naval vessels before entering the
Mediterranean Sea.
According to an article in
Diario ABC, eighty percent of Rota's economy depends, directly or indirectly, on the US Naval base. The surrounding area is used for
agriculture; the predominant crop is
cotton.
Culinary
A traditional dish is the
arranque made with chopped bread, tomatoes, green peppers, garlic, salt and olive oil. The local wine, known as
tintilla, is made with dark, ripe grapes. It can be found in the numerous
bodegas spread over the old town, one of them being
El Gato which produces its own wine.
Spanish, Andalucian, Cadiz and Rota gastronomic delights are many and varied. Most Spanish people enjoy dishes such as caracoles (snails), menudo (tripe soup), chicharrones (deep fried pork rinds), a variety of wines and of course gazpacho (cold tomatoes soup taken as a drink.
Sports
Rota has two football teams:
Rota CF and
UD La RoteñaSee also
Demographics
Source: External references
- On-line since 1999! News, premiere information, pictures, weather, etc. Into Spanish, English... (http://rota.com.es)
- [https://www.cnic.navy.mil/rota/ U.S. Naval Station Rota, Spain website]
Category:Costa de la LuzRotaCategory:Port cities and towns in Spainar:روتا، إسبانياbg:Рота (град)ca:Rotade:Rota (Stadt)et:Rotaes:Rotaeo:Rotaeu:Rotafr:Rota (ville)it:Rota (Spagna)nl:Rota (Cádiz)ja:ロタ (スペイン)pl:Rota (Hiszpania)pt:Rotaru:Рота (Кадис)sv:Rota (stad)tr:Rota, Cádizvi:Rota, Cádiz
