Granada, Málaga, Córdoba, Sevilla, Marbella, Ronda, Cádiz, Jaen, Almería, Nerja, Tarifa

Napoleon, bandoleros and industrialization

In the naval battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, the united French-Spanish fleet suffered a devastating defeat against the English. We visit the scene at Cape Trafalgar on our Seville route.

When the French used Spain as a military base for their campaign against Portugal and invaded Spanish cities, there were uprisings that led to the Spanish War of Independence in 1808 (1808 to 1814). French troops invaded Córdoba on June 7, 1808 and plundered the city for four days. The population suffered under the Napoleonic Wars until 1814. During these, Napoleon's troops criss-crossed Andalusia. The conflicts in Europe also led to wars of independence in South America and the loss of revenue from the colonies, which had previously flowed into the state budget. In order to compensate for these losses, the sale of church and common land began in 1835 to improve the state coffers. Until then, the common land had been the livelihood of the farmers, who had no way of acquiring it for themselves due to a lack of money. They became day laborers without rights and suffered abject poverty.

This gave rise to a flourishing banditry in the middle of the 19th century. The "bandoleros" raided the properties of the wealthy, stole harvests and ambushed commercial transports. These bandits could count on the sympathy and complicity of large sections of the population. In response, the "Guardia Civil", a paramilitary police force, was founded in 1844. On our route there are hideouts and places that remind us of this time. We visit Ronda, also known as the "city of bandits", on one of our Málaga routes and the Seville route.

Following the discovery of ore deposits in Ojén, one of the first iron and steel companies in Andalusia was established near today's Marbella. In the north of the province of Huelva, the town of Minas de Riotinto is located in the middle of a mining area that is one of the oldest gold, silver and copper mines in Europe. In 1873, a British company acquired the mining concession for the then gigantic sum of 93 million pesetas. This meant that the deficit-ridden Spanish state budget was almost balanced. The iron and steel works and the emerging railroad infrastructure with its enormous demand for workers, machinery and tools soon became a significant economic factor. On our Seville route, we visit the bizarre landscape in the Minas de Riotinto open-cast mining area with its unique photo opportunities. On the Granada route, we get to know a special place from this industrial era, the ore burning furnaces of Lucainena de las Torres in the Sierra Alhamilla.

Harley-Davidson and INDIAN Motorcycles Tours in Andalusia
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