Montizón

Nature

Montizón is the first town in Jaén, from the natural passage between Andalusia and Castilla La Mancha that through Sierra Morena links with Villamanrique (Ciudad Real).

It is a particularly agricultural municipal term, where the agricultural and mountain lands are distributed, in the latter the land of forest use dominates.

The farmland is located south of the term and is distributed between cereals and olive trees. The olive culture is very rooted in these villages, in all directions we see olive trees, being the most characteristic landscape of the area. The olive tree is the main source of wealth, from which most families get their income.

The main economic activity is the agriculture contribution forest, major and minor hunting.
Within the municipal term is the Dañador reservoir, belonging to the hydrographic confederation of Guadalquivir and which is a natural reserve of great wealth.

The flora It is made up of: oak, alcornoques, complaints, oilseeds, sodas of Mediterranean nobleman, madroños, brezo, lentils, cornicabra, coscoja and repopulation pines, as well as gallery forests in the water courses.

The fauna The site is also very diverse: major and minor hunting species, presence of protected mammals such as the wolf, lince or meloncillo. Birds related to the aquatic environment and rapacious birds of special interest such as the imperial eagle, leonate vultures or the royal owl.

Among the natural enclaves with the greatest landscape interest are:

• "The Danger." It is the swamp that supplies water to the region of "El Condado." The construction works were completed in 1965, and three years later became operational. Its environment is an area of great natural interest, of recreation and of major hunting. It is supplied by the Dañador River, a tributary of the Guadalén, which in turn is the Guadalimar and eastern Guadalquivir. This enclave is a magnificent example of Mediterranean forest, as it is located in the heart of Sierra Morena, and from here we can see "in situ" the fauna and flora of the place. A zone rich in cynegetic species (deer, boar, rabbit, perdiz, hare, zorzal, tortola...) that has many hectares spread over a thirty hunting grounds.

• Avellanar mine. It is located near Aldeahermosa and was a galena mining mine that remained active until very recently.

• Wolf's Barrio. Located near Venta de los Santos, it was the scene of the battle against the French troops, which were defeated in a bloody fight.

Parties and Events

Festivals in Montizón are often full of events and activities, competitions, sports competitions, verbenas and loose of nozzles and bulls. The village is full of chiringhites and attractions.

Among the most important parties are:

• Romeria de San Isidro: The third weekend of May is held in the recreational area of the "El Dañador" swamp. People camp at the place on the weekend of the celebration.

• Saint John the Baptiston June 24. Business party in Aldeahermosa, that celebrates its fair and parties with verbenas and loose of nozzles and bulls.

• James Apostle, July 25. Montizon celebrates his patron party with verbenas in the town square.

• The Christ of Expiration. It is celebrated on September 14 and is the patron party for the sale of the Saints. Neither will the verbenas nor the loose of the loins be missing.

• St. Anton's night, January 17. The celebration of the party begins the night before. They put on fires in the squares and streets of the village, they take food and drink to hold on the cold nights of January.

• Carnival: Neighbors dress up and walk the streets. There are often competitions to reward the best-known.

• San Marcos, April 25. Peñas or groups of friends buy food and drink, get together in the field and spend the holiday. These days you eat the rosco of San Marcos.

Gastronomy

In the gastronomy of Montizón there are three basic lines that are present when making their dishes:

• The extra virgin olive oil made in the village will be present in most of your dishes.

• The peas carry the the taste of the vegetables of their extraordinary gardens, that they grow with care during the year.

• The products of the slaughter and hunting meat will be the star ingredients of many of your dishes.

These are the dishes with the most roots in this municipality:

• Migas: bread from the previous day, green peppers, chorizo, pancake, and olive oil to soften it.

• Gachamas, which is made from olive oil, flour, water and potatoes. You can eat with chorizos, torreznos...

• Ajo- flour: potatoes, flour, cod, pepper, tomato, onion, garlic, cumin and pepper.

• Cranberries: olive oil, rabbit or field hare, potatoes, onions, garlic, dry pepper, tomato, sweet pepper, mint and laurel. For cakes, flour, water and salt.

• Galians. Galianeras (bread cakes without yeast), rabbit, tomato, green pepper, olive oil, water and salt are needed.

• Killing sausages: chorizo, salchichon, morcilla, ham, orza loin... This will be the pantry that the kitchens will spread all year round.

• Warehouse: pericones, skillet rosses, anis rosses, floricles, bake, gypsy arm, San Marcos rosco...
  

History

Given his strategic position as a place of passage between Levante and La Mancha with the Guadalquivir valley, Montizon has been a place transited from Prehistory.

From the antiquity of the first inhabitants bear witness to the found remains: arrows with a pedernal tip, axes and carved stones, collected in the place called Torre-Albert, and ceramic in Head Girl.

From the Roman times, with the drive to the road infrastructure has increased its prestige as an enclave in the communications network: remains of Roman tracks, near Aldeahermosa was found a military, which indicated the distance from this place to Contrebia in the Ebro valley, and which has been identified as "Hannibal Road." During this time it was under the dependence of Ilugo (Santisteban del Puerto).

In Islamic times Should have to be a grinder that would be conquered with the rest of the region by Fernando III the Holy in 1226.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the house would be abandoned, becoming a dehesa dependent on Santisteban del Puerto.

It will be in the 18th century, in 1767when this dehesa known as "Barranco Hondo," was chosen by Pablo de Olavide, Intendent of King Charles III, to find one of the nuclei of the New Populations They were aimed at defending the road to Andalusia with La Mancha, where the bandits raided the donkey caravans that carried the goods from one region to another.

The First settlers who populated Montizon were Central European:: Germans, Flemish, Swiss, French, Alsatians and Italians. To those who were given the tools of labrance, a house, a junta, several flocks of mountain to sow and repopulate olive trees.

Montizon would be head of felligresy with two villages, Aldeahermosa and Sale of Saints.