Historic Roads

ALL A NETWORK OF ROADS OF DIVERSE IMPORTANCE

Alcalá de Guadaíra lies on Los Alcores, rock formation that constitutes a natural barrier between the Guadaíra's Countryside and the Guadalquivir's Valley. Through Los Alcores, roads make their ways historically through passages or places of easier access, being these places where settlements have occurred. Alcalá itself is placed on a hill next to the passage formed by the River Guadaíra, in its course between the countryside and the valley.

Roads appear with the first inhabitants, during Prehistory. But it is not until the Roman Period when some of the ones that have reached our days are consolidated. Perhaps the most important would be the road between Hispalis (today's Seville) and Antikaria (presently Antequera), that went West-Eastwards passing by the Roman town placed at Mesa de Gandul. This road was itself an authentic road, part of the network of imperial roads, used for communications and troops transport.

During the Middle Ages the network of roads through the whole territory is developed. The most important roads link the main localities, sometimes preserving pre-existing roads (as in the case of the road Seville-Antequera). At this moment we have to highlight Los Alcores road, between Alcalá and Carmona, as well as some minor roads of special importance for the transit through the territory, like the road Alcalá-Morón, access road for the incursions of the Benemerines at the end of the century XIII.

Next to the main roads, a whole network of roads of diverse importance: cattle tracks, cordeles [These both are rural roads used traditionally for farming, similar to drover's roads; they have different names according their features and the region they are in] and paths. The first ones were tightly linked to the passing of migrating cattle, sometimes keeping pre-Roman routes: Peromingo Cattle Track, Royal Cattle Track of Morón, Benagila Cattle Track... Besides, cordeles and paths made communication among the different rural settlements secure, also for the transport of goods and agricultural products: Pelay Correa Cordel, Gandul Cordel, Mairena Cordel, Del Gallego Cordel, Marchenilla Path (or Vereda), Angorrilla Path, Royal Path of Piedra Hincada...

Today most of Alcalá's historic roads are accessible, allowing routes where the landscape variety of the district can be fully appreciated. To traditional roads, new routes have been added up; among them, the former railway between Seville and Mairena stands out; it has been partially retaken as rural track of great historic and environmental interest. In other cases, as the Camino de los Molinos (Road of The Mills), the historic route has been included in peri-urban parks, which allows to be walked over inside a space where culture and environment can be enjoyed with the presence of recreational equipments.