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A watchtower over the Guadalquivir valley, its fortress secured the Castilian rearguard against the constant threat of the Islamic kingdoms to the west and south of the Guadalquivir.

Nowadays Baeza is known for its olive production, its abundant monumental legacy (declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2003) and for being the seat of the International University of Andalusia.

Its main economic activity is agriculture, linked to the olive tree and the olive oil industry, although monumental tourism has developed the hotel and catering trade.

Its churches, palaces and towers make up a monumental ensemble in which different architectural styles succeed one another, although the Renaissance and Elizabethan Gothic styles are particularly important. Of its rich architectural heritage, the Cathedral (16th century), the Church of Santa Cruz (13th century), the Convent of San Francisco, the Town Hall and the Church of San Andrés, all from the 16th century, stand out.

In short, the historic centre of Baeza constitutes one of the most important Renaissance monumental ensembles in the world.

Cultura

To understand the Baeza of today, we have to go back to the first settlers who settled in the place known as "Cerro del Alcázar", in the Bronze Age, evolving to the Iberian city Viatia or Vivatia, passing to the Roman period, when Biatia was one of the most important cities.

It was the Muslims who shaped the city walls, some of which were rebuilt in the 16th century. After the Christian conquest, Baeza's period of splendour began. The new Christian Baeza began to grow outside the walls, where the religious buildings were the most representative.

• The Cathedral. This is the most representative building in the square. In this enclave there may have been a Roman temple, on top of which the Muslims built a mosque and in 1227, under the Marian dedication of the "Nativity", the cathedral was erected. In the 16th century, the building underwent a renovation that gave it its Vandelvirian Renaissance stamp. The façade was designed in 1587 by Juan Bautista Villalpando with a "relief of the Nativity of the Virgin". It is thought that the base of the tower was the minaret of the mosque, and in Vandelvira's time the bell tower and the roof were added.

• Church of Santa Cruz. This late Romanesque building dates from the 13th century and was preserved after the Christian conquest. The exterior is austere, with its two doorways with semicircular archivolts standing out. The interior consists of three naves.

• Ruins of the Convent of San Francisco. (Outside the walls). This work could have been one of the most important of the Andalusian Renaissance, but a series of misfortunes have prevented it, including the Lisbon earthquake of 1775, which brought down the vault of the main chapel. In this funerary and convent complex, Vandelvira developed all his genius. The Latin cross church still remains, accessed through a semicircular arch that frames the entire doorway, with a relief of St. Francis and a tondo with the Virgin, which now gives way to a large auditorium.

• Former Courthouse and Town Hall. (Outside the walls). It was built in 1520 as a prison at the request of Charles I. Since 1867 it has housed the Town Hall. It consists of the prison, with a more sober façade depicting Justice and Charity, and the Corregidor's house with rich Plateresque decoration. On the upper floor there are tripartite balconies with the coats of arms of Felipe II, the Corregidor and the city. It is crowned with a cornice decorated with corbels highlighted with figures. The Plenary Hall has a Renaissance alfarje (horizontal and interlaced wooden ceiling) from the convent of San Antonio.

• Church of San Andrés. A building from the beginning of the 16th century, which held the title of Collegiate Church from 1764 to 1852. The Plateresque style façade stands out, next to it the square tower. The interior has a large main nave with pointed arches and side chapels.

• Palace of Jabalquinto. Opposite the church of Santa Cruz stands the Palace of Jabalquinto, one of the greatest exponents of the Elizabethan Gothic style, built at the end of the 15th century. The Elizabethan Gothic style is found on the exterior, with decoration based on diamond points, pineapple nails, fronds, fleurons, ribbons, pinnacles, muqarnas and heraldic coats of arms. The façade is crowned with five semicircular arches from the Renaissance period, as is the late 16th-century courtyard. Today it is the headquarters of the Antonio Machado International University.

• The Plaza de Santa María, the heart of Baeza's monuments, concentrates the largest number of monuments: the Cathedral, the Casas Consistoriales, the Fuente de Santa María; the Seminario de San Felipe Neri, with its picturesque façade full of cheers, the current headquarters of the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía or the house and palace of Rubín de Ceballos, behind the cathedral.

