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WELCOME TO JAÉN!

More than three hundred young people received by this Church

WELCOME TO JAÉN!WELCOME TO JAÉN!WELCOME TO JAÉN!

More than three hundred young More than three hundred young More than three hundred young More than three hundred young people received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Church

WELCOME TO JAÉN!

More than three hundred young

WELCOME TO JAÉN!

More than three hundred young people received by this ChurchMore than three hundred young More than three hundred young people received by this ChurchMore than three hundred young More than three hundred young people received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this ChurchMore than three hundred young people received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Church

WELCOME TO JAÉN!WELCOME TO JAÉN!WELCOME TO JAÉN!WELCOME TO JAÉN!WELCOME TO JAÉN!WELCOME TO JAÉN!WELCOME TO JAÉN!

More than three hundred young More than three hundred young More than three hundred young More than three hundred young More than three hundred young More than three hundred young people received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this ChurchMore than three hundred young More than three hundred young people received by this ChurchMore than three hundred young More than three hundred young More than three hundred young More than three hundred young people received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Churchpeople received by this Church

We have been waiting for you for a long time and, fi nally, we welcome you with open arms in this “Holy Kingdom”, “Holy Face” land, full of olive trees. A generous land of delicious and abundant olive oil which you will never forget.

Young people from Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Togo and Ukraine, among many other countries. You will share the same Christian faith with the youth from this land, a land of saints and martyrs from the early times of Christianity, to enrich us with your testimony and presence. The Holy Grace breeze will be deeply breathed in August heat.

The Youth Diocesan Delegation, together with young volunteers from this Church, archbishoprics, parishes, schools, brotherhoods and numerous families and individual faithful people have prepared your welcome with deep affection and great care. They have offered their premises and homes and, above all, their disinterested and warm love as Christians so that you may feel at home from 11th to 16th

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August. On that very day we will go on a pilgrimage, all together, towards the great celebration of young Christians in Madrid on the memorable occasion of the World Youth Journey, towards a personal meeting with Jesus Christ, who is waiting for you.

Bienvenidos, welcome, bienvenus, benvenuti, willkomme… and I wish you a happy stay in Jaén.

A new world is possible in the light of Christ’s Gospel. It is in your hands, in our hands, if we walk together and with Him. I encourage you and wish you the best and, please, receive a big hug in our Lord from

RAMÓN DEL HOYO LÓPEZThe Bishop of Jaén

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Jaén is a Spanish province located in the east of the autonomous community of Andalusia, in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. It was one of the historic “four kingdoms of Andalusia.” Its limits are Córdoba to the west, Ciudad Real to the north, Albacete to the east, and Granada to the south. Its capital is the city of Jaén.

It was constituted as a province in the 1833 administrative division and is formed by the towns and cities of the Kingdom of Jaén, together with some municipalities up to then belonging to Campo de Montiel, such as Beas, Chiclana, and Montizón; and from the Kingdom of Murcia, the rest of the Sierra de Segura region. It

Historical introduction tothe province of Jaén

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is administratively divided into 97 municipalities, grouped into 10 judicial districts.

Its area is 13,489 sq kms., occupying 2.67% of the country. It has a population of 669,782 inhabitants (dated January 1st, 2009), out of which about one-third live in the city and its metropolitan area. Along with the capital, other towns which are worth mentioning are the industrial city of Linares, Úbeda, Andújar, Martos and Alcalá la Real. We can also mention other towns such as Baeza, thanks to its cultural heritage and historical sites; La Carolina, where the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa took place; and Bailén, where the famous Battle of Bailén was fought. As for their natural heritage, the four natural parks which exist in the province have to be highlighted.

The climate, which can be classifi ed as Mediterranean with different subtypes (subtropical, temperate and continental), is totally infl uenced by the Guadalquivir valley which, open to the Atlantic Ocean, infl uences the atmospheric circulation in the province. Thus moist ocean winds circulate around the valley in spring and fall, producing heavy rains (in normal circumstances), especially in the western slope of the Betic mountains. In fact, the large rainfall in the Sierra de Cazorla makes it possible for the major rivers in the peninsula to rise here: the Guadalquivir to the west and the Segura to the east. The mountainous orography is another factor which infl uences the climate.

Jaén is a province that has a high potential regarding its large, rich and varied heritage. Its landscape will surprise the visitors and make them think of the idyllic landscapes of ancient Greece. Some of its most outstanding features are its monumental richness, its environmental quality, the Mediterranean olive grove, as well as its being a land of great inland beauty.

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A brief history of the Diocese of Jaén

In the historical origins of the Diocese of Jaén we can fi nd a legendary tradition and a perfectly datable historical event. According to the legendary tradition, the fi rst preaching of the Gospel in Jaén was carried out by St. Eufrasio, one of the so-called “seven apostolic men” sent by St. Peter to Spain to evangelize the southeast of the peninsula. St. Eufrasio was the fi rst bishop of Iliturgi, and sealed his preaching with martyrdom.

From a strictly historical standpoint, the fi rst incontestable fact of the Christian presence in Jaén is the involvement of Church communities from Jaén in the Council of Elvira (Ilíberis, the old name for Granada), held approximately between 300-309. This council was attended by 36 churches from Hispania, out of which 28 were in the current ecclesiastical province of Granada. Six were embedded in the territory which later became the Diocese of Jaén. Out of the 6 communities, three were governed by a bishop: Mentesa (La Guardia), Tucci (Martos) and Cástulo (near Linares). The remaining 3 were governed only by a priest: Iliturgi (Máquiz, near Mengíbar), Ossigi (near Mancha Real) and Laayoune or Iune (Arjona).

The three bishoprics were maintained throughout the Hispanic-Roman and Visigothic periods, with the exception that in the middle of the VII century Cástulo’s see moved to Biatia (Baeza). Mentesa and Cástulo-Biatia belonged to the Carthaginian ecclesiastical province,

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while Tucci belonged to Andalusia.

