Documenting the history of Huelva

The value of this document series isn't about great relevance or worth, but what they portray as a whole: Through concrete data and imagery, they represent more than 400 years of Huelva's history and the evolution of people's daily life. These documents are organized thematically: territory, economy and society, art and culture, religious life, and catastrophes.

City map of Huelva

This map shows what the city looked like at the beginning of the 20th century. The port of Huelva is particularly noticeable, as are the architectural landmarks that have been erased with time. The grid map was framed using the meridian of Madrid as a reference for its coordinates.

Map of the Guadiana River mouth, with the docks of Ayamonte, Villa Real, and Isla Cristina

This map illustrates the Guadiana River mouth, which runs along the border between Portugal and Spain. The fortifications, channels, and anchorages of Ayamonte and Isla Cristina that existed in the mid-19th century are also visible.

Map of the province of Huelva

Color version of the map, geographical area, and administrative region, including the town centers of Aracena, Ayamonte, and Huelva and the surrounding towns of Moguer, Valverde, and La Palma del Condado.

Drawn by Colonel of Engineers Francisco Coello de Portugal y Quesada at the end of the 19th century.

Nautical chart of the Gulf of Huelva

This chart is a geographical outline of Huelva's coast, with particular attention paid to the mouths of the Guadiana and Guadalquivir Rivers.

The map is marked with parallels and meridians, and the cardinal points are marked with a compass card.

Aerial view of Huelva

Seen from above, Huelva is a peninsula located between the mouths of the Tinto and Odiel Rivers. As a result, the city has been considered a strategic point for many civilizations over the centuries.

The city grew exponentially over the last quarter of the 19th century. Foreign powers, primarily England, intensively exploited the mines in the north of the province, aided by workers from nearby towns, Andalusia, Extremadura, Galicia, Asturias, and even Portugal.

A letter from Juana Hernández

In this letter, a resident of Huelva requests permission to collect the goods left by her husband, Hernán Gómez, from the Recruitment House in Seville. He was a sailor in a ship owned by Toribio de Escalante, called "La Trinidad," which was part of a fleet destined for Honduras. He died in the Honduran city of Puerto Caballos.

Graphic of fishing stocks

This graphic of fishing stocks shows the volume of fish caught in the province of Huelva between 1944 and 1945.

Purchase deed of a slave

The purchase deed of a 20-year-old "mulata blanca" (white mulatto girl) slave named Agustina. Slavery was legal until the 19th century.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, sailors from Palos, Moguer, and Huelva frequently sailed to African coasts thanks to their seafaring skills and their proximity to the continent. They mostly took black African slaves to be sold throughout Andalusia. Some remained in Palos, Moguer, and Huelva, even after they had been freed.

Group of girls from the "Sección Femenina"

Excursion, on public transport, of the "Damas" company at a time when the "Sección Feminina" (Women's Section—the women's branch of the Falange political movement in Franco's Spain) was entrusted with the Social Service for Women.

Main altarpiece in the church of Santa María de Gracia

The Convent of the "Reverendas Madres Agustinas" (Reverend Augustinian Mothers) was founded in 1510, and located on the Plaza de las Monjas, which is still there today.

From 1618, the main altar was designed with an altarpiece made of various sculptures by Luis Figueroa and paintings by Blas Martín. It was replaced by another altarpiece in the middle of the 17th century, which lasted until 1936.

Sculptor Antonio León Ortega

Antonio León Ortega (1907–91) was a sculptor from Ayamonte. Here, he is pictured in his workshop.

With a great interest in Castilian and Andalusian imagery, especially in the works of Martínez Montañez, he moved to Huelva in 1938. His workshop on Calle San Cristóbal drew other artists and later became known as the San Cristóbal Academy.

Recreativo de Huelva football (soccer) team

The Recreativo de Huelva soccer club was founded in Hotel Colón on December 23, 1889. It was the first soccer club in all of Spain.

Poster of the first Ibero-American Film Week in Huelva

On June 3, 1975, José Luis Ruiz Díaz, president of the Huelva Cinema Club, asked the Ministry of Information and Tourism permission to host an Ibero-American Film Week to raise the profile of Ibero-American cinematography and Huelva's reputation in the tourism industry. He also sought to bring about new ways of distributing productions unknown in Europe.

Establishment of the feast of "Nuestra Señora de la Cinta"

The Brotherhood of "Nuestra Señora de la Cinta" (Our Lady of the Ribbon) was founded at the end of the 19th century and was in charge of caring for worshippers, work that was previously carried out by the Mareantes Guild.

Our Lady of the Ribbon has been the Patron Saint of Huelva since 1946, although some documents record her being a patron saint since 1586. She was canonized on September 26, 1992.

The Procession of the our Lady of El Rocío through her village

Our Lady of El Rocío, "Blanca Paloma" (White Dove), or "La Reina de las Marismas" (The Queen of the Marshes) is a Marian devotion that is venerated at the Hermitage of El Rocío in Almonte (Huelva).

Traditionally, the whole pilgrimage was known as "El Rocío." Nowadays, it has become an event where religion and folklore meet. It is a social event that draws over a million people throughout May and June, depending on when Pentecost falls.

Drummer and dancers preceding the procession of the Virgin of La Rábida

The Virgin of La Rábida (Virgin of Miracles) is the patron saint of Sanlúcar de Guadiana. During the procession, an image of the Virgin is brought through the town, carried on the locals' shoulders, and joined by dancers who dance to the beat of the tamboril drum.

This dance has an odd number of male dancers (9 or 11) who dress in traditional costumes and carry ornamental arches of brightly colored flowers as they make their way along the procession with bells, drumsticks, and castanets. This dance was declared a "Bien de Interés Cultural" (good of cultural interest) in 2011.

Hernán Pérez Cubillas

The Civil Governor of Huelva, participating in a Christmas food and clothing charity drive.

View of the Monastery of La Rábida

The Friary of Santa María de la Rábida, in Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, is a Franciscan friary built in the 14th and 15th centuries. It has an irregular layout after being badly damaged over the years, particularly by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

Christopher Columbus stayed here before he left for the New World, and so the friary is seen as a central point for expeditions to the Americas.

It was declared a "Historical and Artistic Monument of the Nation" by Royal Order of 1856, the third of its kind. It was also recognized as a meeting place for Ibero-American summits.

Portfolio of printed certificates certifying the absence of plague in Huelva

Portfolio of printed, incomplete certificates from the Clerk of the Town Hall and the Public for the town of Huelva, certifying the absence of plague in the town.

It contains woodcuts with the images of San Sebastián and San Roque.

Effect of the Lisbon Earthquake on Huelva and Ayamonte

On November 1, 1755, a violent and long-lasting earthquake off the coast of Portugal was followed by a strong tsunami.

It was the first earthquake to be scientifically studied, owing to the large area affected. Its effects were felt along the coast of Huelva, particularly in Ayamonte and Lepe, causing deaths and extensive damage.

A brief recollection of the damage done by "los rojos" (the reds) in the city of Huelva

This document was written by the parish priest of the Church of San Pedro de Huelva. He gives a brief account of the damage to buildings and religious artifacts in Huelva during the first days of the Civil War that took place between 1936 and 1939.

Police in the flooded Avenida de Italia

This image shows one of the city's main avenues completely flooded. Until the late 1990s, the city was recurrently plagued by flooding caused by intense rainfall and rising sea levels.