Early history Evidence of
human settlement in the area surrounding Guadix goes back to at least the
Bronze Age.
Ancient Guadix el Viejo, 6 km northwest, was the Roman
Acci (also
Accitum) mentioned in
Pliny's Natural History and as Akki by
Ptolemy, who placed it among the
Bastetani, whose capital was
Basti. It is not known for certain whether it is of Phoenician or of early Spanish origin. The existence of an
oppidum with a well-defined urban plan from the 6th century BC has been documented; archeological excavations have revealed complex spaces with straight walls and red adobe floors.
Kilns and silos have also been found, demonstrating a high level of development in the settlement. Throughout the Iberian era, there was a shift in planning regarding the construction methods and the alignment of residences. The importance of craftsmanship and industry in the area has been shown by the discovery of what might be an oil press below Calle Palacio. Excavations at Cine Acci have uncovered a
slate dwelling from the 5th century BC. According to
Macrobius, the primitive inhabitants paid homage to
Mars under the name of
Neton.
Julius Caesar established the Roman colony called
Julia Gemella. According to tradition, it was the seat of the
first bishopric in
Hispania, in the 2nd century.
Roman coins were minted at Julia Gemella, and the settlement continued to be an important centre of commerce, leaving artifacts such as the
Pedestal of Isis, as well as the ruins of a Roman theatre. In addition, a network of sewers, galleries and water conduits have been uncovered in the city, as well as the possible remains of a Roman temple. Acci would have enjoyed the benefits of the
Ius Italicum, which would have favoured social and economic development. The
fall of the Western Roman Empire negatively influenced the status of Acci, whose population may have in large part moved to rural areas, and the city is known to have been one of the first in the Iberian Peninsula to adopt Catholicism. Few remains have been found dating from the IV to the XI century.
From the Moors to the Reconquista After 711 it rose to some importance as a Moorish fortress and trading station, renamed '''Wadi 'Ashi''' ("the
Wadi of Acci", or "The Water of Life"). According to Arab sources, the city was initially a rebel against the
Umayyads, and after the Caliphate's decline, Guadix found itself located on the border between the territories of
Zirids of Granada and those of the Banu Jayrán of Almería. The city was integrated into the
Almoravid Empire and then by the
Almohad Caliphate, which conquered al-Andalus and later left the peninsula, leading to Guadix becoming a territory of the
Emirate of Granada. During this period, Guadix was home to
Ḥamda bint Ziyād, one of medieval Granada's foremost women poets. The city was the site of the
Battle of Guadix in January 1362 in which a small Castilian army was routed by the forces of
Muhammed VI, Sultan of Granada. The civil wars in the kingdom of Granada turned Guadix into the capital of a short-lived kingdom ruled by
Muhammad XII of Granada: internal conflicts made the arrival of the Castillans easier, and the city surrendered without a siege to the kingdom of
Ferdinand and Isabella in 1489. The novelist
Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, author of
El sombrero de tres picos, was born in Guadix in 1833. The 19th and 20th centuries saw a period of economic crisis for the town. Currently, Guadix is a center of production for fruit (strawberries), cereals, and vegetables, as well as a minor tourist center. == Landscape ==