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Mairena del Alcor (Municipality, Andalusia, Spain)

Flag of Mairena del Alcor, two versions - Images by Ivan Sache, 24 May 2014

Presentation of Mairena del Alcor
Symbols of Mairena del Alcor

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Presentation of Mairena del Alcor

The municipality of Mairena del Alcor (22,328 inhabitants in 2013; 6,972 ha; municipal website) is located 25 km east of Seville.

Mairena del Alcor was already settled by the Tartesi, as evidenced by the Andrés Morales treasure, made of golden jewels, found in the town. The statue of Silenus, found in Las Peñuelas, highlights the subsequent contact between the local populations and Greek and Phoenician merchants.
The modern village might have merged in the Muslim times around a watch tower erected on the hill (alcor). The name of the town is derived from Maharana, an Arab toponym meaning "the fountain's water". The town was conquered in 1246 by King Ferdinand III the Saint. In 1342, Mairena was granted to the Arcos lineage, which would rule it until the suppression of the feudal system. The village developed around the castle built in the 14th century. The lords of Arcos were granted in 1441 by John II the right to organize a fair in Mairena. In 1470, Rodrigo Ponce de León, Marquis of Cádiz increased the castle of Mairena, building fortified walls and ditches. In the 15th century, the town counted 500 inhabitants producing grain, olive oil and fruit for the markets of Seville. The town kept increasing in the 16th century, its population increasing to 1,400 inhabitants at the end of the century; the horses of Mairena were famous at the time. Reduced to 1,000 inhabitants in the 17th century, the population resumed growth in the 18th century, peaking to 2,700 inhabitants at the end of the century; four new grain mills were built in 1780. In the second half of the 19th century, orange cultivation was developed.
The English painter and archeologist George Edward Bonsor (1855-1930) purchased in 1902 the old castle, which he transformed into his main residence and place of exhibition of his archeological findings. The castle is today the Bonsor Museum, managed by the municipality of Mairena de los Arcos.

Ivan Sache, 24 May 2014

Symbols of Mairena del Alcor

The flag of Mairena del Alcor (photo, photo) is horizontally divided blue-orange-blue.
Yet another photo shows the flag used in a non official contest - by a sports team -, with darker shades.

Ivan Sache & Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 May 2014