History of Villatorres
by Saskia Mier
The municipality of Villatorres was born by a Decree in 1975 between the municipalities of Villargordo and Torrequebradilla, which were joined by the nucleus of Vados de Torralba. Archaeological finds unearthed in Villatorres testify to human presence in the area since Neolithic times (3000 BC). Remains of an Iberian-Roman enclosure were found on the hill of La Pedriza, and from the necropolis located in the Cortijo de la Chicacame a funeral urn, indicating the high social status of the person buried there. Today, this can be seen in the Provincial Archaeological Museum.
During the Second Punic War, these lands formed the frontier in battles between the Carthaginians and the Romans. Some researchers identify the nucleus of Torrequebradilla with the one named by Plinio and Ptolemy as Oringis-Havia. During the Roman era, small agricultural holdings proliferated, as evidenced by the many archaeological remains in thearea.
During the Islamic occupation, the population remained dispersed in farmhouses, and in times of danger it would seek refuge in a fortified place, possibly Cerro de la Pedriza. Some researchers suggest that the Castillo de Esnader could be in Torrequebradilla, for whose conquest Fernando III “El Santo” departed from Quesada in 1219. The castle was strongly protected so it was not conquered until 1230. From this moment, the population passed to be part of the Order of Calatrava.
Torrequebradilla received the title of loyalty and various privileges granted by Alfonso XI in 1340, for having attended the Battle of Salado. It remained on the side of the Catholic Monarchs in the conquest of Baeza, for which the town received new grants, including the Charter of Puebla Nueva, for which it ceased to belong to the Order of Calatrava, receiving the same jurisdiction as Jaén. In the seventeenth century, it became part of the Lordship of Don Íñigo Fernández de Córdoba y Mendoza.
As for Villargordo, after the Christian conquest it appears as a royal nucleus, dependent on Jaén, with its own Council. Later,Villardompardo was annexed by the mercy that Enrique IV made in the year 1457 in favour of the Constable of Castile, Miguel Lucas de Iranzo, on the occasion of his wedding to the heir of Villardompardo, Doña Teresa Torres. During the Modern Age, Villargordo had a booming livestock industry, due to high volumes of cattle and extensive pasture lands.