Pegalajar

PEGALAJAR

by Saskia Mier

Pegalajar is best known for two of its distinctive natural features; its orchard, and the reservoir known as La Charca, which has collected the waters of the Fuente de la Reja spring since the Middle Ages. Those who enjoy rural tourism and hiking will especially appreciate the town, with a population of 2,800, and its surroundings.

HISTORY

The oldest evidenced occupation of the municipal area dates back to somewhere between 2000 and 2500 BC, and can be traced in the Cueva de Aro. Further prehistoric references can be found on the hill of the Torre de la Cabeza, where remains from the Copper, Bronze, Iberian, Roman and Medieval periods have been unearthed. The first written reference to a population in Pegalajar is found in the tenth-century work of oriental geographer Al Muqadasi. The name Pegalajar is thought to have evolved from “Peña de la Vega”, referring to the orchards that stretch away from the town. More>

THINGS TO SEE

Castillo de Peñuelas
The castle of Las Peñuelas was the primitive nucleus of the original agricultural population which cultivated the lands irrigated by the Fuente de la Reja and the Guadalbullón River. It appears in the Christian chronicles as a Muslim fortress attacked several times by Fernando III during his forays through the Kingdom of Granada, until its final conquest in the winter of 1244 as part of the military capture of Jaén. By the mid-nineteenth century, whilst under the ownership of Pedro del Prado, the inner enclosure of the castle was in a dilapidated state. The building later became municipal property. Located on Calle Peñuelas.

Iglesia de la Santa Cruz
>A church has stood on this site since the Christian reconquest of the town in 1244, but the current structure was erected between 1580 and 1620 according to a design by architect Alonso de Barba and his nephew Luis. The Church has dense walls forming a simple rectangular plan with a single nave, which is divided into four compartments separated by strong abutments housing niche chapels. The altarpiece is a highlight, although only part of the original eighteenth-century design remains, following fire damage inflicted during the Civil War. Located on Calle Trascastillo.

Arco de la Encarnación
The archway once served as the main entrance to the walled enclosures of Pegalajar castle. The pointed arch is surrounded by local heraldry, displaying the coats of arms of Fernando III and the Sandoval family, a commemorative tablet in Gothic lettering, and the coat of arms of the city of Jaén. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1985. Located on Calle Villa.

Plaza de Toros
The current stone bullring was built by private initiative in 1919 following the collapse of the previous portable, wooden one. It reflects an important aspect of the pegalajeño cultural tradition. In 1995, a proposal was made for it to be included within the assets of cultural interest. Located on Calle Plaza de Toros.

Antiguo Lavadero
Built in 1949, the municipal laundry area consists of two joined buildings: the former guard’s house and the laundry itself. It is still served by water that runs through one of the main channels from La Charca. The water collects in a pool in the building, surrounded by washing stones that were once used by local women to clean clothing or the canvases from the olive harvest. Located on Calle Eras.

La Fuente de la Reja, la Charca y la Huerta
The municipality of Pegalajar owes its existence to the Fuente de la Reja spring, and the two maintain an intimate relationship today. The medieval agricultural population of the town tended the plain that was irrigated and nourished by the spring. These efforts were helped by the construction of a vast network of terraced gardens, all served by the waters, which maximized land usage and gave rise to the fertile network of orchards which characterises the town. However, by the early-twentieth century, the dammed waters of the Fuente de la Reja were forming nothing more useful than an artificial lagoon. In 1903, the reservoir was renamed La Charca, but the project of reforming the waterway only began in earnest in 1944 following an injection of funds from various ministerial and council bodies. The terraced orchard of La Huerta is so significant to the town that southern expansion of the urban area has been limited to avoid interfering with the plants, but the town has grown in other directions, such that La Charca, which once stood on the outskirts, became the centre of local life in the 1960s, with musical events, boat rides, canoeing and swimming all taking place. However, since 1988, the water source has dried up significantly, causing economic loss to the town as the irrigation of La Huerta becomes more challenging.

THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE THE TOWN

Torre de la Cabeza
This cylindrical stone tower sits on a pronounced slope. Built by Constable Miguel Lucas de Iranzo between 1462 and 1470 on the ruins of a previous tower, it served as a surveillance and communication point. It was part of a sequence of towers arranged from North to South to monitor the valleys - the closest were the Pedregosa watchtower, located in the Serrezuela de Pegalajar, and the Torre de la Estrella, which was located at the top of the Sierra de los Bodegones. Both have since been demolished. Located next to the former Bailén-Motril highway, near La Cerradura, between Km 353 and 354.

Hotels in Pegalajar

NATURAL AREAS

Cuevas de Pegalajar
The Cueva de los Majuelos and Cueva de Aro caves are situated to the north of the town, next to the JV-3241 road that connects Pegalajar with Mancha Real, just 500m from the Fuente de la Reja spring. Both privately owned caves are just over 200m apart. The Cueva de los Majuelos has been repurposed as a restaurant. Cueva de Aro was discovered, artificially excavated and opened for visitors by its owner Antonio Ruiz Ortega (whose initials give the cave its name) in the 1970s. 100m in length, the cave is divided into small chambers containing a  profusion of stalactites and stalagmites.

BUS SERVICE

There is a bus service from Pegalajar to Jaén. More>

GASTRONOMY

Visitors to Pegalajar can try traditional dishes such as pipirrana (tomato salad), cachoreñas (garlic, red pepper and chorizo soup), torta de tomate (sundried tomato tort) and ensalada de calabaza (pumpkin salad). Sweet treats include papajotes (brioche dumplings), roscos (doughnuts) and almendrados (almond biscuits).

FESTIVALS

Popular festivals in Pegalajar are Fiesta de la Virgen de Encarnación, Fiesta de la Virgen de Gracia, Fiesta de San Gregorio Nacianceno and Fiestas de la Virgen de las Nieves.

WEATHER FOARECAST

The weather forecast for the next few days for Pegalajar. More>

TOURIST OFFICE

The tourist office of Pegalajar is located in the Town Hall. More>

NEARBY PLACES

 

The neighbouring villages to Pegalajar are La Guardia de Jaén, Mancha Real and Cambil.