La defensa de Motril en la época de los Austrias. Factor condicionante de su decadencia

Abstract

The cities on the Mediterranean coastline played a major role in the 16th and 17th centuries. This was particulary true of Motril, one of the most important cities of the Ancient Kingdom of Granada, from the Nazari Period to the present. In this article we depict the problems which affected it during the period of the House of Hapsburg, as well as the evolution of its coastal defences, which were built principally because of the constant threat of pirate attacks which Motril frequently endured. The city’s urban structure, demography and economy were greatly influenced by these defences, and the deficiencies in them were a decisive factor in Motril’s decline in importance as the port from which Granada’s products were marketed abroad. As a result, Málaga, its most direct rival, took over this important, economic role as the link between Granada and the exterior.