• The Plaza del Pópulo, framed by the Puerta de Jaén and the Arco de Villalar, is one of the most emblematic squares of the city, where we find the building with its plateresque façade of the Antiguas Escribanías, today the headquarters of the tourist office of the Junta de Andalucía, the Antiguas Carnicerías and the Fuente de Los Leones in the centre.

Nature

Baeza is located on the right bank of the River Guadalquivir in a dominant position in the district of La Loma. The town sits on three hills and the small valley in between, in a fairly elevated position overlooking the Guadalquivir valley, a situation that made it an extremely important site in antiquity. It is surrounded by the rivers Guadalquivir to the south and Guadalimar to the north. 

A location that allows us to contemplate the immense sea of olive trees that surrounds us as we walk along the Paseo por las Murallas. From the viewpoints of this walk, you can contemplate the beautiful view of the Guadalquivir Valley, the extensive olive groves, the Sierra de Cazorla, the Sierra de Segura and Sierra Mágina, with the villages of Jimena, Mancha Real, Bedmar and Garcíez in the distance.

The predominant vegetation is the olive tree, but next to the riverbeds and La Laguna Grande we find what we call gallery forest: white poplars, willows, taráis, black poplars..., as well as other species of shrubs. Vegetation that, with the change of seasons, brings a touch of colour to the landscape, especially in the autumn season. 

The local fauna is typical of the Jaén countryside: hares, rabbits, deer, foxes, partridges, quails... Storks and a large variety of birds of prey are also easy to spot. Not forgetting the birds that live along the riverbeds and in the vicinity of La Laguna Grande. 

The absence of non-agricultural land reduces the areas of natural interest to the riverbanks and the wetlands of La Laguna Grande, which are of special ecological interest.

• Laguna Grande: This permanent lagoon, which undergoes considerable fluctuations in level, is fed by the river Torres through irrigation channels. Precisely because it holds water during the summer, this wetland is particularly important for waterfowl, as it is an ideal place for feeding and sheltering. Around the water, in addition to the vegetation of reeds, cattails and rushes, there is also the presence of tamarisks, poplars, ash trees and brambles, where visitors can find plenty of shelter for the local fauna, including: teal, mallard ducks and pochards, as well as the common pochard, where we can see the nests of this small bird hanging from the trees in this natural spot. The locals of both Puente del Obispo and Baeza are regular visitors to this beautiful natural spot.

Festivals and Events

Among the most deeply-rooted fiestas among the residents of Baeza, we would like to highlight the following:

• La Candelaria, on 2 February. On the eve of the feast day of the Saint, the Candelaria is celebrated, with the typical blessing of the doughnuts of San Blas, protector of the throat, in the parish church of El Salvador. 

• Holy Week. Between Andalusian and Castilian, Easter Week in Baeza, declared to be of National Tourist Interest, stands out for the artistic richness of its floats. Around 20 brotherhoods process through its streets and squares in this jewel of the Andalusian Renaissance. Its creation dates back to the 16th century, when the Vera Cruz brotherhood was founded, one of the oldest in Andalusia and Spain. One of the most beautiful moments of the Baeza Holy Week takes place on the morning of Good Friday, with the departure of the brotherhood of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno y la Cruz de Santa Elena, better known by the name of "El Paso", when the Nazarene Christ imparts the blessing to his mother, by means of an articulated mechanism, when the images cross each other.

• May Crosses, on the 1st of May. Altars are decorated in different squares and neighbourhoods of the old town with the sole theme of the exaltation of the Holy Cross.

• Annual city fair. Held on 15 August, the feast day of its patron saint, Santa María del Alcázar.

• Pilgrimage of La Yedra. Held around the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin (8 September).

• La Yedra, a district of Baeza, located 7 km. to the north of Baeza, and where there is the Marian sanctuary of Nuestra Señora del Rosel and the Santo Cristo de la Yedra. The pilgrimage itself is held on Saturday the 7th, the day on which the Virgin walks through the town of Baeza and returns to her sanctuary in La Yedra, accompanied by horses, carriages, carts and floats, all adorned with flowers.

• Corpus Christi. Reminiscent of the 15th and 16th centuries. The processional monstrance is undoubtedly the jewel of the city's gold and silver work.

The annual calendar of celebrations is completed with the festivities of San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of farmers, San Cristóbal, patron saint of the driving guild, Nuestra Señora del Carmen and Fiestas del Concejo de Baeza in honour of San Andrés.