During the Visigothic period, monasticism fl ourished in the lands of Jaén. Archaeological and historical data are preserved about the existence of at least two monasteries (Bailén and Valdecanales, near Rus), together with several cave hermitages.

With the arrival of the Arabs in 711, the Christian life in Jaén suffered a setback. The Muslim laws condemned Christianity to a progressive disappearance. The latest historical news on the Christian presence in Jaén under Muslim rule dates back to 862. In that year, Bishop Saro from Biatia examined the “Apology” by Abbot Samson, from Córdoba, and confi rmed its orthodoxy.

Christianity gradually became a minority creed among the population of Jaén, until the arrival of the Almoravids in the mid-twelfth century. The last Christians had to fl ee to the centre of the peninsula, although we do not know it for certain.

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With the victory of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212), the Christian armies stayed present permanently in Andalusia. Parallel to the process of territorial conquest, a sort of restructuring took place in the church, whose fi rst fruit was the restoration of the Diocese of Baeza (1228), after the conquest of the city by Ferdinand III, on 30th November, 1227. In 1246, the monarch himself conquered the city of Jaen, and Innocent IV requested the transfer of the episcopal see to this city in 1249. Thereafter, the Diocese of Jaén, which occupied about 8,000 sq kms., was geographically divided into three archdeaconries: Jaén, which included the vicariates of Jaén and Arjona; Baeza, with the vicariates of Baeza and Andújar; and Úbeda, with the vicariates of Úbeda, Iznatoraf and Santisteban del Puerto. During the Middle Ages, the Diocese of Jaén was a border church, a frontier with the Muslim kingdom of Granada. This explains why half of the religious foundations were of Mercy and Trinitarian orders, devoted to the rescue of captives; and that Bishop St. Pedro Pascual from Jaén died as a captive in Granada in 1300.

The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were of great splendour for the Church of Jaén. During this period, among the bishops who guided it up to fi ve cardinals are counted. The construction of the magnifi cent Cathedral is the best proof of the signifi cance that Jaén bishopric had in this period, and it only underwent a process of decline from the late third of the XVIII century. The Christian life experienced a signifi cant reform with the creation of the University of Baeza, founded by St. John of

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Avila with Paul III’s Bull in 1538 and the opening of new convents and monasteries of the reformed branch of the religious orders. In one of them, the Discalced Carmelite Convent in Úbeda, the physician and mystic poet St. John of the Cross died on December 1, 1591. In the XIX century, the 1851 Concordat established a total restructuring of the diocesan geography. Jaén, which used to belong to Toledo, became dependent on Granada, and in 1893 Bishop González Sánchez approved the new parish distribution. In 1873, the territory of the Diocese increased with the addition of Alcalá La Real Abbey, Martos judicial district belonging to the Order of Calatrava, and the vicarages of Segura de la Sierra and Beas de Segura which belonged to St. Jacques’ Order. With the addition of the vicariate of Cazorla to Jaén in 1954, the Diocese of Jaén occupies the entire territory of the province with the same name.

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HISTORYThe remote origins of Jaén go back to the Chalcolithic period,

particularly the site of Marroquíes Bajos, a macro village. The archaeological remains found in Mount Santa Catalina, Caño Quebrado, and Marroquíes Altos, and the present street of Christ the King link the fi rst settlements to the Argar culture, as early as before the second millennium BC, and in the surroundings there are many cave paintings and even some remains of megalithic architecture.

During the protohistoric period the Cerro de la Plaza de Armas de Puente Tablas can be highlighted. Several remains of broken

Jaén

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edge pottery from the late V and the early IV centuries are worth mentioning. The town was not romanized and remains of medieval and Tartessian cultures can also be found. The archaeological remains also evince the trail of the Iberian presence near Santa Catalina castle.

Located in a strategic passage position, Jaén soon had Greek and Phoenician settlers. The Carthaginian conquest of the Guadalquivir would start in 237 BC and would last until 231. The immediate consequence of this presence was the early exploitation of mineral deposits of Sierra Morena.

With the entrance of the Carthaginians Jaén was the place for Hannibal’s palace, thus becoming a large, rich and strong city, even frightening the Romans.

Around the year 207 BC the city was seized by Scipio and taken away from the Carthaginians. Livy described it as a wealthy city, and Strabo gave it the name of Auringi and Oringe.

It was not really too big a city. It rose around the stream of the Magdalena, the heart of the old city, and not many urban remains are preserved, just some steles and mosaics. Immediately after its conquest by the Romans it was considered as a “mercenary city”, that is to say, under military surveillance and tribute for his support to Carthage.

During the late Republic and the early Roman Empire, the city was romanized until the emperor Vespasian (69-79), or perhaps his son Titus (79-81), gave it the rank of municipality with Latin rights. From then onwards it was known as Flavio Aurgitano city or Aurgi.

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The Visigoths settled permanently in the fi rst third of the sixth century. Jaén remained outside their settlements as a territory in which the population was predominantly Hispano-Roman, with some military garrisons, such as Mentesa, where Germanic population was predominant. Therefore, throughout this century, the Visigothic presence is weak and the rebellions of the Roman aristocracy are frequent. Thus, during this period Aurgi experienced a signifi cant reduction, as shown by archaeology.

The Arabs were in Jaén for fi ve centuries. They considered it a great city. Mosques and forts were erected and palaces built. Abdelazib conquered Jaén in the tenth century and it became the capital of the Moorish kingdom called Dijaryan. The Almoravids incorporated it into their empire in 1091 and the Almohads got hold of it in 1148. With the Arabs Jaén, the Cora of Yayyan, was an excellent land watered by abundant water fl owing as rivers and springs, with large amounts of abundant cereal crops, impressive forests, as well

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as a famous carpet and wooden domestic utensils industry which were exported throughout Al-Andalus and the Maghreb.

