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The town centre, declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1969, is truly impressive, with monuments and manor houses that take us back to other eras.
The Castle of Burgalimar, one of the oldest in Europe, stands out, with the walled enclosure almost intact.

The 15th century Gothic parish church of San Mateo, the 17th century hermitage of Jesús del Llano and the 15th century Town Hall are three of the most representative buildings of the architectural wealth of this town.

Culture

Baños de la Encina has accumulated a rich artistic heritage that has been preserved and cared for. To visit it is to connect with the traces of other peoples and cultures that have passed through this territory.
Of its heritage, we highlight:

• Bury Al-Hamma Castle. The impressive silhouette of the castle of Bury Al-Hamma dominates the rural landscape of Baños de la Encina. It was built in 968, during the Caliphate period. It is flanked by a sturdy, crenellated wall with 14 towers, plus the Christian Torre del Homenaje (Homage Tower), which has hardly suffered any damage, making it the best-preserved fortified complex from the Almohad period. On top of one of the 14 original towers, the main Christian modification was introduced: the keep (also known as the 'Torre del Homenaje', also known as the 'Torre Gorda'). This tower does not look towards the countryside, but towards the interior of the town, projecting above it, which indicates its transformation into a stately building. It is Gothic in style and is built with irregular masonry, presenting a cylindrical shape on the outside.

• The Church of San Mateo. It is Gothic in style, although the tower has Renaissance finishes, as does the main doorway. The most important element inside is the tabernacle, one of the jewels of the province's sacred art, dating from the 17th century. It is made of ebony wood, ivory, silver and tortoiseshell shells, which make up a small temple with a Baroque dome, framed by four shell columns with silver capitals and bases.

• Hermitage of Jesús del Llano. Situated in the middle of the mesteño (sheep) resting place, this sober building has a single nave and a belfry on the main façade. It was built between the 16th and 17th centuries. What is surprising about the interior is the Camarín Tower of the venerated image. Clearly influenced by Granada, it is a manifestation of the most expressive Baroque style of the 18th century.

• Shrine of the Virgen de la Encina. The sanctuary of the Virgen de la Encina is located 4 km. from Baños. It was built on top of another smaller and more primitive one from the end of the 13th century and beginning of the 14th century. It was remodelled in the 17th century and remains as it is today.

• Town Hall. It dates back to the 16th century and stands out for its sober and simple appearance, which is enhanced by the simplicity of the ironwork. The façade is formed by a semicircular arch, over which a balcony opens, topped with the typical bañusco canopy.

• Windmill. Old windmill from the 17th century, located in the upper part of the municipality.

Nature

El Centenillo. It is a hamlet located to the north of the municipality and is 18 km. from the town centre of Baños de la Encina. It is a very old population centre, a consequence of the exploitation of its mines.

The year 1865 is the best moment for this village, with the arrival of English businessmen and the creation of a mining group that brought together 41 mines. This splendour was to come to an end in 1963, when all the mines were closed and the villagers had to live off hunting. 

Visiting this scenic enclave to see the remains of the mining activity is to immerse yourself in the mining environment of that time: miners' village, houses of the English leaders, dumps, wagons, washing places... Don't miss it!

Parties and Events

In addition to the celebrations of Christmas, Carnival and Easter, Baños de la Encina celebrates the following festivities:

• La Candelaria, which is celebrated on 2 February and the villagers gather around large bonfires made with "ramón", the remains of olive tree pruning, while they eat, drink, sing and dance.

• Pilgrimage of Jesús del Camino. This is held on the first Sunday in May, as a prelude to the great day of the pilgrimage of the Virgen de la Encina. This hermitage is on the way to the hermitage of the Virgen de la Encina.

• Patron Saint Festivities in May. These take place during the second weekend in May. The main event is the Pilgrimage of the Virgen de la Encina, in which on the 2nd Sunday in May, the image is taken to the sanctuary and all the "bañuscos" accompany her in decorated carts, harnessed horses or on foot. All enlivened with music, fairground stalls and good wine.

• Medieval Festivities. These have been held for some years now in the Plaza and the Castle. There are craft stalls, dramatic representations of the capture of the castle between Moors and Christians, storytelling of the period and dances.

