![\"Awesome](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fotofrangonz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/2016-01-14_21-12-46-Panoramica-Marchena-Nocturna-Cerro-HDR-Pano-4.jpg?ssl=1\")
Mystery, magic, majesty. Those are the words that come to my mind when I see an epic photograph like this one. Dark, radiating city lights, a complete aerial view, as a God would see it. All the buildings and monuments can be seen outlined in the silhouette of the black night, illuminated by the street lights. On the edges of the skyline we can see the churches of Santa Mar\u00eda de la Mota (Saint Mary of \u201cLa Mota\u201d), Degollaci\u00f3n de San Juan Bautista (Slaughter of Saint John the Baptist), San Agust\u00edn (Saint Augustine) and San Miguel Arc\u00e1ngel (Saint Michael Archangel).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can also see in the contour both silos, the old and the new one (a silo is a tall building to store grains collected in agriculture), we can see in the foreground the neighborhood of Ciudad Jard\u00edn (Garden City), with its palm trees, the terrains of the fair, and the L\u00f3pez de Arenas secondary education institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The city\u2019s coat of arms reads \u201cCOLONIA MARTIA ROMANORVM\u201d, as this small city of 20,000 inhabitants 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the provincial capital, Seville, within the region of \u201cLa Campi\u00f1a Sevillana\u201d, had its origin in a Roman colony founded by a commander named MARTIA (although some historians argue that he may be named MARCIAL). After the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula and during the period of the AL-ANDALUS kingdom, the Muslims pronounced the name of the Roman colony as \u201cMARSENAH\u201d, more specifically \u201cMARSENAH AL-ZAITUNA\u201d which means \u201cMARCHENA OF THE OLIVE TREES\u201d, to differentiate it from the other villages also called Marchena (or \u201cMarsenah\u201d, in the period we are talking about). After the Christian reconquest, the name Marsenah began to be pronounced as Marchena, which is its current name (without the \u201cof the olive trees\u201d). As a curious fact, the inhabitants of Marchena (called \u201cmarcheneros\u201d) pronounce the letter \u201cch\u201d in a very particular way. Maybe it\u2019s because of that change from the Arabic name \u201cMarsenah\u201d to \u201cMarchena\u201d (who knows?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite having originated as a Roman colony, the truth is its existence is much earlier, because there are prehistoric remains of Tartessian-Phoenician-Carthaginian origin, where Carthaginian coins, a military and funeral complex, hydraulic and urban structures, and jewels of gold and silver were found. In a sacred place, funeral rituals were celebrated and animals were sacrificed. All this happened thousands of years ago in the same place where the current city of Marchena is located, nicknamed \u201cThe unknown beauty\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently we can admire its beauty with monuments from the Muslim period, highlighting the Arco de la Rosa (\u201cArc of the Rose\u201d, also called \u201cPuerta de Sevilla\u201d \u2013 \u201cEntrance from Seville\u201d), other remains of the wall that surrounded the city, including a few more towers, the remains of the Muslim citadel, located in the old part of the city, very close to the Tiro de Santa Mar\u00eda, which was the entrance hall to the old Dukes Palace belonging to Duke Luis Ponce de Le\u00f3n, which was located where the Muslim citadel used to be and where it sits now the Christian church of Santa Mar\u00eda de la Mota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can also visit the museum of Lorenzo Coullaut Valera, a famous sculptor born in Marchena, to which many works belong, including the monument in honor of B\u00e9quer in the Maria Luisa Park in Seville. The museum is located in the part of the Muslim wall called \u201cPuerta de Mor\u00f3n\u201d (\u201cEntrance from Mor\u00f3n\u201d, \u201cMor\u00f3n de la Frontera\u201d is another city near Marchena). There is also a valuable museum in the sacristy of the Church of the Slaughter of Saint John the Baptist, with 9 works of art by the famous painter Zurbar\u00e1n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We cannot forget the Christian churches that abound in the city: San Agust\u00edn, San Sebasti\u00e1n, San Miguel, Santa Clara, Degollaci\u00f3n de San Juan Bautista, and Santa Mar\u00eda de la Mota. There is also a new one under construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And of course we cannot forget our Holy Week (Easter Week), authentic works of art processioning through the streets with religious sculptures representing biblical scenes and accompanied by penitents, Roman centuries and bands of great talent and quality. A true magical, mystical and spiritual delight, full of charm that will enchant even non-believers, because it\u2019s more than religion, it is an authentic performance of incomparable beauty and whose sensations you can only experience live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And of course in our Marchena Fair we unleash all our passion full of flamenco, horses, gypsy costumes with their ruffles and their flower in their hair, wine and \u201crebujito\u201d (a mixture of white wine of the variety \u201cmanzanilla\u201d and soda lemon-lime drink like Seven-Up or Sprite) and lots of fun. You really have to live it to feel it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n