The victory of the Christians in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) marked the opening of the Guadalquivir valley to the Christian armies, which after the victory occupied, among others, the city of Baeza. In 1230 the city of Jaén was besieged by the troops of Ferdinand III, the Saint, who could not take the place for the lack of siege machinery.

Thus, with the name of Iahen, which would result in the actual place name, in 1246 the city was reconquered by Ferdinand III, the Saint, king of Castile and León, through a pact of allegiance with the Nazarite King of Arjona, Muhammad I “Alhamar” (born in Arjona and who, during his exile, ordered to build the Alhambra of Granada) in 1246. Two years later it was named a city.

It was in 1248, two years after conquering Jaén, when the name of the city appeared for the fi rst time for this population centre, during the construction of St. Ildefonso Chapel. In 1260 it was already called “The Noble City of Jahén”, appearing in 1313, together with

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Córdoba and Seville, as the only three cities in the valley of the Guadalquivir.

The Nazarites attacked it in 1300, but failed to get hold of the place because of the support given to Jaén by the Knights of Baeza. The castle and the city were fortifi ed and Jaén came to occupy a strategic position due to its proximity to the Moorish kingdom of Granada, which gained it awards and royal privileges.

Thanks to its growing importance in the following years, Jaén resumed the role of head of the provincial kingdom that Baeza had held in the political and religious spheres. Until the conquest of Granada, Jaén played a leading role in the fi ght with the Muslims in the south. In fact, it suffered several assault attempts and two major raids, one in 1300 and another in 1368. The importance of the city was such that King Henry II of Castile awarded Jaén the title of “Very noble and very loyal guard and defender of the kingdoms of Castile,” also allowing it its own Council and Chapter or Bishopric, privileges that were augmented by the arrival in Jaén of King Henry IV’s private, Constable Don Miguel Lucas de Iranzo. The abundance of water led to rich agriculture and farming. The city was one of the 18 that had representation in the Parliament and benefi ts from its royal privileges.

After the conquest of Granada in 1492, Jaén experienced a demographic and economic growth, and in the seventeenth century a powerful guild of artisans who favoured both domestic and foreign trade was created. It played an important role in the cultural, social and military conquest and settlement of Hispanic America.

The seventeenth century started with a deep crisis, the result of bad harvests, epidemics and the policies of the Habsburgs, with continuous levies and taxes. The city gradually lost population

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and impoverished, which meant the deterioration of the oldest neighbourhoods. This crisis continued almost until the twentieth century.

During the Middle Ages, under both Islamic and Christian rule, a large Jewish population lived in Jaén, which led to the existence of a Jewish quarter that had their communal buildings such as synagogues, ritual baths, tavern for Jewish wine, etc. In fact, the Jewish presence is documented as early as the year 612, but it will be from the tenth century, with the birth of the famous Jew courtesan Hasdai ibn Shaprut in the city, when the Jews in Jaén had their most fl ourishing period. Hasdai’s father, Isaac ibn Shaprut, had already founded a synagogue in his hometown and was a patron of local artists.

Under the Spanish domination the Jewry will be very important under the reigns of Fernando III and Alfonso X and experienced various ups and downs ending up with the severe persecution of Jews in 1391 and the creation of the third court of the Spanish Inquisition

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in the kingdom of Jaén in 1483. This court was established in the heart of what was the old Jewish quarter.

With the beginning of the nineteenth century the city was in clear decline. At the beginning of the Independence War (1808-1813) the city was taken and brutally sacked. Jaén joined the Boards of Government system to meet the power gap and the French occupation. After the Battle of Bailén and the subsequent French conquest in 1809, King Joseph I undertook the conquest of Andalusia. On January 23, 1810 the French General Sebastiani seized the city. After its pacifi cation King Joseph I visited it on March 15, 1810. Bloodshed continued and the French established a garrison in the castle, which they brazenly burst out when he left.

During Fernando VII’s reign, the Liberal Triennium, the city will stage the battle between absolutist and liberal troops, led by Rafael Riego. The city was not named provincial capital until 1833, which meant a break in the process of decay. However, this trend did not break until 1860, when Jaén regained momentum and a new growth period began. Under Elizabeth II’s reign, the city remained loyal to the queen against the Carlist supporters. In 1862 Queen Elizabeth toured Andalusia and she visited Jaén. In 1873 it was proclaimed an independent canton.

Agrarian struggles that took place in the early twentieth century and until the end of the Civil War were of particular importance in Jaén, especially

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those featuring the socialist movement in the province that was the most numerous of the time; unlike Anarchism, which had its strongholds of membership in the county of La Loma and Cazorla.

MONUMENTS1. Los Baños Árabes (The

Arab Baths): The largest ones preserved in Europe, built in Abd-Al-Rahman II’s period, under Villardompardo Palace.

2. El Palacio de Villardompardo (Villar-dompardo Palace): Built in the late sixteenth century by the Viceroy of Peru, Don Fernando de Torres, it was considered a historic-artistic monument in 1931 and now houses the Museum of Popular Arts and the Museum of Naive Art.

3. La Catedral (The Cathedral): Dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption (which preserves the Holy Face relic), declared a Historic-Cultural Monument and proposed to be declared a World Heritage Site, Renaissance style in spite

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of Baroque elements in the front and the faÇade. Most of the design is the work of legendary architect Andrés de Vandelvira.

4. El Castillo de Jaén (The Castle of Jaén): An imposing military building that “fl ies” over the city, composed of three areas (Santa Catalina Castle, Alcázar Viejo –Old Palace–, and Abrehuí). The views from the Cross area are magnifi cent. The origins date back to Hannibal, who probably built the fi rst tower and was later fortifi ed and strengthened over the centuries. The Alcázar Viejo, which housed the king’s palace was ordered to be built by Arab Alhamar. La Torre del Homenaje (The Keep), forty feet high, was built by Ferdinand III, The Saint.