• Festival of the Emigrant. These festivities take place around 15th August, in honour of the "bañuscos" who are outside the town, with various cultural and sporting events, as well as the Procession of the Virgen de la Encina, carried by the emigrants who cannot come to the pilgrimage. At the end there is a Migas (breadcrumbs) competition, in which more than one hundred peñas (groups) take part, which is held along the esplanade.

• All Saints' Day (1 November). This is undoubtedly one of the most deeply-rooted fiestas in Baños. On this day the men, and also the women, form groups or "partías", leaving the village to go to small farms or huts in the mountains, where they spend several days and nights hunting birds with "liria", sharing bread, wine and jokes.

Gastronomy

Extra olive oil is harvested locally and is an ingredient that enriches and gives a special flavour to the gastronomy. Game meat, from both small and big game, will also be the main ingredient of many dishes.
Among the most typical dishes, we highlight:

• Cucharro is a "canto de pan" with oil and tomato, accompanied by the traditional seasoned olives, broad beans, radishes and cod (the "canto de pan" is what is left of a loaf of bread after the crumbs have been removed).

• Tewed bush meat (wild boar or venison). Due to the proximity of the Sierra Morena there is an abundance of game, both small and large.

• Gachas dulces, also known as gachas santeras..

• Migas Serranas or migas santeras, accompanied with melon, radishes or chocolate.

• "Sobá", a large, crunchy oil cake.

• Magdalenas and hornazos, which can be bought in any of the village bakeries. They are eaten especially at Easter.

• Other typical products are: Olives seasoned in different ways, honey, royal jelly, capers, capers in vinegar, etc.

History

The occupation of these lands is documented in very early prehistoric times. The geological characteristics of the area, in which there are crevices, ravines, caves and natural shelters, were used to leave us evidence of their rock art. Thus:

• The settlement of El Tambor can be attributed to the Copper Age.

• And the Bronze Age would correspond to the three settlements that were located on the banks of the Rumblar river, with terraced habitats and powerful fortification systems: La Verónica, Peñalosa and Cerro de la Obra.

In the 2nd millennium BC, the mining of deposits rich in copper and bronze began. This attracted the Mediterranean civilisations of the Greeks and Phoenicians.

During the Roman period, specifically during the Empire, the exploitation of silver mines began and traces of this mining past can be found in El Centenillo, a district of Baños de la Encina. There are still traces of this exploitation in what is known as the Trinchera Romana del Polígono (Roman Trench of the Polygon).

In the period of Al-Andalus the fortress was built, which was completed in 968 and was ordered to be built by Alhakem II.

The first Christian conquest was carried out by Alfonso VII in 1147. It then passed alternately from Christian to Arab hands until the final conquest in 1225 by Fernando III El Santo. This new territory was incorporated into Baeza until 1246.

During the 15th century it was the scene of confrontations between the Condestable Iranzo and the masters of the Orders of Calatrava and Santiago, a faithful reflection of the confrontation between the nobility and the Modern State.

At the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century, the town took on a new impetus with the intensification of agriculture and livestock farming.

However, it was at the end of the 18th century when a series of events occurred that reduced the town's wealth:

• On the one hand, it lost territory in 1767 due to the creation of Guarromán, Carboneros, La Carolina and Santa Elena, within the Plan de Nuevas Poblaciones para Sierra Morena.

• Mendizábal in 1835, as well as the civil confiscation of Madoz in 1855, definitively put an end to the public forests that brought wealth to Baños.

Other places of interest in the Artistic Heritage:

• Courthouse/Casa de Consumos. The current installations of the Courthouse are part of an old building used to collect taxes for the sale of perishable products in the town. Its construction dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

• Hermitage of Jesús del Camino. This small hermitage is located 1 km. from the hermitage of the Virgen de la Encina, and a pilgrimage takes place on the first Sunday in May.

• The old hermitage of Santa María del Cueto, of which part of a small cistern that existed underneath it has been preserved. These remains were unearthed during remodelling work in the area around Burgalimar Castle.

• Roman or Royal Road of Puerto del Rey. This is a stretch of paved road of Roman origin that led from Toledo to the Guadalquivir Valley.

• Pozo de la Vega, is a complex formed by a well with a watering trough for livestock built with Cyclopean ashlars.

• Plaza Mayor. This space located between the two hills that form the town, supplied with water by the spring that would become the Pilar de San Mateo, was a meeting point for the different livestock trails. It was the nerve centre of the city.