Chipiona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chipiona
Municipality
Coast of Chipiona with the lighthouse at background
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Chipiona
Chipiona Location in Andalusia
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Andalusia
Province	Cádiz
Comarca	Costa Noroeste de Cádiz
Commonwealth	Municipios del Bajo Guadalquivir
Area
• Total	32.92 km2 (12.71 sq mi)
Elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Total	19,386
• Density	588.88/km2 (1,525.20/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Chipionero, ra
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	11550

Sanctuary of Our Lady of The Rule, Chipiona.

Chipiona is a lovely town and municipality located on the Atlantic coast of Spain. It is part of the province of Cádiz. In 2012, about 18,849 people lived there. However, this number grows a lot during the summer holidays when many visitors come.

The town covers an area of 33 square kilometers. It is very flat because it's in the lower valley of the River Guadalquivir. Its highest point is only 4 meters above sea level. Chipiona is next to Sanlúcar de Barrameda to the north-west and the port of Rota to the south-east.

Chipiona is famous for being the birthplace of the singer Rocío Jurado. Her body also rests there. The town is also known for its lighthouse, called Punta del Perro. Plus, Chipiona produces several types of a sweet wine called Moscatel.

Cool Places to Visit in Chipiona

Chipiona has many interesting spots to explore!

The Chipiona Lighthouse

This lighthouse is the most famous building in Chipiona. It is the largest lighthouse in Spain. It is also the 3rd largest in Europe and the 5th largest in the world! The lighthouse stands about 69 meters tall from its base. It was built in 1867. You can find it at Punta del Perro. Its main job was to help ships safely enter the Guadalquivir river. It also warned them about dangerous rocks called Salmedina.

The Marina

The Marina is a port for boats. It was built in the early 1990s. It is located near where the Guadalquivir river meets the sea. In 2008, the Marina was made even bigger.

Shrine of Our Lady of Regla

The current building of this shrine was built in the early 1900s. Franciscan missionaries built it with help from the Duke of Montpensier. It used to be an old castle fortress from the 14th century. A family named Ponce de Leon gave it to the Hermits of St. Augustine in 1399. They turned it into a church.

Chipiona Castle

This old castle now holds the Museum of Cadiz and the New World. It's a great place to learn about history.

Muscat Museum

The Muscat Museum opened in 2012. It is located in the Catholic Agricultural Cooperative. Here, you can learn all about the famous Moscatel wine from Chipiona.

Chipiona's History

Let's look back at Chipiona's past.

Ancient Times

Ancient writers like Strabo and Pomponius Mela mentioned a lighthouse at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. They called it Turris Caepionis. It was likely built by a Roman Consul named Quintus Servilius Caepion or his family. This lighthouse helped guide ships and marked a dangerous area. Chipiona gets its name from this Roman Consul, Caepion.

Some people also believe this area was the site of the legendary Ars Gerionis. This was said to be the tomb of Geryon. It stood on a narrow cape that went into the sea. This cape might be what is now a reef called the Stone of Salmedina. These ideas come from old writings and Roman findings from the second century B.C.

Middle Ages

A legend says that followers of St. Augustine in Africa came to Chipiona by sea. They were escaping the Vandals and brought an image of the Virgin of Regla. Old tombstones from the time of the Visigoths have been found near the Shrine of Our Lady of Regla.

After the Iberian Peninsula became Islamic in 711, the hermits supposedly hid the image. They put it in a cistern near the citadel, which is now a monastery. The image stayed hidden until a member of the Order of St. Augustine found it in the 14th century. This happened after a special message from heaven, according to the legend. A shrine to Our Lady of Regla was then built around this cistern.

In 1251, King Ferdinand III conquered Chipiona. His son, Alfonso X the Wise, conquered it again more completely in 1264. In 1297, King Ferdinand IV gave the Lordship of Sanlúcar to Guzman el Bueno. Chipiona was part of this area.

In 1303, Isabel Perez de Guzman, Guzman el Bueno's daughter, married Fernan Ponce de León. She received the towns of Rota and Chipiona as a wedding gift. This made Chipiona separate from the Lordship of Sanlúcar. It then became part of the Ponce de León family's lands.

Castle of Chipiona.

Modern Age

In 1755, Chipiona was hit hard by a huge tsunami. This tsunami was caused by the powerful Lisbon earthquake. The earthquake affected the Atlantic coast of Andalusia and Portugal. About an hour after the earthquake, the tsunami reached Chipiona. Four people died, and streets and beaches were flooded. The damage was estimated to be very high.

To ask for the waters to go away, the image of Christ of Mercy was carried in a procession. This procession is still done every year in November. It goes from the chapel named after Christ to the Cross of the Sea.

Population Changes

Fun Festivities and Traditions

Chipiona has many lively celebrations throughout the year!

Church of Our Lady of O.

Carnival

Carnival is a very old celebration in Chipiona. Records show it was happening as early as 1896. During the time of Franco, carnival celebrations were not allowed in Spain. But in 1984, the festival was brought back. Now, it happens every year in February and March. The festival ends with a big horse parade that many people come to see.

Easter

Chipiona has two main groups that celebrate Easter. They are called brotherhoods.

• The Sisterhood and Nazarene Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus Captive started in 1960. They perform a special procession on Holy Thursday.
• The Brotherhood Holy Christ of Mercy performs its procession on Good Friday. This image of Christ has been very popular since the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. Back then, the image was carried in a procession to ask for help. This event is remembered every year on November 1st.

Pinar Pilgrimage

This pilgrimage happens on the first Sunday of June. It takes place in the Pinar de la Villa, which is a pine forest. The Virgin of Regla del Pinar is carried back to the pine forest. This happens after it has been at the Shrine of Our Lady of Regla for three days. Horse riders, carts, and many people join the procession.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

This saint is the patron saint of sailors. Her feast day is July 16th. On this day, her image is taken out to sea at noon. It is carried through the waters near the town. In the afternoon, there is a procession through the main streets. The day ends with fireworks on the beach of the Sea Cross.

Evening Rule

These celebrations are dedicated to Our Lady of Regla. They take place at the Shrine of Our Lady of Regla. The main event is the release of Our Lady of Regla on September 8th. The celebrations end with a fireworks display on Regla beach.

Halloween and Feast of All Saints

On the evening of October 31st, more and more children dress up as monsters and ghosts. They go from door to door asking for candy. On November 1st, which is the Feast of All Saints, there is a special procession. The Holy Christ of Mercy is carried to thank for the miracle during the Lisbon tsunami.

Hermitage of Christ of the Mercies.

Christmas

During Christmas, the city is decorated with festive lights. A group called the Association of Bethlehem "Caepionis" organizes many activities. These include nativity scene courses, making Christmas cards, and a live nativity scene. They also have a nativity scene contest and a Christmas Sermon. Traditional Zambombás (drum bands) are organized by different neighborhoods and groups. On the afternoon of January 5th, there is a procession of the Three Kings of the East. Since 2009, they have performed a worship of the Child of God in Plaza Pio XII.

See also

In Spanish: Chipiona para niños