Higuera de Calatrava
by Saskia Mier
Higuera de Calatrava is a small but beautiful municipality nestled between mountains and olive groves, which provide the main sustenance of its economy. It has about 615 inhabitants.
HISTORY
Different utensils from the Neolithic era have been found locally that testify to early human presence in these lands. The discovery of pieces of Iberian, Roman and Arab caliphal pottery in the farmhouses of Fuente Palacios and La Hondonera is also documented. From a later period are the remains of the town of La Atalaya (from between the Final Copper and Ancient Bronze eras) where there are remains of fortifications.More>
THINGS TO SEE
Torre del Homenaje
Of the old defensive system that existed in Higuera de Calatrava, only the keep remains today, which dates from somewhere between the late thirteenth century and early fourteenth centuries. At the end of the nineteenth century, Pascual Madoz described it as a tower with a square plan and inhabitable spaces on the first and second floors. When the town was burned and looted on September 29, 1471, its only survivors were those who took refuge in the fortress, which still stood in 1524 and even had a warden. It is a regular masonry tower with ashlar corners, to which domestic dwellings have been attached. It was part of a Castle that was a small defensive fort with its own well or spring, fulfilling important military functions throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Located on Calle Torre. (Location)
Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción
Also known as Iglesia de la Purísima Concepción, the church is a Gothic-Renaissance temple built throughout the sixteenth century and later renovated. On its site stood the medieval Iglesia de Santa María, the remains of which are still evident on the south wall and main façade. Since the beginning of the sixteenth century, following the Catholic reconquest,there was a demographic increase that necessitated the expansion of the temple. The works beganin the second halfof the sixteenth century, but only the head of the temple, main altar and side chapels were built according to the project. From this phase, the twisted or helical columns strongly linked with the Levantine Gothic, and especially with the case of the archpriest Iglesia de Santiago Apóstol de Villena (Alicante), stand out. The second phase of the work, which began in 1590, was signed by Benito del Castillo. A confirmation of the floor plan with large Tuscan columns with high entablatures finished in cornices up to the height of the pointed arches of the chevet. Above them, the semicircular arches that support the wooden frame rise and divide the three naves longitudinally. In 1600, with the erection of the main facade and belfry, the works were considered finished. Throughout the twentieth century, it underwent two important interventions, the first by the architect of the Bishopric of Jaén Don Justino Flórezduring the early years of the twentieth century. From 1942, the General Directorate of Devastated Regions intervened, according to the project of Ramón Pajares Pardo, rehabilitating the church and renovating the oculus and belfry, remainingpartially faithful to the previous appearance. Located in Plaza de España. (Location)
Casa del Párroco
Casa del Párroco is representative of the popular Baroque architecture of the seventeenth century. It is a peculiar structure of recesses and projections, creating at the same time optical and perspectival illusions due to its broken shapes and angularity. The asymmetrical order and the variety of its openings are striking, ranging from the lintel door and the rectangular windows and balcony, to the scarce windows of the left, passing through the intermediate circular window. Located on Calle Huerta. (Location)
NATURAL AREAS
Fuente Palacios
This natural enclave, also called “San Isidro”, has beautiful views and a recreation area next to the chapel.
GASTRONOMY
Higuera de Calatrava has a traditional cuisine immersed in the country lifestyle of the locals, and its dishes cover a wide gastronomic range that is closely related to local agriculture. Dishes to try includepuchero(chickpea stew), migas (fried breadcrumbs served with pork) and gazpacho (cold tomato soup). Sweet treats to try are mantas debizcocho (custard roly poly) and Señor (prune, raisin and quince compote).
FESTIVALS
Popular festivals in Higuera de Calatrava are San Sebastián, Semana Santa, Romería de San Isidro, Feria Medieval and Feria y Fiestas Santos Patronos.More>
NEARBY PLACES
The neighbouring villages to Higuera de Calatrava arePorcuna, Santiago de Calatrava and Martos.