HISTORY OF ECIJA
The first archaeological evidence of Écija allows us to assume the original settlement of Astigi was in the present Cerro de San Gil or Alcazar, during the Tartessic era.
In Roman times, around the reign of Augustus, the settlement of Colonia Augusta Firma Astigi (Astigi for short) was founded as the capital of one of the four "legal convents" of the Roman province of Bética and one of the most important cities of Hispania. Its strategic position on the Via Augusta allowed for the production and long-distance export of olive oil throughout the Roman Empire.
The exact location of the important Roman Battle of Munda (17 March 45 BC) has long been a matter of debate. Some Spanish historians asserted that Munda was the Roman name for modern-day Ronda, where the battle of Munda may have been fought. Other early researchers localized the battle in various other places, e.g. near Monda or Montilla. At the outset of Hispanist Prosper Mérimée's novella Carmen, source of George Bizet's opera, the narrator clearly states that his research indicates that Munda was near Montilla. Other experts have asserted that Munda was fought just outside Ecija or Osuna, in the province of Seville. This was supported by ancient slingshot bullets that were excavated near La Lantejuela, halfway between Osuna and Écija. The theory is further supported by ancient inscriptions found in Écija and Osuna that honor the town of Astigi (Écija) for standing firmly on Caesar's side during the battle. The Battle of Munda may have taken place on the Cerro de las Balas (hill) and the plains of Llanos del Aguila near the village of La Lantejuela, between the towns of Ecija and Osuna.
During the Moorish period the name evolved to Istiya or Astiya, and was considered as a rich city due to the ease of irrigation provided by the Genil River. Being a Hispanic-Visigoth city, it was of vital importance when the first Moorish troops landed by Lieutenant Tarik. After the Battle of Guadalete, the Moors were defeated and later went on to taking Cordoba and Toledo.
The Castilian conquest was carried out by Fernando III in 1240. After the conquest, numerous and illustrious Castilian families settled in Écija. The fertility of the region and its new frontier position with the Kingdom of Granada resulted in vast economic and social development.
Enrique III granted his own charter in 1402. The first guilds were organized from the sixteenth century and reached their maximum splendour in the eighteenth century. The importance of breeding purebred Spanish, Anglo-Arab and Hispano-Arabian horses in the region of Écija also grew, an activity still carried out today. The city was declared Historic-Artistic Set in the year 1966.