Alcolea del Río

Municipality located along the upper part of the Guadalquivir river near the mountains. Like the other villages of the area, its aspect, character and activity are directly linked to the river and to the fertile fields along its banks.

It also has some interesting monuments, such as the Church of San Juan Bautista, the Chapel of the Cristo de la Vera Cruz, the oil mills, along with some civilian buildings and noble residences.

History

The first people to live in the area were the Turdetani, who named the town Arva, near Peña de la Sal peak; and later on the Romans took over. In the region there are also remains of the Roman town of Canama, in the area called La Mesa. During this period there was important trade by river, and the pottery industry supplied amphorae for wine and oil to the people travelling between Roman Baetica and the Empire. The Romans called it Municipium Flavio Arvense.

The Arabs called it Al-Koliah, which means "scaffolding", from which its present-day name evolved.

It was conquered by Ferdinand III in 1247 and donated to the Order of Jerusalén. In 1873 it was placed under the jurisdiction of Lora del Río.

It became an independent municipality at the beginning of the 20th century.