5. Las Murallas de Jaén (The Walls of Jaén): A fortifi cation that surrounded the ancient city of Jaén, formed by twelve gates of which some noteworthy remains are still preserved.

6. La Capilla de San Andrés (St. Andrew’s Chapel): Built on an ancient Visigoth Palace, the home of the ancient and noble Brotherhood of Saint Andrew.

7. La Iglesia de San Ildefonso (St. Ildefonso’s Church): It is the largest and outstanding church in the city after the Cathedral. It was built in Gothic style in the fourteenth and fi fteenth centuries and it has three fronts or faÇades in three different styles: Gothic, Renaissance and Neoclassical.

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8. El Convento Real de Santo Domingo (St. Dominic’s Royal Convent): one of the many convents of the sixteenth century, it was a college and it currently houses the Historical Archive.

9. La Iglesia de la Magdalena (St Mary Magdalene’s Church): The oldest church in Jaén. The basis of the present building dates from the eleventh century. The ablution pool of the old mosque is well-kept. In front of it we can fi nd what remains of the ancient stream of the Magdalene, a mysterious cave from which a spring of water sprang in the Middle Ages, which gave rise to the city.

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Linares

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HISTORYLinares is the capital city of the area of Sierra Morena, which

includes part of the mountain range of Sierra Morena, in addition to the Despeñaperros Natural Park. The population of the whole area is 105,640 inhabitants. It has an area of 1,396.7 sq kms. and a population density of 75.6 inhabitants per sq km.

It has a privileged position for being a crossroads and due to its rich agricultural, livestock and mining richness. Until recently it has been a commercial and industrial centre of substantial size. Linares is a city that has managed to perfectly combine the transcendent historical past and its traditions with the rhythms of a modern and active city.

It is now a city characterized by a clear commitment to trade after the disappearance of the entire mining industry with the closure of all mines during the late twentieth century, as well as the decline of the great autochthonous industries. Modern and well connected, it is in the process of changing into a secondary city, a city of services. According to the latest data, Linares itself has a population of 62,347 inhabitants.

The fi rst data which are kept regarding Linares come from pre-conquest times, but for many centuries there was a historical site around this town under the name of Castulo, located a few

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kilometers from the modern village, one the most important archaeological sites in Andalusia. This city was the capital of Oretania in the Iberian period and one of the most important sites of Roman Spain. But Cástulo is a totally different population from Linares. Linares appeared in the Middle Ages under the name of Leñares de Baeza, under whose tutelage it was devoted to supplying the city with wood.

It was in the mid-nineteenth century with the introduction of machinery and foreign investments when Linares improved both qualitatively and quantitatively, as ever in its history. Within decades the population multiplied and got the recognition of city, given by Alfonso XII in 1875. The product “of her womb” began to price in the London Stock Exchange and the city experienced an impressive urban transformation. It became a centre for people coming from everywhere, with the hope of a better life. Diplomatic missions of Britain, France, Germany and Belgium were established here.

In the mid-twentieth century, it was proved that lead is a toxic material for some of its main uses including the manufacture of pipes, and this caused a highly substantial fall in its price in the market and the gradual closure of mines in Linares, the Cross Mine being the last to close in 1991, putting an end to an important stage

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of the city and the necessary conversion of its economy itself.

MONUMENTS1. Iglesia de Santa

María la Mayor (Santa María la Mayor’s Church): Gothic and Renaissance style, it is located opposite the City Hall. Architects Andrés Vandelvira (the transept and the Gospel lateral dome), Andrés de Salamanca (in 1564), Juanes Izpurrio (the chapel), and Eufrasio López de Rojas (St. Peter’s façade) worked in it. The Assumption front comes from La Coronada Convent in Jaén. The altarpiece, one of the major art treasures, is Plateresque and comprises twenty boards from the mid-sixteenth century. It has presided over the main altar from 1953, when it was moved to the church in Linares from the village of Villarrabines in León, replacing the one lost during the Civil War. Of a narrative character, it is divided into four cycles: St. Pelayo (on the fi rst fl oor, the patron saint of Villarrabines), The Virgin’s Life (second fl oor), Jesus’ Life (third fl oor), and pairs of prophets (the bench).

2. Iglesia de San Francisco (St, Francis Church): Outside the old town it is worth visiting St. Francis’ Church, which gives its name to the square where it is located. It was built in the sixteenth century, when the Franciscans established themselves in Linares. Adjoining the church was the convent cloister, which coincides with the central

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courtyard, today’s Post and Telegraph building. The temple was expanded during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the bell tower was added in 1927. Its interior is a rectangular nave, built in the seventeenth century, with lateral chapels, articulated semicircular dome with false arches and lunettes, decorated with scenes from St. Francis’ life. An arch holds the choir. Four oval chapels with vaulted domes on scallops were added in the decade 1720-1730 and then another one was built. The beautiful Andalusian Baroque altarpiece (XVII c.) stands out. The main façade, designed by Eufrasio López de Rojas, is baroque style and opens in a semicircular arch with ornaments fl anked by Doric columns supporting a pediment decorated with triglyphs and metopes; on it, a small niche with a semicircular arch that holds a stone sculpture of St. Francis. The set is completed by arched openings and a forged cross.

3. Santuario de la Virgen de Linarejos (Sanctuary of Our Lady of Linarejos): The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Linarejos, the patron Virgin of Linares, is baroque style built in the mid XVII century and it was fully restored in the early fi fties of the twentieth century. In addition

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to the image of the Virgin, set out in her chamber in the Main Chapel, the most interesting elements of the Sanctuary are the magnifi cent polychrome frescoes decorating the walls, and the vaults and domes of the interior, the work of artists Francisco Carulla and Francisco Baños Martos, who painted them in the fi fties in the last century.

