Fondón

FONDÓN

Fondón is remembered for being the place where Boabdil, the last King of Andalucía, hid when he lost his throne to the Christians. He supposedly hid in the Castle of the Fuente Victoria area. It has about 990 inhabitants.

HISTORY

Not much information is known about its history before the War of the Alpujarras (1568-1570). During the Al-Andalus period, the Andarax Taha ended here and the Lúchar Taha began. The settlement of the Llano de Andarax during this period must have been important because in 1568 Fuente Victoria had 100 Moors and four Christians, Fondón with 143 Moors and seven Christians and Benecid with 60 Moors. After the War, the Moors were expelled and the municipal was depopulated. The repopulation began at the end of 1572 with people coming from Valdepeñas de Jaén, in their greatest number, and from Salamanca. Throughout the seventeenth century, the agrarian structure and the type of cultivation of the Moors were maintained.

The urban fabric of the population remained intact at first as in the Moorish era. The accumulation of agrarian and mining incomes later will mean that during the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries this urban fabric will be transformed with new buildings that will configure the current structure.

The exploitation of iron and lead mines in the Sierra de Gádor was important. Its mining activity has been known since ancient times. At the beginning of the nineteenth century there was talk of lead and ammunition factories in its municipal area.

THINGS TO SEE

Fuente de Carlos IV
The fountain was built in 1790, during the reign of Carlos IV. Until that time, the inhabitants of Fondón were supplied with water in two cisterns, from the Muslim era, located on the outskirts of the town, which left much to be desired, in terms of sanitary conditions. For this reason, the Town Hall decided to direct the water from a spring in the Sierra de Gádor to the population center, authorizing its construction by the Royal Council. The project is the work of Francisco Antonio Quintillan y Lois. Located in Plaza Poeta Bernardo Martín del Rey.

Iglesia de San Andrés
As if it were a girl with a pompous skirt, the silhouette of this beautiful sanctuary plays to dress up its bell tower as a wedding dress. With a square plan and four bodies crowned by a Goyesque spire, this monumental tower doubles the height of the temple itself. Built in the middle of the sixteenth century, it is the most representative manifestation of Mudejar art. The main altarpiece of the Virgen de los Dolores was severely damaged during the Civil War. Located on Calle Iglesia.

Ayuntamiento
The former eighteenth century house of the Moral family, the large palace is organized around a central portico courtyard, with a main façade structured in three sections. It is worth noting the staircase, with a prestigious solution, which is accessed through a semi-circular arch and contains a family crest on one of its walls. The house has, in its rear part, an interesting orchard-garden of considerable dimensions, where a pergola, palm trees and pond stand out. It was recently donated by its owner to be used as the Town Hall. Located in Plaza Poeta Bernardo Martín del Rey.

Casa de Fernando Aguilera
An eighteenth century construction, the house presents a simple, transformed façade, with remains of ashlar chains in the corner and a new masonry plinth. The original paving remains on the ground and constitutes a good representation of the bourgeois housing of the time. Located on Calle La Fuente.

Ermita de las Angustias
The Chapel is divided into two spaces and the cover, with a semicircular arch, is framed by pilasters and topped by a simple cornice. The roof is made of red tile, supported by armor from the Mudejar tradition. Both the main chapel and the dressing room have Baroque decoration. Located on Avenida Cristóbal Guerrero.

Pósito
The building dates from 1790, the work of the Granada-born architect Juan Mata Velasco and used as the community grain store. The barn occupied the upper part, leaving two rooms in the lower part for Councils. Its economic resources were guarded with three keys that were kept in the Mayor’s house, according to a meeting agreement of the Council of Fondón on January 31, 1793. Located on Calle Posito.

Almazara
The oil mill consisted of two levels, the upper one dedicated to storing the oil in different metal containers, while in the lower level, the extraction processes take place. The latter holds a small boiler for water heating, the conical stone rollers for grinding and battery of hydraulic metal presses. In the 1940s, when the original ash press beam was replaced by the current hydraulic system, a leather document appeared dating the placement of the beam in 1540, signed by the construction official. This document was lost when decomposed during its manipulation. Located on Calle Almazara.

Ermita de San Marcos
With a rectangular floor plan, the Chapel presents a sober interior, with hardly any decoration, covered with simple coffered ceiling. The exterior is gabled with Arabic tile. Located on Calle San Marcos.

THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
The Church responds to the model of the Mudejar style, with a rectangular nave with a wooden tribune at the foot and a differentiated main chapel, both spaces covered with simple limestone armor. On the side of the epistle of the main chapel there is a chapel with a ribbed vault and a Renaissance portal from the late sixteenth century. Burned during the Moorish rebellion at the end of the sixteenth century, the new construction was built in 1710. Located on Calle Iglesia (Fuente Victoria).

Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles
The Chapel was built in the second half of the seventeenth century at the expense of Don Bernardo Morales de Valdivia. Located west of Fondón, on the A-1180.

COUNTRYSIDE WALKS

Sendero El Púlpito-La Parra (PR-A 373)
The route runs through the foothills of the Sierra de Gádor, between pine forests and Mediterranean forests. The views from the Mirador del Púlpito are highly recommended, and the blooming of orchids in spring. This trail is classified as medium-high difficulty due to the steep slope to the Mirador del Púlpito, but it has no technical difficulty.

Sendero El Chaparral-Acequia del Lugar (PR-A 203)
This trail combines a quick heritage visit to the towns of Fondón and Fuente Victoria. It is classified as medium difficulty, only and exclusively due to the steep ascent during the transit through El Chaparral.

Sendero Fondón Las Acequias del Río (SL-A 181)
This local trail brings us closer to the traditional uses of water and the rich ethnographic heritage of the three population centers of the municipality. The trail has a low difficulty rating and is family friendly, suitable for any time of the year.

GASTRONOMY

The gastronomy of Fondón is varied and innovative, with dishes such as ajo blanco (garlic and almond soup), sopa de calabaza y leche (pumpkin and milk soup), ensalada de alcaparras (caper salad), bacalao ‘asao’ con tomates y huevo (roasted cod with tomato and egg), alcachofas fritas (fried artichokes), flan de berenjenas (aubergine egg custard), pastel de calabacín (courgette cake), ajopollo, guisillo (fennel stew) and cerdo con naranja y frutos secos (pork with orange and dried fruit). Sweet treats include arroz con leche (rice pudding), buñuelos de viento (choux buns) and turrón de almendra (almond nougat).

FESTIVALS

Popular festivals in Fondón are Fiesta de San Sebastián, Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias, San Isidro and Semana Santa. More>

NEARBY PLACES

The neighbouring villages to Fondón are Láujar de Andarax, Beires and Alcolea.

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