The Mozarabic Way in Jaén

The Mozarto Road includes the set of routes followed by pilgrims from the South of the Peninsula in the Middle Ages, most of them belonging to the former Muslim territory of Al-Andalus, to travel to Santiago de Compostela. Several Andalusian Jacobea associations have recovered and valued these itineraries in order to offer the opportunity to explore and know the same paths that have been walked for centuries by pilgrims, traders and travellers.

In the case of the province of Jaén, the Mozarto Road offers a journey of incalculable historical value, knowing some of the most significant monumental sites in the province and enjoying some of its most spectacular landscapes. In particular the province of Giennense offers two variantsas defined by the Jacobea Association of Jaén. The first one starting at the Cathedral of Jaén and passing through Torredelcampo, Jamilena, Martos and Alcaudete. And the second, used by the pilgrims coming from Granada, through Alcalá la Real, Castillo de Locubín and Alcaudete.

First route, from the Cathedral of Jaén

The pilgrims who start the Way in Jaén will begin the adventure in one of the main jewels of the Spanish Renaissance, the Cathedral of Our Lady De la Asunción, masterpiece by the architect Andrés de Vandelvira, Good of Cultural Interest and source of inspiration for the construction of later cathedrals in Latin America. From there they will continue to Torredelcampo, located 11 kilometres from the capital and one of the main areas of olive cultivation in the province, where monumental spaces such as the Church of San Bartolomé, the Castle of the Berrueco, the Hermitage of Santa Ana or the Forgotten Tower, among others, stand out. The route continues to Jamilena, a small town located between La Campiña and Los Montes in which the Church of Ntra Sra. de la Natividad of the 16th century stands out.

The road continues through Martos, a municipality declared a Historical Set where monumental spaces such as the Old Cárcel and Cabildo, Castles de la Peña and the Villa, the Medieval Bridge, or the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity, among others, stand out. There the most devoted will have the opportunity to venerate Saint Amador, Saint Mozarah and the patron of the town. The road then leads to Alcaudete, located at the foot of the Sierra Achillos, on the south and west end of the province, with a characteristic urban town of medieval origin that descends in the form of a ring on the hill side on which it is located. From there the road enters the province of Córdoba to continue the journey.

On this journey the visitor will connect with the Via Verde del Oil, a route that takes advantage of the old railway route for the practice of hiking and cycling in direct contact with nature.

Second route, from the Fortress of the Mota

The second route of the Mozário de Jaén Road leaves Granada and enters the province through Alcalá la Real. There travelers can enjoy one of the most imposing fortresses in the province, the Fortress of the Mota. This monumental set, declared Good of Cultural Interest, was one of the most complex defensive systems of Al-Ándalus and one of the strategic enclaves for Christian reconquest.

The journey continues through Ventes del Carrizal, a small village in the municipality of Castillo de Locubínlocated at the foot of the Sierra de San Pedro, surrounded by various Moorish defensive towers and three kilometres from the Iberian and Roman site of Encina Hermosa. And it reaches Alcaudete, the final point of both routes before entering the province of Córdoba. You know the details of the route here.

Both itineraries allow the traveller to know the historical value of the Jiennese region in the Middle Ages, when it was land of borders and fortresses that played a key role in the battles between Christian and Muslim kingdoms; but also a land of encounter, coexistence and exchangein which trade, as well as crafts, architecture, crafts, cultivation, gastronomy or parties were impregnated by this great wealth and cultural diversity. Thus, several municipalities through which the two tracks of the Mozarto Road in the province are also part of the Route of Castles and Battle of Jaén, a tourist and cultural proposal that runs through magnificent castles located in strategic places and of extraordinary beauty.

Jaén is the territory with the highest concentration of castles and fortresses in Europe and where two of the most significant battles in the history of Spain were developed. Through the Mozarto Road you can know some of them, such as the Fortress of the Mota in Alcalá la Real, the Castle of Alcaudete, the Castles of the Villa and the Peña in Martos or the Castle of the Berrueco in Torredelcampo.