4. Hospital de los Marqueses de Linares (The Marquises of Linares’ Hospital): Although the proposed construction of this building dates from 1905 it was not opened until 1917. The project was assigned to architect Francisco de Paula Casado although architect Arturo de Navascués y Ligués also participated in it. The Marquises of Linares’ Hospital has a Gothic façade and a crypt beneath the chapel where the tomb of the Marquises of Linares, built by Collault Valera, can be found.

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5. Poblado Ibérico de Cástulo (Iberian settlement of Cástulo): An Iberian-Roman town, located 8 km from Linares, on the road to Torreblascopedro taking a 3 km diversion that ends in Cástulo. It was inhabited since the eighth century BC (the town outskirts of La Muela) well into the V c. AD, and destroyed by the Frankish in this century. It kept its 3 metre-long wall with four doors to the cardinal points well into the eighteenth century when, in order to fi ght banditry, instructions were given to destroy it and use the materials in the construction of buildings in nearby cities such as Linares, Baeza and Úbeda.

6. Museo Arqueológico de Linares (Linares Archaeological Museum): Founded in 1956 on Rafael Contreras de la Paz’s initiative by gathering the many remains that were scattered in various private collections of citizens from Linares and, mostly from Cástulo and its surroundings.

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HISTORYLocated in a very dominant place of the historic region of La

Loma and on the right bank of the Guadalquivir river, which runs at a short distance through its high valley, stands the town of Baeza, as old as history itself. The city is based on three small hills and the small valley in between. It is in a fairly high position above the Guadalquivir valley, a favourable location to become an important place of old times.

Baeza

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The fi rst settlers occupied the area in the fi fth and the fi rst half of the fourth millennium BC, and they based their existence on hunting and harvesting. During the fourth millennium BC Neolithic communities lived in small seasonal settlements in the open air. But it was in the mid-third millennium BC when the fi rst human nuclei appeared, dated from the Copper Age.

In the Iberian period, in the seventh century BC, the Cerro del Alcázar is considered an Iberian settlement and in the fourth century BC it is completely consolidated.

During the second and fi rst centuries BC, right in the Roman Empire, Baeza is mentioned in various sources with the name of Vivatia or Biatia. It became an important trade and administrative center, due to its location

occupied the area in the fi fth and the fi rst half of the fourth millennium BC, and they based their existence on hunting and harvesting. During the fourth millennium BC Neolithic

settlements in the open air. But it was in the mid-third millennium BC when the fi rst human nuclei appeared, dated from the Copper Age.

in the seventh century

BC Neolithic communities lived in small seasonal settlements in the open

BC, the is considered an Iberian settlement and in the fourth century BC it is completely consolidated.

fi rst centuries BC, right in the Roman Empire, Baeza is mentioned in various sources with the name of Vivatia or Biatia. It became an important trade and administrative center, due to its location

BC, the is considered an Iberian settlement and in the

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as it is an obligatory way in the trade route Cástulo-Málaga, which consolidates its power in Baeza.

In the V century BC, a Hispano-Roman oligarchy kept its infl uence robust in the region against the barbarian invasions, but from the year 550 the Gothic aristocracy imposed its authority.

The territory of Biatia was occupied in the second decade of the eighth century by the Muslim forces by wiping out the economic

power of the church. Although the social structure did not suffer signifi cant changes, the majority of the population got converted to the Islam. At this time the city was known as Bayyasa. During the eleventh century Bayyasa was subjected by various kings of Taifas (Murcia, Almería, Denia, Granada, Toledo and Seville), until it was conquered in 1091 by the Almoravids and later by the Almohads. Its location between Castile and Andalusia will provide it with great strategic importance throughout the Middle Ages. The Christian Kings seized and lost it on several occasions. Alfonso VII subjected it in 1146 but eventually lost it in 1157.

In 1212, Alfonso VIII occupied it after the famous battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, but it would no be defi nitely conquered until 1227 by Fernando III “the Saint”. At that time it was considered as a

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bridgehead in the conquest of Al Andalus and for this reason the city was provided with privileges, such as the Fuero de Cuenca (Cuenca Code of Laws).

The presence of the Catholic Church was restored and the Episcopal see was established in Baeza in the thirteenth century. Since then the most important religious and monastic orders were present in the city as urban foci.

The conquest of the Kingdom of Granada in 1492 led to a noticeable improvement in the economic and demographic conditions. It was in the sixteenth century when Baeza reached its highest architectural and cultural development with the establishment of the University and other public buildings of interest.

The construction process would continue throughout the seventeenth century, the century in which convents were at their height and the Seminary was founded. But from this century a slow decline began, to which the confi scation of Mendizábal has to be added, which brought the disappearance of convents and the closing of parishes, chapels and foundations.

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During the Bourbon period the Royal Economic Society of True Patricians from Baeza encouraged some improvement attempts, but in 1780 the initial expectations weakened and although the Royal Society continued until 1833, its accomplishments did not survive its early decline.

The economic and political crisis of Carlos IV’s reign put an end to the eighteenth century and continued at the beginning of the nineteenth century began. Baeza suffered heavy human and economic losses in the fi rst quarter of the century due to the fi rst Independence War and the demands, reprisals and contributions of the liberals, fi rst, and the absolutists later.

Economy, primarily agricultural, refl ected an increase in production and crop selection, and the area devoted to olive groves increased considerably. The society in Baeza society saw a

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remarkable change during this century. The Independence War and the confi scations consolidated the power of the agrarian bourgeoisie.

In the early twentieth century political trends started to consolidate the working-class political trends, especially from syndicates and from the socialist party. The economic structures returned to their state in 1931 and the peasantry situation worsened. The crisis of the 70’s largely contributed to the process of demographic decline which began in the 40’s. The city faced the democratic transition in this situation. The Town Council elections in 1979 were won by the UCD (democrat) party. The 80’s marked a turning point in the downward trend, driven by favourable economic conditions.

