Manuel Spínola's Plan for the Urban Configuration of Écija in 1826

Abstract

Urban cartography in the Spanish 19th century rose during the French occupation and the arrival of the Enlightenment. The maps became instruments that allowed for better city governance. Later, in the reign of Isabel II, the Royal Order of 1846 had as its main objective to establish the control of urban transformations in the main cities of the country through urban cartography. This required a high-plan production by the municipalities themselves, together with the work of cartographers and engineers. In the province of Seville, the cartographer Manuel Spínola de Quintana, worked on seven Andalusian towns, where Écija is one of them. Its plan is possibly the oldest in the city, dating from 1826. It is also the first to represent its urban periphery. It is an unpublished document of great planimetric quality due to its graphics and colouring, as well as its description of the city. A comparison is made with three other contemporary plans of Écija, with a detailed analysis, using Spínola’s plan as the main source. The comparative analysis has produced interesting results, such as a more accurate dating of one of the known plans, as well as evidence of the primacy of Spínola’s document. Finally, a detailed analysis makes it possible to appreciate the configuration of Écija at the beginning of the century, a key factor in future town planning. This is done through the elements of the urban area (parishes, convents, monasteries, squares, etc.), as well as those in its immediate surroundings (roads, farmlands, infrastructures, etc.).