JÓDAR
by Saskia Mier
Jódar sits along the Ruta de los Castillos, a network of towns based around important castles. Its historic centre, particularly the castle and church, is a protected site full of important monuments which speak to a rich and varied history dating back more than 5,000 years. The town has about 11,600 inhabitants.
HISTORY
Jódar and its surroundings have been populated in some form since at least the third millennium BC; the site of Las Quebradas, dating from the Chalcolithic period, evidences prehistoric settlement, whilst Mycenaean remains attest to human presence during the Iberian era. More>
THINGS TO SEE
Plaza de España
The main square retains beautiful historic buildings including 1, Calle Juan de Mata Carriazo and 6, Calle San Fernando, which dates from 1875 and features heraldic shields and eaves decorated with dragons and fish. However, it is the elegant facade of the Town Hall which dominates the square. Built in the typical regional style of the 1920s, it has Solomonic columns and a beautiful arcade gallery. In the gardens of the square there are four magnificent bronze busts made in 1970 and depicting Unamuno, Ortega y Gasset, Ramón y Cajal and Marañón, made by the prestigious Sevillian sculptor Juan Abascal.
Castillo de Jódar
The city of Jódar was once a fully walled enclosure. Of the original structure, the Gothic Puerta del Aire, Torre Albarrana and castle are the best-preserved remains. The castle was built in 889 by Jayr B. Sakir, who supported the muladí rebellion of Ibn Hafsun. It later belonged to the Señorío de Sancho Martínez de Xodar, and was the headquarters of the Greater Advancement of the Frontier, given its good strategic position facing the Kingdom of Granada. From 1485, the castle became the seat of the Mayorazgo de Jódar, created by the Catholic Monarchs, belonging to the Carvajal family until the abolition of the manors in the nineteenth century. In 1520, during the War of the Communities, the castle was significantly damaged and had to be rebuilt with stones brought from the Villa de Xandulilla. In 1619, Felipe III created the Marquesado de Jódar, with the castle as the residence of the Marquises until 1670. The castle had a chapel dedicated to the Inmaculada Concepción, and extensive stables. In the eighteenth century the castle was restored as a jail and granary. During the French occupation, it was used as military barracks. The castle’s last practical function was as a hospital for treating cholera at the end of the eighteenth-century, before it became a quarry for obtaining stone for other building works. Its restoration as a public space began in 1985, when it was refashioned as an auditorium, garden and viewpoint. Located on Calle Alhorí.
Centro de Visitantes del Parque Natural de Sierra Mágina
This former granary now houses the visitor centre for the Sierra Mágina Natural Park. The reception and interpretation centre can be found in the South Tower, whose terrace is one of the best viewpoints in the province. In the North Tower, a reintroduction project of the Lesser Kestrel was carried out, conducted by the Ecologist Association “Guardabosques de Jódar”, in collaboration with the Junta de Andalucía’s Environment Ministry. Located on Calle Alhorí.
Iglesia de la Asunción
A mosque formerly sat on this site, documented by the Arab geographer Al-Himyari. The earliest mention of the current church dates to 1547, constructed using stone from the Bedmar quarry. In 1569, Maestro Domingo de Uriarte worked on the church and from 1582 to 1589 the work was under the charge of Juan Vizcaino. By 1591, brothers Gaspar and Francisco de Aranda had assumed the role of lead stonemasons, building the central nave with its six side chapels with coffered vaults in a purist Renaissance style. The Baroque tower was added in 1613, according to designs by Juan de Aranda Salazar, and features carved shields corresponding to the bishops Sancho Dávila, Cardenal Moscoso and Fernando Andrade. The current transept and domed Rococo roof were built in the late-eighteenth century by Pedro Fernández, Manuel and Juan Armenteros. From 1989 to 1992, the temple underwent extensive restorations, with numerous decorative elements being added including altarpieces in Macael marble, the magnificent grille and chairs of the Chapel of San José and new lighting. The Church preserves interesting revered artworks from the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, especially the Processional Monstrance from 1669, gold and silverwork and pieces of embroidery. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. Located on Calle Juan Martín.
Iglesia-Santuario del Santísimo Cristo de la Misericordia
This church originally served as the sixteenth-century Capilla del Hospital de la Santa Misericordia founded by the nuns of the Orden Tercera Franciscana. In 1700, the construction of the current building began on a half-built convent ceded by the Marquis, and the chapel was blessed a decade later. Over the years, the building acquired more decorative elements, like the magnificent Baroque-style plaster dome ceiling added in 1759. Between the late-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, various restorative works were conducted on the church, including the addition of the current Camarín. It has a Neo-Renaissance style altarpiece by Bravo Nogales (1956) and a marble baptismal font from 1616, as well as a nineteenth-century stained-glass window. The Imagen del Cristo is attributed to the Valencian imagers Rausell and Llorens (1944). A few years ago, the temple underwent a deep restoration that valued its history and heritage, incorporating new artistic pieces such as Nuestra Señora del Rosario y Aurora from the seventeenth century. Next to this church stands the magnificent Centro Parroquial, built with contributions from the entire city between 1985 and 2005. Located on Calle Santo Cristo.