A major urban development took place throughout the twentieth century; in the economic fi eld the main source of income is still agriculture, mainly olive cultivation. In 1996 it was declared a Historic-Artistic resort. On July 3, 2003 it was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO along with the neighbouring city of Úbeda.

MONUMENTS1. Ayuntamiento (City Hall): Located in Cardinal Benavides

Street, opposite the house where Antonio Machado, the famous

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Spanish poet, lived. The Plateresque building was the former Jail and House of Justice. It consists of two bodies separated by an impost. In the upper fl oor there are four balconies. The Plenary Hall has a formidable Renaissance polychrome coffered ceiling which was moved from St. Antón’s Convent.

2. Catedral de la Natividad de Nuestra Señora (Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady): Built on the old mosque, which in turn was built on a former pagan temple. It is Renaissance style. It was mostly built by architect Andrés de Vandelvira in the sixteenth century.

3. Fuente de los Leones (The Fountain of Lions): An archaeological monument from the Iberian-Roman city of Cástulo, it symbolizes for Baeza the pride of having been chosen as the heir to Cástulo and of having received the functions of capital city and bishopric from the ancient Cástulo, with the representation of a female goddess ancient statue, which could be Himilce, Hannibal’s Iberian princess wife, which still stands today in Baeza in the same way as it had stood in Cástulo several thousand years before.

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4. Instituto o Antigua Universidad (Former college or University): The University operated for more than three centuries until 1824 when it became the College of Humanities. In 1875 it became the regional building of the new High School, where Antonio Machado taught French grammar. The shields of Canon Fernández de Cordoba can be seen on the façade. The number of tassels that adorn the shield like a crest is bigger than it should really be. The more dignity, the bigger the number of tassels.

5. Palacio de Jabalquinto (Jabalquinto Palace): One of the emblems of the city. Plateresque Catholic Monarchs style, adorned with eight plywood inclined shields and cylindrical buttresses that open in Arabian style as a romantic balcony. It has a patio and a spectacular Baroque staircase with pilasters, balusters and scrolls. It was built by Juan Alfonso de Benavides, a relative of King Ferdinand’s.

6. Iglesia de la Santa Cruz (Holy Cross Church): Roman style, an unusual rarity in the middle of Andalucía Alta. The west façade comes from the ruins of St. John’s Church. The basement has three naves with semicircular apse. A Visigoth arch appeared in the epistle side. In the gospel side there is a chapel in what should have been its second door. This church was of the Templar Order.

7. Seminario de San Felipe Neri (San Felipe Neri Seminary): 1660, with a façade of good masonry, a semicircular door, split pediment and cheers.

8. Fuente de Santa María (St Mary’s Fountain): It is located in the centre of the square with the same name, between San Felipe Neri Seminary and the Cathedral. It is a symbolic work of art built by architect Ginés Martínez from Baeza in 1564, who was also in charge of carrying out the project to bring water to the city. It contains a triple Roman triumphal arch, alluding to the historical heritage and high position of the city, and crowned by a large triangular pediment supported by Atlantis.

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9. Iglesia de San Pablo (St. Paul’s Church): Gothic style with a Renaissance façade which replaced the original one. The interior has three naves and its chapels are also Gothic, except one which is Renaissance style. The altarpiece is Baroque. The Adoration Triptych has to be singled out. Pablo de Olavide, the founder of the new populations of Sierra Morena, is buried in this church.

10. La Antigua Carnicería (The Old Butchery): From the sixteenth century. It is a building which was moved stone by stone to the Plaza de los Leones (The Square of Lions) and whose previous location was in the intramural Baeza, only 100 m from the present place.

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HISTORYThe town lies in the geographic centre of the province of Jaén

and is the capital of the county of La Loma, between the rivers Guadalimar and Guadalquivir.

The fi rst settlements in Úbeda go back to the Copper Age, in the present Cerro del Alcázar (the Fortress Hill), and it is considered as “the oldest city in Western Europe”. There also existed an autochthonous Iberian population nucleus.

Under the Roman Empire the town was known as Betula due to its location near the river Guadalquivir, Bethis Loperus. The town as a relatively important entity appeared with the arrival of the Arabs,

Úbeda

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particularly Rahman II, who founded it with the name of Ubbada or Ubbadat Al-Arab (Úbeda of “the Arabs”), with the intention of controlling the Baeza Mozarabic population from here.

From the twelfth century Úbeda was only mentioned in written sources as the scene of military episodes. For ten years the town remained in the hands of the Castilians until the Almohad counteroffensive forced them to withdraw in 1157. Conquered and devastated by Alfonso VIII at the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa –or Battle of Úbeda– it was lost shortly after. Meanwhile, the city was sacked and razed on several occasions.

In 1233, Úbeda was fi nally conquered by Ferdinand III of Castile, thus becoming a royal town with a vicariate. For over two centuries, the town was actively involved in the fi ght against Muslims.

A decisive factor in this period is its important geostrategic position. For nearly three centuries it was a border town, fi rst in an outpost position and then very close to the border between the kingdoms of Granada and Castile. This determined that the city received numerous privileges and concessions from the Castilian kings.

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This combination of factors (its geographic location and the subsequent control of roads, its extensive and rich jurisdiction and the presence of an increasingly powerful nobility) laid the groundwork over the centuries XIV and XV of the splendour of XVI-century Úbeda. After the conquest of Granada, the economic development of the town took place on the basis of agriculture, which underpinned the period of greatest splendour of the town. Peace and economic development resulted in an increase in population (up to 18,000 inhabitants), thus becoming one of the most populous towns all over Spain.

