Life in Sanlúcar in 1519

All its activity was concentrated in front of the gallery of Las Covachas, with its fantastic reliefs of serpents and dragons, emulating the powerful lords of the town.

This market linked the riverbank and the walled center. It was a trading hub and checkpoint for town officials, with market stalls and stands, and a collection of people of all different classes.
A beautiful setting from which to contemplate the energy and activity of Sanlúcar 500 years ago.

Right on the water's edge, people crowded on the sand of La Ribera, an unfinished district, sprinkled with shacks, sheds, stores, and buildings under construction.

It was consolidated by the construction of the hospital and the Church of Santísima Trinidad, alongside the current Plaza de San Roque (Square of Saint Roch). These buildings were originally designed to offer physical and spiritual support to those sailing to the Canary Islands.

Around the area, sailors, merchants, chancers, and travelers from many different countries would congregate, as well as fishermen and traders hawking delicious local fish and seafood.

While a cart carries a load of harvested grapes, a noble lady descends from her carriage to visit the Dominican nuns in the Convent of Madre de Dios, founded with the support and protection of the lords of the town.

Located where the Jewish quarter once was, it was one of the more recently constructed buildings in the suburb of La Ribera.

It was an elite foundation, whose members came from illustrious families. For example, two of Hernán Cortés' daughters took their vows there. Cortés led the conquest of Mexico in 1519, when Magellan set sail from Sanlúcar with his fleet of five ships.

Builders constructed the Convent of Regina Coeli for Poor Clare nuns, furthering the dense religious landscape of the town. It was built in an impressive location in the former La Mar Street, in La Ribera.

In one of the sheds, sought-after tuna was prepared. The Dukes of Medina Sidonia had a monopoly on tuna fishing using the almadraba technique. This spawned the colloquial expression: A Sanlúcar por atún y a ver al duque (Let's go to Sanlúcar for tuna and to see the Duke).

The fish were eaten fresh or salted, preserved in barrels to be exported, and also served as food for the seafaring crews.

Watched by the young and the old of Sanlúcar, various exhausted and disheveled sailors entered via the Puerta del Mar (Gateway of the Sea), which connected the suburb of Barrio Bajo with Barrio Alto, the town surrounded by medieval walls.

The Victoria landed in Sanlúcar having completed the first voyage around the world, with just a handful of survivors aboard.

They went to give thanks to the Virgen de la Antigua (Our Lady of Antiquity), worshiped in the parish of La O, and gave an account of their amazing feat to other sailors outside a store, holding a tankard of wine.

Sanlúcar de Barrameda was the jewel in the crown for the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, the lords of the town. They were known as the Dukes of the three eights, due to the fabled sums of three times the rent of 80,000 ducats (approximately 1.2 million US dollars) they received for Sanlúcar, the tuna almadraba traps, and the rest of their properties.

That is why the Dukes settled in residence in this location, and established their court, in a lavish walled palace amongst wooded gardens, where they practiced one of their favorite pastimes: hunting.

It was constructed along the clifftop overlooking the port's cove, appointed with luxurious rooms and galleries with a view of the constant traffic contributing to their wealth.

The original town, the walled core which over time became known as Barrio Alto, centered around the bustling Plaza Alta or Plaza de Arriba (High Square), later named the Plaza de la Paz (Square of Peace).

A backdrop for public and community life, for celebrations, parties, punishments, and executions, it was surrounded by some of the most important buildings in Sanlúcar.

One of the most significant was the Church of Nuestra Señora de la O, with its tower inherited from the alcazar, its facade of Gothic-Mudéjar filigree, and the adored Virgen de la Antigua, a divinity for sailors in search of protection.

Protected by the Dukes, the Dominican friars took possession of a number of plots to build the Monastery of Santo Domingo. It was one of the principal foundations in Sanlúcar, at a time when the town had become a regular transit point for many religious people en route to the Indies.

It was located in the shadow of the Castle, at the edge of the suburb of La Mar, with huts, shacks, and boatyards scattered about. This area was home to the riverbank carpenters, an age-old profession in Sanlúcar. They prepared, repaired, and dismantled ships and other smaller boats, such as fishing boats and those used for unloading and towing ships, and as river transport to Seville.