Gastronomy

The gastronomic culture is rooted in its history and geography. In many of its dishes you can find cultivated influences from Roman, Jewish, Islamic, Moorish and Mudejar cuisine. 

The traditional cuisine is fused with the seasons and festivities, as well as with the basic raw materials of the land, all washed down with the liquid gold of Baeza's olive groves. 

Among the local dishes are:

• Lomo de orza. This is a typical dish of the 'matanza', which is used as a preserve, frying the fresh loin over a low heat in its own lard to which different spices are added, cloves, cinnamon, pepper... and then it is placed in the 'orza'. This is also done with the sausages from the slaughter and so they are preserved all winter long.

• Baezana-style cod. The fried cod is added to a sauce of onion, tomato, peas and roasted peppers in strips.

• Pipirrana. In which peppers, tomatoes, garlic, spring onions and olive oil are used. A refreshing dish not to be missed in summer.

• Andrajos. A fried mixture of red pepper, green pepper, onion, garlic, bay leaf, olive oil, paprika, white wine, vegetables and hare or rabbit. All flavoured with mint. For the dough, flour and water.

• "Cocido mareado", or "marinated chickpeas", a dish that tries to make use of the leftovers of another meal. In a frying pan with oil, we chop onion and add the chickpeas, which break up when mixed with a spoon. Fried tomato and eggs are added, mixed together and left to set.

• "Ochíos" or "masaceite". This is a bread made with extra virgin olive oil, paprika and aniseed. The name comes from the fact that it is the eighth part of the dough of a loaf of bread.

Pastries:

• "Virolos" are the typical puff pastries.

• Tortas de manteca with walnuts.

• Torrijas, a way of using leftover bread.

• Leche frita (fried milk): this is milk in batter and fried.

• Papajotes, a pan-fried sweet. A dough of flour fried and coated with sugar and cinnamon.

• Helado de aceite, with ingredients of milk, sugar, egg yolks and oil. 

History

The first settlements appeared in the Copper Age, 3rd millennium BC. Most of them were walled and their economy was based on agriculture and livestock farming. 

In the Iberian period, 7th century BC, the Cerro del Alcázar is considered a consolidated settlement.

During the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, in the middle of the Roman Empire, it is mentioned in several sources as Vivatia or Biatia. It is of great importance due to its location, as it is an obligatory stop on the trade route from Castulo to Malaga. 

The territory of Biatia was occupied in the second decade of the 8th century by Muslim troops. At this time the city was known by the name of Bayyasa.

The Christian Kings took the city and lost it again on several occasions. But it was Fernando III "the Saint" who conquered it definitively in 1227, and it was considered as a bridgehead in the reconquest of Al-Andalus, and for this reason the city was given privileges and a charter, the "Fuero de Cuenca" (Charter of Cuenca).

The presence of the Catholic Church was restored and the episcopal see was established in Baeza in the 13th century. From this date onwards, the most important religious and conventual orders were present in the city. 

It was in the 16th century that Baeza reached its maximum architectural and cultural splendour with the foundation of the University, among other public buildings of interest. 

The heyday continued in the 17th century, the century of the greatest conventual apogee. At the end of this century, the decline began, among other reasons due to the confiscation of Mendizábal, which led to the disappearance of the convents. 

With the War of Independence, Baeza suffered heavy human and economic losses. Excessive demands and contributions also contributed to this.

The economy was fundamentally agricultural, production increased and the area devoted to olive groves increased to the detriment of other arable crops. 

In 1966, Baeza was declared a "Conjunto Histórico-Artístico" (Historic-Artistic Site), which meant a take-off in tourist services, increased by the declaration in 2003, by UNESCO, of Baeza as a World Heritage Site. 

The university tradition is being recovered with the Antonio Machado campus of the International University of Andalusia. 

Other monuments that form part of its heritage are:

• Old University.
• Former Seminary of San Felipe Neri.
• Casa Estudio de Manuel Garrido.
• Museum of Baeza.
• House-studio of Diego Lozano, Padre Sifón.
• Antonio Moreno Museum.
• Museum of the Olive Tree Culture.
• Old Butcher's Shops.
• Civil Audience and Public Notary's Office 16th Century.
• Gaspar Becerra Exhibition Hall.
• Church of El Salvador 
• Church of San Pablo
• Puerta del Perdón and streets adjacent to the Cathedral.