Jaen

SPAIN DIRECT TRAVEL SERVICES S.A.

Jaen

Jaén is probably best known for its abundance of olive trees which dominate the landscape and punctuate the horizon, interspersed by stark white-washed farms and houses against a deep orange backdrop; the colour of the soil. This province is the world's leading producer of olives and olive oil. Little wonder that it is also the venue for the world's largest trade fair devoted to this quintessentially Mediterranean crop which takes place in Jaen city during the first week of October.

The landscape of Jaen province is expansive, unspoilt and very beautiful. The small towns boast numerous magnificent Renaissance buildings - exuberant palaces, richly endowed churches and stately public squares. Some of the towns and villages worth visiting here include Baeza and Ubeda.

The Despenaperros Pass, a picturesque area where bandits hid and which inspired many romantic paintings, forms the natural boundry between the Castillian and Andalusian plains. Here we begin to hear the musical Andalusian accent.

Jaen In the middle of this sweet olive-scented area we find its capital, Jaen, famous for its mines which date back to the Roman and Carthinian periods.

It is guarded by the theatrical Castillo de Santa Catalina, an Arab fortress rebuilt by Christian conquerer, Ferdinand III. Spains major olive-producing town sits on an undulating plain covered with olive trees at the foot of the Santa Catalina hill, surrounded by the mountainous landscapes of the Sierra de Jabalcuz.

The town was known to the Moors as Geen, and it has praises sung by reknown poets such as Antonio Machado and Miguel Hernandez. Jaén posseses a rich artistic and cultural heritage, as witnessed by the vestiges of its Moorish castle and its numerous Renaissance buildings. To soak up the atmosphere of Jaén it is best to stroll through its varied districts such as La Magdelena, with its golden stone churches and Moorish atmosphere; San Juan, lively at night with its plentiful tapas bars; and Santa Maria, home to the towns most impressive buildings. Jaén is full of contrasts, with old monuments standing alongside elegant Renaissance palaces (Palacio de los Vilches, Palacio de los Velez and Palacio de los Uribes), where the old town sits proudly next to the new, and where its modern shopping streets converge on an attractive park.

One particular monument to visit is the Cathedral, one of the most famous examples of Spanish Renaissance art. It was built in the XVI century and work continued throughout the XVII especially on the facade which, thanks to reliefs and sculpures by Baroque artisits, takes on the shape of an immense golden altarpiece. The Cathedral possesses great artistic riches, especially the choir stalls, the most valuable is the Santa Faz which according to tradition was the cloth used by Veronica to wipe Christs face, leaving His image on the cloth. The Santa Faz is shown every year during Easter and is certainly an event which adds colour to Jaén.

Jaén has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Era. Following the Roman conquest under Publius Cornelius Scipio in 207 BC it received the name of Aurigi until, according to legend, it was evangelised by Euphrasius, one of the 70 male apostles. In 712 the town was occupied by the Moors and then reconquered in 1246 by Fernando III the Saint who turned Jaén into a settlement of strategic importance in his struggle to liberate Andalucía from Moorish control. The seat of the bishopric was transfered here at about the same time, resulting in numerous privileges for the town which were to enhance its economic situation.

Ubeda and Baeza, only a few kilometres apart, are two important towns for Spanish Renaissance art and the opening of one of the most beautiful ecological and natural areas in Spain, the Sierra de Cazorla.

Ubeda The most densly populated of the two, features a unique monumental complex: the Iglesia San Salvador stand in the square, one of the principal Renaissance works by Vandelvira. Apart from its monumental facade, the sacristy houses a collection of Flemish trip-tychs.

The XIII century Iglesia de Santa Maria de los Reales Alcazares was re-built in different styles. Next to it the National Parador was set up in a XVI century palace. Of the same period, there is the Casa de las Cadenas, the Iglesia de San Pablo, The Capilla de Camarero Vago, San Nicholas, La Casa de los Manueles, la Casa de los Torres, the Palacio de los Lobos, not to mention the walls, towers and doorways that make Ubeda a place not to be missed during your Andalucian tour.

baeza Just as rich in monuments as Ubeda but perhaps generally speaking more appealing, Baeza lies within a smaller, more characteristic area. The Roman Baeita, which became the Visigothic capital of the Taifa kingdom, reached its peak in the XVI century and like its twin town Ubeda, it is an essential landmark of Renaissance art. One is overcome by the details of palace, churches, convents, arches, fountains and walls. It is worth spending some time in front of the cathedral, the town hall, the old university or the prison. But most of all the complete harmony of this town will always be remembered; as Antonio Machado, the poet who taught there, once said "Baeza, I will dream of you when I can no longer see you"

Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas This is Spains largest nature park, with a total surface of 214,000 hectares. Located in eastern Jaén province, it connects the Sierra Morena and the Subbetica mountain ranges and overlooks the Guadalquivir River basin. The parks main attraction is its abundant wildlife, including wild goat, moufflon, fallow deer, red deer, wild boar, rabbit and hare. There are preditory animals such as the fox, genet, stone marten, wild cat, badger, polecat, weasel, and otter. More than 100 species of birds make their nests in the park, such as the griffon vulture, the short-toed eagle, the booted eagle amd the golden eagle. Nocturnal preditors include the barn owl, tawny owl and eagle owl. The vast forests of this nature park are home to the Laricot pine, bordeaux pine, scarlet oak, wild olive and juniper.


	Just south west of the town lies the Sierra de Cazorla where you can go on horse treks, mountain bike expeditions, four wheel drive tours, canoeing, environmental study activities and more...
The Parador de Cazorla is situated at the heart of the park and if you visit during April you can take part in one of Andalucías largest Romerias to the shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza.