Spain can boast itself the first country to have 38 cultural objects declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO—a formidable number. To fortified cities, natural spaces and Pre-Romanesque, Mudejar and Modernist constructions must be added the Renaissance Monument Areas of Ubeda and Baeza. Spain is synonymous with World Heritage: Now, Ubeda and Baeza are as well.
Úbeda and Baeza are situated in the very heart of the province of Jaén, and are fine examples of all the grandeur of the Renaissance in Andalusia in the 16th and 17th centuries. They are unique examples of the arrival of Renaissance trends in Spain, as you can see from their streets packed with churches, palaces and stately houses. This is an urban model with clear Italian influences, which Spain in turn gave its own characteristics before exporting it to Latin America in the colonial period. Throughout the region you can enjoy the work of Andrés de Vandelvira, one of the most prestigious architects of the time. Come and visit these Renaissance gems, nicknamed "queen" and "lady" by the brilliant poet Antonio Machado.
Úbeda is one of the most important places in the province. Its monumental heritage has turned it into a place of great tourist interest. The city's architecture is a reflection of the power and wealth of the upper classes.
The earliest human settlements in the area date back to the Copper/Bronze Age, and are in what is now the Alcázar district. Also from this period are the remains found at other nearby places, like La Loma, Iznatoraf, the castle of Sabiote, etc. Under the Roman Empire, both Úbeda and Baeza became administrative and commercial centres, as they were located on the Roman road that connected Cástulo with Málaga. This period of splendour would last until the end of the 2nd century, when many Roman municipalities disappeared, although a small settlement remained in Úbeda after this time. Under Abderrahman II, the city was walled in. Almoravids and Almohads conquered it, and it was named Ubbadat al-Arab. After being conquered by the Christian King Fernando III, for many centuries Úbeda was a border town between the kingdoms of Castile and Granada, so it received the legal privileges of Cuenca. In the 16th century, Úbeda experienced its period of greatest splendour and, as a consequence, many monuments were built on the initiative of the clergy and the nobility. In 1955 it was declared a Historic-Artistic City, and, in 1975, the Council of Europe proclaimed it a Model Renaissance City. At present, Úbeda is, along with Baeza, filing the necessary paperwork with Unesco to become a World Heritage City.
The city of UBEDA: The Plaza Vázquez de Molina or de Santa María stand out in the middle of Úbeda's whitewashed houses, forming a superb Renaissance site. Presiding over this area is one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture, the Sacred Chapel of El Salvador (16th C). The church was planned by Diego de Siloé and built by Andrés de Vandelvira under the orders of Francisco de los Cobos, secretary and confidant to Emperor Carlos I. On it, the magnificent Plateresque-style doorways are outstanding. Meanwhile, inside is preserved a main reredos by Alonso de Berruguete and grilles by Maestro Bartolomé. Next to it is the Palace of Constable Dávalos, nowadays converted into a Parador de Turismo. This is a 16th-century building altered a century later, where the Dean of the Sacred Chapel of El Salvador lived. Behind its distinguished façade is hidden a beautiful courtyard with a double gallery of superimposed arches.
The adjoining Palace of Las Cadenas, site of the City Hall, was designed by Andrés de Vandelvira. Opposite its broad exchange building, on one of the sides of the square, is the Church of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares, built on the site of an old Arab mosque. In it, you can appreciate a harmonious superimposition of artistic styles, as it was originally built in the 13th century in Gothic style and remodelled centuries later. It has five naves, various chapels and a cloister from the 16th C.
The Palace of the Marquis of Mancera, which nowadays houses the Convent of Servants of Mary, completes this extremely beautiful environment. The building, which formerly belonged to a viceroy of Peru, shows great Renaissance purity in its lines.
In the popular Plaza del Mercado is the Church of San Pablo, in Gothic style with transitional reminders of Romanesque in some elements, like the main front. Inside it houses the chapel of the Vago family, a splendid Renaissance style work created by Vandelvira. Opposite this church you can see another palace built in the Renaissance period, the Old City Hall, and, very nearby, the Oratory of San Juan de la Cruz, the mystic from Ávila who died in this area.
At the entrance to the city stands the Hospital of Santiago, considered “the Andalusian Escorial” and one of the culminating works of the Master Vandelvira. Behind the sober façade of this monumental building - today an active cultural centre - is hidden a bright Classicist courtyard and a beautiful chapel.
La Redonda de Miradores, behind the Plaza de Santa María, enables you to see a beautiful view of the Sierra Mágina and the Guadalquivir basin.
Baeza is in the middle of the province of Jaén. A journey through it will reveal a series of very beautiful monument, reflecting the city's history.
Thanks to the richness of its land, Baeza has been settled since the second millennium BC. Some of the earliest ruins found here belong to an Iberian fortified town dating back to the 4th century BC. During Roman times, the town was known as Biatia, or Vivatia. It was an important administrative and commercial centre, as it had the authority to mint currency. Baeza reached its greatest splendour in the 12th century, when the Almohads turned it into a stronghold and called it Bayyasa. In 1227, King Fernando III conquered the city and turned it into a very important bastion for the Reconquest of Al-Andalus. During the 15th and 16th centuries, there was significant population growth, thanks to an increase in agricultural, commercial and industrial activity. During this period, most of the city's important Renaissance monuments were built, including the University of Baeza, the cathedral, the Courts and Jail, the Communal Granary and the Salcedo palace.
The city of Baeza: In the Cathedral you will find one of the city's most precious jewels. Built on the site of a mosque, the present Renaissance building of Santa María preserves Gothic elements like the Puerta de la Luna (13th C.), and Mudejar ones, like the pointed horseshoe arches in the chapels. You can see this combination of styles in its robust cloister. Adjoining the Cathedral are the High Chapter Houses and, opposite them, the fountain of Santa María, whose construction was ordered during the reign of Philip II.
Another monumental site is the one formed by the Jabalquinto Palace and the Seminary of San Felipe Neri. The palace has profuse Isabelline decoration on its façade, while in the cloister you can admire the transition from Renaissance to Baroque. It is worth visiting the Function Room, where the Romanesque capitals of the old church of San Juan are preserved.
A visit not to be missed is to the Antonio Machado Site of the International University of Andalusía, housed in the former university. This 16th century building was also the Education Institute where the distinguished poet, Antonio Machado, gave French classes for many years. Before stopping at the Pósito and the Alhóndiga - the grain store and former corn exchange building (16th C.), you should visit the church of Santa Cruz, one of the exceptional examples of Romanesque architecture preserved in Andalusía.
Among many aristocratic houses and small palaces is the Plaza del Pópulo, a site made up of the Casa del Pópulo (Civil Courts and Public Court Office), the Los Leones fountain, the old Butcher's, the Jaén Gate and the Villalar Arch. It is one of Baeza's most charming corners where, beside noble buildings, parts of the old walls and their gate remain.
In the Plaza de Cándido Elorza is another group of historic monuments, both religious and civil. The Palaces of Elorza, Cerón and the Counts of Garcíes and the houses of the Cabrera and Acuña families tell us of the many noble and aristocratic families in Baeza in the 17th century. To this is added the elegant shape of the church of San Pablo, situated nearby.
Text by spain.info
