Wait - Andalusia

The municipality of Espera is very old.

Several archaeological remains have been found, including several collections of carved stone tools from the Paleolithic period. But at the time of the Roman conquest , the two towns of Carissa Aurelia and Esperilla appear, both located near the modern city.

After the Romans came the Visigoths , who built a fortress on the remains of a Roman fortress where the castle now stands. The Muslim conquest meant the total destruction of Carissa and the settlement of the new inhabitants around a new defensive wall.

The 17th century is a century of catastrophes ; Three earthquakes were recorded in 1636, 1639 and 1679, and a plague epidemic in 1680. In the 19th century , they suffered the dramatic effects of the yellow fever that shook Andalusia.

The arrival of the 20th century marks the beginning of the emigration of many Esperians , who choose to leave their city in search of better economic conditions. L'Espera is currently dedicated to the cultivation of the land (cereals, beets and sunflowers) and to the concreting and polishing. Recently, rural tourism is an emerging alternative for local economy development, although unemployment is severely affecting the population.

Willem Vandenameele