At this time the role of Francisco de los Cobos, Emperor Charles I’s Secretary, is especially noteworthy. With him the taste for art in Úbeda appeared and thanks to architect Andrés de Vandelvira and his followers, Úbeda was fi lled with palaces. His nephew, Juan

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Vázquez de Molina, Charles I’s Secretary of State, and his son, Philip II, continued this endeavour.

The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries meant decadence for the city, immersed in the general crisis of Spain, which sees his former glory disappear. Several factors are eroding and decapitalizing the town, exacerbating social differences and increasing the misery of the majority of its inhabitants. Some dates of the disasters that plagued the city in this period were the 1585 and 1681 pests and the Lisbon earthquake in 1755, which damaged many houses in the town. During the War of Succession, Úbeda extremely impoverished and confl ict increased to unknown limits.

It can be concluded that Úbeda suffered one of the worst periods in its history, which worsened around 1735. Subsequently, with the Spanish Independence War, during which the French remained in the town between 1810 and 1813, hardship came back, and this caused great economic damage and looting. It did not recover until the late nineteenth century, when it began to experience a small revival with technical progress, which arrived in the town very late. Úbeda remained a rural area hardly affected by the industrial revolution. The effects of the

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Carlist wars and successive liberal revolutions that shook the town life were still to come. In the late nineteenth century the land-owning gentry from Úbeda revived the activity in the town thanks to agriculture and industry. During the 20th century, the regeneration rhetoric, whose ambitious idea was to launch Úbeda into a new Renaissance, implemented numerous reform and improvement projects in the town. In recent years this has been extended to education and basic services.

MONUMENTS1. Plaza Vázquez de Molina, Sacra Capilla del Salvador and

Parador (Vázquez de Molina Square, The Saviour’s Sacred Chapel and the Parador): It constitutes the monumental heart of Úbeda. In it we can fi nd the Saviour’s Sacred Chapel, undoubtedly the most representative monument of the town. The market in front of the Sacred Chapel is surely one of the most symbolic places in the city, assuming the role of sacred theatre, which had its proscenium in the temple courtyard and the stage at the lithographic altar of the front. The Royal Collegiate of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares and the Vázquez de Molina Palace, known as El Palacio de las Cadenas (The Chain Palace, now the Town Hall building), both National

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Monuments, and Dean Ortega’s Palace (the present Parador de Turismo –a state hotel–) and the Marquis of Mancera’s Palace, all of them of cultural interest, are also very important buildings. The square also houses the Old Granary, Juan de Medina’s House, The Bishop’s Jail and the Venetian Fountain of Francisco de los Cobos. Opposite the Parador, the ruins of Orozco’s medieval palace have appeared, whose excavation and restoration are pending. All of them make a model of urban planning which was unknown in Spain up to then. To the right of the Saviour’s Sacred Chapel the Saviour’s Low Street leads to a viewpoint from which the Sierras de Cazorla, Mágina and, on clear days, even Sierra Nevada can be seen. In this street we fi nd the

Parador, the ruins of

Palace, all of them of

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Hospital of the Saviour’s Old Honoured, declared a National Monument along with the Saviour’s Chapel.

2. Paseo del Mercado (The Market Promenade): The main square of medieval Úbeda. Redeveloped in the nineteenth century, hence its present appearance, it preserves two notable buildings: St. Paul’s Church from the XIII century, which is one of the oldest late-Gothic-style churches in the city; and the Old Town Hall, currently the Music Conservatory, with its double Italian arch.

3. Convento de San Miguel (St. Michael’s Convent): Going along St. John of the Cross’ street we can fi nd the St. Michael’s Convent, of Discalced Carmelites, and St. John of the Cross’s Oratory, where the mystic came on September 27, 1591 and died on 14 December that same year.

4. Palacio de los Vela de los Cobos (Palace of the Vela de los Cobos): Designed by Andrés de Vandelvira, famous for its corner balcony, an original motif that is repeated in other palaces in Úbeda. Its upper part is occupied by a loggia.

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5. Palacio del Conde de Guadiana (Count of Guadiana’s Palace): It is placed in the Calle Real, mannerist style, with a four-story tower and corner balconies. It is being restored for the opening of the fi rst Five Star Hotel in the province.

6. La Casa de las Torres (The Towers House): A national monument. A medieval palace built by Constable Ruy Lope Dávalos, with a beautiful Plateresque façade fl anked by two towers that give it its name. Inside we can fi nd a Spanish-Renaissance courtyard. It is currently an Art Education Institute.

7. Convento de Santa Clara (St. Claire’s Convent): A national monument, one of the oldest monasteries in Úbeda, inhabited by St Claire’s nuns. It has a Baroque front, with indoor Mudéjar decoration, two cloisters, one Renaissance style and the other in Mudéjar style, and a Gothic church with Baroque decorations.

8. Iglesia de San Pedro (St. Peter’s Church): Romanesque origin but with Renaissance additions, such as the façade.

9. Iglesia de Santo Domingo (St. Dominic’s Church): Plateres-que. The nave is covered by a beautiful Mudéjar coffered ceiling.

10. Hospital de Santiago (St. Jacques’ Hospital): A National Monument, the other symbol of the city together with The Sav-iour. It is Andrés de Vandelvira’s most prominent work and it is currently used as a sort of multi-centre for conferences and exhibi-tions. Flanked by four high towers, the Chapel, with paintings by Pedro de Raxis and Gabriel Rosales; the staircase, the vestry and sacristy, the side yards and the large central courtyard of polished white Carrara marble columns are of particular interest. A garden has been laid out in the backyard.

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HISTORYAlcalá la Real is a municipality in the province of Jaén, located 71

km from the capital of Jaén, and 50 km from the city of Granada. Its population is 22,783 inhabitants. It is head of the county of Sierra Sur and is located in the southwest corner of the province, bordering the provinces of Granada and Córdoba, and an area of 262.9 sq kms.

