In the old days, Lebrija was a seaport as the town was on the boundaries of a large seawater lake known as Ligustino whose gradual silting process led to the formation of the marshlands.
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Halfway between Seville and Cadiz, Lebrija is on the boundaries of the marshlands and very close to the mouth of the Guadalquivir. The Tartessic culture flourished here and Phoenicians came to trade their wares. Pliny, Strabon and Ptolomeus mentioned it when it was called Nabrissa. In the old days, Lebrija was a seaport as the town was on the boundaries of a large seawater lake known as Ligustino whose gradual silting process led to the formation of the marshlands. After the Muslim occupation, Lebrija was finally taken over by the Christian King, Alfonso X, who annexed it to Castile in1264. The King ordered the construction of the Church of Santa María de la Oliva, which was subsequently reformed in the 15th, 16th, and 18th centuries. Its tower, inspired in the Giralda, dates from the 18th century. Illustrious names from Lebrija include Elio Antonio de Nebrija (1444-1532), author of the first Spanish grammar book, and Juan Díaz de Solís (c.1470-1516), who discovered Río de la Plata. |