Museo de Jódar
Founded in 1997, this museum of local history was established by the “Saudar” Cultural Association and the Town Hall, but its exhibits are the result of collaborative efforts by residents, who have donated the artefacts. The museum has several rooms: the “Narciso Mesa Fernández” Cultural Hall for conferences and temporary exhibitions, which houses the permanent exhibition “Jódar through time” featuring photographs from the mid-nineteenth century; the Galdurienses Themes and Authors Library; the “José María Balboa Ruiz” Hall of Popular Arts and Customs, which exhibits tools and belongings from daily life; and the Esparto Crafts, Trades and Olive Room. The museum offers guides written by the Association and admission is free. Located on Calle Juan de Mato Carriazo.
Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Fátima
>A new neighbourhood was created in Jódar in 1960 at the initiative of the parish priest, Don Antonio Cuadros. Many residents moved from nearby cave houses to occupy this community, and the diocese commissioned a new chapel to serve them, funded by donations from local residents. Located on Calle Jaén.
THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE THE TOWN
Atalaya de los Pinares
Despite being in a state of ruin, this tower still dominates the skyline of the Los Pinares hill. It was once part of a wide network of watchtowers that guarded the Camino Real to Granada, the Jandulilla River valley and the human settlements of Los Pinares. According to historian Castillo Armenteros, these towers and surrounding farmhouses played an important part in the Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsula, until the Mudejar population undertook a mass exodus following the Christian reconquest of the thirteenth century. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.
Cementerio Municipal de San Sebastián y Ermita
The Municipal Cemetery is considered one of the best in the province and is registered as an Asset of Cultural Interest. Built in 1893 by Justino Florez, it preserves interesting pantheons of Italian sculptors from the late nineteenth century. Nestled in its gardens is the Ermita de San Sebastián, which has an elegant belfry and houses a magnificent Dolorosa by Martínez Cerrillo from Córdoba, as well as other images. Located 2.5km from the town.
NATURAL AREAS
Sierra Mágina Natural Park
The rugged Sierra Mágina Natural Park covers 19,900ha of rocky, steep limestone terrain, with precipitous cliffs and high summits that are often snow-capped in winter. Evocatively named by the Moors as the mountain of the spirits, the Sierra has a fascinating history glimpsed in its prehistoric cave paintings and defensive architecture built by warring Christians and Muslims. In the tenth century it harboured Moorish rebel leaders and, much later, bandits. Its remote corners also provided a refuge for bears, wolves and the Pardel Lynx.
Parque Periurbano de Trascastillo
The park is situated next to the castle and easily accessed. It has excellent viewpoints, gardens and a hiking trail. It houses the “Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente” Natural Classroom and the headquarters of the Asociación Ecologista Guardabosques, which has an active programme of environmental activities, projects and conferences dedicated to nature conservation.
Paraje Fuente Garciez
This recreational area is situated next to the Ermita de San Isidro Labrador, with a pine forest, laundry area, fountain, picnic areas and barbeques. Located two kilometers north of the town.
Paraje Pilar de la Dehesa
At the foot of the Sierra de Miramontes is this naturally occurring fountain, much visited by the inhabitants of Jódar. Originally used as a drinking trough and public laundry, the pool now provides a beautiful natural spot with paths ascending to the mountains, offering unique views of the city and the Guadalquivir Valley. Located south of the town.
BUS SERVICE
There is a bus service from Jódar to Jaén. More>
GASTRONOMY
Visitors to Jódar can try traditional dishes such as pipirrana (tomato and tuna salad), papas con migilla (fried breadcrumbs with potato) and morrococo (chickpea stew). Sweet treats include roscos fritos (doughnuts), empanadas (sweet pasties) and piñonate (caramel bars).
FESTIVALS
Popular festivals in Jódar are Lumbres de San Antón, La Candelaría, Fiesta de la Cruz de Mayo, Fiestas de Primavera, Real Feria and Fiestas Patronales. More>
WEATHER FOARECAST
The weather forecast for the next few days for Jódar. More>
TOURIST OFFICE
The tourist office of Jódar is located in the Town Hall. More>
NEARBY PLACES
The neighbouring villages to Jódar are Bedmar y Garcíez and Úbeda.