Cádiz Cathedral

The Castillo de San Sebastián is a fortress in Cádiz located at one end of La Caleta. Its specific location is on an islet, which according to classical tradition is the site once occupied by the Temple of Kronos.

The ancient castle was built in the early 17th century and transformed in 1706. At that time, an irregularly shaped fortified enclosure was constructed to defend the northern flank of Cádiz. It had the shape of a nine-sided polygon with two inward angles and the rest projecting outward. 

The entire island was protected by a parapet around its perimeter, except on the southern front, which had a natural defence. The perimeter parapet had gunports, and there was a water moat with two drawbridges. In front of the moat, there was a parade ground to defend the entire island territory. In the north-western corner, there was a watchtower and the hermitage of San Sebastián.

In the most advanced area, a casemated battery or causeway was built to connect the island with the urban centre of Cádiz (1860). 

Inside the fortress, a lighthouse 30.10 meters high was erected on the base of a Moorish watchtower, according to the project by Rafael de la Cerda in 1907. It is the only lighthouse with an iron structure in Spain; being the second electric one in the country, standing 41 meters above sea level. This lighthouse was restored in 2017.

It was declared a Site of Cultural Interest on 25 June 1985.

A very interesting monument due to its shape. Owing to its originality and being located over the sea, it has been the setting for various films shot in Cádiz. Examples include Alatriste (2005), or “Die Another Day” from James Bond (2002). Today it hosts exhibitions and events.

The Oratorio of the Holy Cave is an 18th-century temple composed of two chapels: the lower one, which is underground or of The Passion, and the upper chapel dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. 

It is one of the finest examples of religious neoclassical architecture in Andalusia. It has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, published in the BOE on 25 January 1982.

This oratory was the work of Torcuato Cayón and Torcuato Benjumeda. It was consecrated for worship in 1796 by Bishop Antonio Martínez de Plaza.

The priest and Marquis of Valde-Iñigo, José Sáez de Santamaría, was the one who promoted its construction. He provided it with a musical piece that accompanied the morning of Good Friday: the preaching of the seven last words of Christ. This piece was commissioned to the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn under the title The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross.

The upper chapel - of the Blessed Sacrament - is richly decorated and bright, while the lower chapel - of The Passion - is more austere. In the latter there is a polychrome wooden calvary made by Vaccaro and Gandulfo.

Three canvases by the brilliant Francisco de Goya stand out in the upper chapel: The Last Supper, The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, and The Parable of the Wedding Feast of the King's Son. All were restored by the Prado Museum in the year 2000.

The Oratory of San Felipe Neri is one of the few elliptical plan temples of Andalusian Baroque architecture.

It was built between 1685 and 1719 by the work of Blas Díaz. Previously it belonged to the original oratory of the Filipenses. 

Its main altarpiece dates from the mid-18th century, featuring an Immaculate Conception by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (also considered one of his best works).

In 1907, it was declared a Historic Artistic Monument. It gained this recognition for being the seat of the Cortes that drafted the Constitution of 1812. It also preserves several commemorative plaques on its exterior from this event. 

After the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, whose effects were also felt in Spain, its double-section ridged dome with eight windows was devastated. This was rebuilt eight years later by the master Pedro Luis Gutiérrez de San Martín.

In this Oratory, the investitures of new Ladies and Knights of the Royal Meritorious Institution of the Hospitaller Knights of San Juan take place. These ceremonies occur twice a year, since 1807, with one held on the day of the Immaculate Conception and another on that of San Juan.

The Phoenician Archaeological Site of Gadir is one of the oldest settlements of this civilisation in the whole of the West.

It is a must-visit place to learn about Phoenician culture, as their preserved remains in the Mediterranean are scarce.

It is located at the highest point of what was the island of Eritea (Erytheia. According to Pliny the Elder, the term was used by geographers Ephorus of Cyme and Philistides, referring to its earliest settlers of Tyrian origin, coming from the Erythraean or Red Sea), which is the smallest of the ancient Gadir archipelago.

It is structured in different phases or layers, corresponding to the periods when the settlement was occupied. It highlights the layout of streets, houses, and utensils from the 9th century BC. In this site, eight dwellings are preserved, distributed on two terraces, arranged around two paved streets.

All constructions were made of mud and clay. The streets were paved with clay since the first buildings were erected. Many fossilised hoof prints of bovine animals that roamed these streets can still be seen.

The constructions of a Roman fish processing factory are also preserved, where the salting fish tanks can be seen.

The visit is centred around Mattan, a Phoenician who died in a great fire in the city in the 6th century BC. His remains are an essential part of the tour's theme.