It’s not that we are disappointed with Jerez, (pronounced Hair-eth), it’s more that it’s Monday which is the day most places are closed. We arrived from Cadiz by train with the intention of visiting the Alcazar, having a sherry tasting at Gonzalez Byass and stopping at the Flamenco museum, but none of these were open.
Instead we sauntered around the cathedral, vowing never to visit another. The wealth in terms of the silver that was brought from South America in the 1500-1700s, intricately worked into religious symbols, and now needing a guard, made us feel uncomfortable when, today, there are young and middle-aged Spanish men wandering from cafe to cafe begging from the owners and patrons… And then there’s the conditions under which the silver was obtained from the South American mines… There were other questions we asked ourselves, which have lead us to think we might not ’do’ any more cathedrals on this trip.
Jerez de la Frontera first rose to prominence in the 8th century under the Moors (Arabs), who called it Sherrich ‘De la Frontera’, which refers to Jerez’s position on the frontier of Moorish and Christian Spain. The Alcazar (fortress), mosques and palaces were built and the town was extended dramatically. The eventual re-conquest of the Christians under Alphonso X in 1264 saw the mosques converted to churches.
The 19th century was a period of economic prosperity for Jerez, thanks to a partnership with English exporters and wine merchants launching the success story that the Jerez sherry industry is today.
Jerez is the fifth largest city in Andalucía, with a population of around 210,000 (similar to Southampton). Besides sherry, it is famous for its Andalucian horses, flamenco and motorbikes. We stayed the night and visited the Alcazar the next morning.