Located in a strategic area that connects the Guadalquivir valley, across the Guadajoz river with Granada orchard areas, across the rivers Frailes and Velillos. Its strategic position, not only in the territory but in the location of the city itself (on the Cerro de La Mota), makes it important as a means of communication throughout history, which comes to confi rm its importance when this area became a frontier with the Kingdom of Granada during the Middle Ages.

Human occupation can be appreciated in different sites of the municipality from the Palaeolithic and the subsequent prehistoric phases, such as the Neolithic, the Chalcolithic and the Bronze Age. In

Alcalá la Real

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Roman times, the earliest evidence of occupation of Cerro de La Mota can be seen, likely to be identifi ed as the fi rst traces of Alcalá itself.

In 713, with the Muslim conquest, the city was renamed Al-Qal `a, “the fortress”, from which its present name derives. The extensive network of watchtowers which were erected to defend the territory from the ravages of the Normans, whose effects were even felt in this area, can also be dated in the Muslim period, particularly in the reign of al-Hakam II (961-976). Today there are still 12 of the 15 original watchtowers, which established a defensive ring around the main vantage point of La Mota.

It was around the year 1000 when the vantage point of La Mota became a real fortress, becoming one of the most important centres of al-Andalus under the aegis of the Banu Said family. Later, after the dissolution of the Caliphate and its splitting from the Taifa Kingdoms, Al-Qal’a became a stronghold of the Moorish kingdom, from which numerous raids against Jaén and other Castilian borderlands were conducted until it was fi nally conquered on December 20, 1341 (one and a half centuries before the fall of the Moorish kingdom)

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by Alfonso XI of Castile, who awarded it the title of La Real (“The Royal one”), which since then appears in the place name. It is from this moment of its conquest that a key appears in its shield as a symbol of its strategic importance. In 1432 King John II of Castile granted it the title of city.

After the conquest of the Kingdom of Granada, Alcalá la Real lost its strategic value at the time when there was a gradual migration of population from the Cerro de La Mota to the plains at the foot of the hill, in an attempt to

escape the suffocating pressure of the walls and the small size of the hill (about 3 ha) for the growth of the city, to the extent that the City Council itself was moved from La Mota to the current City Hall in the seventeenth century. This abandonment process of La Mota ended after the Independence War and the defeat of Napoleon’s forces, which occupied the fortress of La Mota from 1810 to 1812, leaving it after a fi re. At the end of the Ancient Regime it had 11,521 inhabitants.

MONUMENTS1. Fortaleza de La Mota (Fortress of La Mota): A fortifi ed

triangular place which consists of three towers: La Torre del Homenaje,

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(The Keep), La Torre de la Campana (The Bell Tower, also called Torre de la Vela) and La Torre Mocha (The Broken Tower). The Keep is the biggest one, about 20 m. high, from whose top you can glimpse Sierra Nevada to the south. Both buildings are a visual landmark for the city and the surrounding region. Currently major rehabilitation works are being carried out.

The wall perimeter is one of the largest in Andalusia, dotted with different towers and gates, of which the most impressive are the Prison Tower (Torre de la Cárcel) and the Image Gate (Puerta de la Imagen). Inside, the remains of ancient Alcalá rest in the shadow of the Cathedral and the Alcazaba.

2. Iglesia Mayor Abacial (Major Abbey Church): Its fi rst setting was an early Gothic church remodelled after the fall of Granada in Renaissance style. Its reconstruction began in the second quarter of the sixteenth century according to Martín Bolívar’s plans, and

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his starry-vaulted Gothic structure is coated with Plateresque decoration. In this sector, the funeral chapels are seen as monumental Plateresque façades, like the entrance arches to the Baptistery. The rest of the church is the result of the transformation carried out in the sixteenth century by Ambrosio de Vico, and thereafter, masters Luis González and Fray Cristóbal de San José raised the head like a great triumphal arch divided into three arches at the same height; the sacristy, attached to the temple, was built by Ginés Martínez de Aranda in the seventeenth century. As a testimony of the early church only Dean Cherino’s Chapel and some Gothic head remains found in the excavations are kept.

The interior is divided into three naves with two sections each, with the choir loft at their feet. The Baptismal Chapel is remarkable, with a double Renaissance façade and a coffered dome, which

some authors attribute to James Florentino, a notable architect of Italian origin who worked in the provinces of Granada and Murcia in the early sixteenth century.

From the outside the church is accessed through a front with a round arch decorated with acanthus palmettes in the voussoirs. There are another two mannerist fronts. Also in the outside we can see the buttresses topped by pinnacles

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and the majestic tower crowned by a stone spire, which rises up intentionally over the fortress as a symbol of Christian victory over the old Muslim power.

The loneliness in which the temple was in the late eighteenth century, as the city was consolidated and extended all over the plain for more than two centuries, and the arson provoked by French troops as they fl ed from the city after its occupation in 1810, put an end to its activities and to part of the building.

3. Palacio Abacial (Abbey Palace): The existing one corresponds to the eighteenth century, when the population left the upper part of La Mota defi nitely to move to the plain. It is a neoclassical building. It has an inner cloister, with a courtyard and three galleries open to it. It now houses the Museum of Alcalá la Real and a tourist information offi ce.

4. Iglesia de Consolación (Consolation Church): It is known by the name of St. Mary The Highest and housed the new Abbey Church of the Fortress of La Mota, becoming the main temple of the city, after the desecration and destruction of the former. The tertian friars of the Franciscan order lived here in the early sixth century, but the church building process was long and full of changes, lasting until the late eighteenth century.

5. Iglesia de las Angustias (Church of Sorrows): A building that blends neoclassical and baroque characters, whose construction began in 1746 and was completed in the early nineteenth century. In its implementation two stages can be distinguished: the fi rst one until 1785 when the works on the chapel were fi nished, and a second one in which the nave and the sacristy were built.

Traducción al inglés: Antonio Bueno González