Torreblascopedro

Nature

The municipal area of Torreblascopedro has a gentle, slightly undulating terrain, with its highest points near Cagasebo (452 m) and its lowest, around 230 m, reached to the west of the municipality at the confluence of the Guadalquivir and Guadalimar rivers. These two rivers, forming the southern and northern boundaries respectively, act as the drainage arteries into which the area's various streams flow. 

This municipality forms one end of the La Loma region. It is an area characterised by extensive olive groves stretching as far as the Guadalquivir river. Nearby, a fertile plain is formed where cotton, sugar beet and sunflowers are mainly grown, alongside numerous family vegetable gardens. It has abundant water resources. 

The olive grove is the predominant crop, and the mainstay of the municipality's economy. New plantations continue to appear, many of them intensive, aimed at greater mechanisation of harvesting and lower production costs. 

Due to farming, very little natural vegetation remains, found only along the riverbanks, forming what is known as gallery forest, made up of willows, poplars and tamarisks. The rest of the river vegetation forms the typical riparian growth, abundant in reeds, common reeds, rushes and brambles. 

This riparian vegetation is of great importance, as it contributes to the area's plant and animal diversity, forming true biological corridors between the extensive farmland areas. This deciduous vegetation along the riverbeds and streams paints a splash of colour into the landscape through the seasons, especially in autumn. 

The local wildlife is typical of the Jaén countryside: hares, rabbits, partridges, quail, foxes, and more. Storks are also easy to spot, along with a wide variety of birds of prey, not forgetting the birdlife that lives along the riverbanks. 

The hamlet of Campillo del Río, located 8 km south of the town, is one of the settlements built under the agricultural colonisation programme, benefiting from the Plan Jaén, which increased irrigated land and introduced new, more profitable crops. This caused a significant population increase in the 1950s, reaching as many as 4,017 inhabitants. Today, it is a benchmark in the cultivation and profitability of white asparagus production.

Parties and Events

• Fiesta de la Candelaria, on 2 February: locals gather in neighbourhoods, streets or the Town Hall square around bonfires, sharing food and using the fire to roast potatoes and sardines. The Town Hall makes hot chocolate and hands out cakes. To attract good luck, some practise the tradition of jumping over the fire. 
• Festivities in honour of the Virgen de Fátima: over two or three days in the second week of August, chess and dominoes tournaments are held, along with traditional dish competitions and children's games; typical food stalls are set up, and there are evening open-air dances. During these festivities, tribute is paid to the town's oldest female resident, who is presented with a bouquet of flowers and invited to take part in the procession. 
• Patron saint festivities: The main festival is held on 1 May, the feast of San José Obrero (Saint Joseph the Worker). Over the course of the festivities, there are sports tournaments, cultural and religious activities, street parades, open-air dances, and the typical stalls along Paseo del Ayuntamiento. 
• San Isidro Labrador in Campillo del Río: On 15 May, the feast of the patron saint of farmers, patron saint festivities are held in Campillo del Río. They last a week and include recreational, sporting and cultural activities, as well as the traditional stalls and open-air dances.

Gastronomy

Torreblascopedro has a traditional Campiña-style cuisine, in which produce from its fertile lands takes centre stage. White asparagus and piquillo peppers are grown in Campillo del Río. 

• Pipirrana: All kinds of variations of this dish are made using the finest quality vegetables. 
• Gachamiga: A stew made with flour, potatoes and olive oil. 

The tradition of the pig slaughter (matanza) is still carried on, producing dishes such as: 

• Lomo de orza, ribs and pork jowl: In all cases, the preparation is the same — marinated, briefly fried, then stored in oil to be eaten throughout the year. 
• Bacalao encebollado (salt cod with onions). Typical of Holy Week is salt cod, either fried in fritters or in the traditional style, along with tortas dormidas or hornazo bread. 
• Gazpachos, ropa vieja... 

From traditional pastry-making, we can mention: 

• Ochíos, made with the same dough as hornazo, but with added sugar. 
• Sponge cakes, homemade madeleines, mostachones, or bizcocho cuajado, made with almonds, eggs and sugar among its ingredients. This is an old sweet with Moorish roots.

History

The first reliable references date back to the 18th century, when the town appears mentioned in maps and books relating to the municipal area of Baeza. The oldest surviving structure dates from 1714, marked on a trapezoidal moulding still preserved on a building in the town. 

Torreblascopedro is believed to have originated from several scattered farmsteads (cortijadas), of great economic value due to their rich pastures for livestock. In addition to belonging to Baeza, it was also for a time a hamlet of Lupión. In 1813, independence for the municipality was requested for the first time, but it was not achieved until 1871, when the town definitively took on its current name. By the mid-19th century, the town's main production was olive oil, alongside a notable presence of sheep farming, which led to a significant population increase. 

The town's consolidation and growth occurred in the 1950s. This dramatic population increase was due to new plantations and more profitable crops resulting from irrigation and the Plan Jaén, along with the creation of the colonisation settlement of Campillo del Río. After this decade, as happened in many other towns, insufficient wages and scarce job opportunities led to significant emigration in search of better-paid work. This trend continued until the 1980s. 

Campillo del Río is one of the newly created settlements resulting from agricultural colonisation in Andalusia. It is the largest of the settlements built under the Plan Jaén.