Cordova

Cordova (Lat. Corduba), a Spanish city, capital of the province Cordova in Andalusia, on the right bank of the Guadalquivir, at the foot of the Sierra de Corelova, and about 80 miles south-east of Seville. It is surrounded by walls, of Moorish origin, built upon Roman foundations. The streets are narrow and crooked, and the houses are much decayed, but are often surrounded by large gardens. A bridge of 16 arches leads to the southern suburb. The cathedral, formerly a mosque, is a splendid specimen of Moorish architecture, but has been spoilt by additions which were made to render its appearance more ecclesiastical. Its one great feature is a courtyard of columns. There is a ruined Moorish palace - the Alcazar. In Moorish times Cordova was noted for its silversmiths, and for its leather which has given us the word cordwainer. Flax, linen, silk, and woollens are its chief productions. Once a Carthaginian settlement, it became the first Roman colony in Spain. Later it was the capital of Moorish Spain, was taken by Ferdinand in 1236, and was stormed and pillaged by the French in 1808.