Routes of The legacy of al-Andalus The Nasrids in

Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe 2 3

Had it not been for the Kingdom of Granada, a resplendant epilogue of the doms oscilated throughout these lands. The abundance of rural forts is, above history of Islam in the , the panorama of the Spanish-Muslim all, a symptom of the rise in importance of the landlords in this frontier zone, civilization would have remained irremediably deformed, incomplete and which was always open to danger, due the Crown ceding vast possessions to the unintelligible. This Route is dedicated precisely to the protagonists of that Nobles and the Military Orders, in order that they would maintain their defense. important chapter, to the Nasrid Dynasty, which created and headed the last state Lovers of popular arts can make most of the traditions, fiestas, different of al-Andalus, and whose trajectory encompassed, uncountable events of a crafts, food and a long list of the welcoming aspects of these lands, which reflect political or bellicose order apart, artistic and cultural accomplishements as a marked tradition of al-Andalus. The May crosses, the pilgrimages, the festivals of magnificent as the Alhambra itself. Moors and Christians, Corpus Christi make this a truly memorable trip, coupled “Oh peoples of Al Andalus, what a pleasure is Yours! You have water, shade, with visits to the workshops producing ironwork, wickerwork, ceramics and rivers and trees; eternal Paradise is but in your very homes and if I had to bookbinding. Also for the opportunity to taste different dishes, following choose, I would keep this”. traditional local recipés and made from the first class natural Ibn Jafaya produce of the area and its This journey directly links Jaén and Granada, and inaugurates the final third excellent water. The welcoming of the Route, which moves across the southern face of the Sierra Mágina and bars, taverns, 'mesones', inns and ends in the Cambil and Huelma highlands. From that point, the itinerary changes restaurants which line the path, offer all province and moves into the region of the Eastern Mountains of Granada via the knowledge, variety and originality of Guadahortuna, along the banks of its river, which flows eastward. The high local specialities, which can be tasted plateau continues from Guadahortuna towards Píñar and , where it in the form of a small portion, or a appears to be cloven by the River Cubillas valley and the mountainous range of "tapa", or by sitting down to table. the Sierra Arana, with its characteristic chasms and caves, which rises to over The raw materials corre- 2,000 m. and is a prelude to the massive reliefs of the Sierra Nevada. Towards the spond to the basis of the end of the journey, the path joins the course of the River Cubillas and slips down Mediterranean diet: cereals, pulses, into the Vega, with its poplar groves and irrigation channels and reaches the final vegetables, greens and fruits, and olive stops along the Route: , and Granada. Behind, like a backdrop, oil; an essential ingredient in these lands. Al- rises the imposing mass of the Sierra Nevada, the highest in the Peninsula and so wines, with the essential support of meats; crowned by the 3,482 m. Mulhacén peak. pork, lamb, fowl and game, complemented by This is an itinerary that speaks of the vicissitudes of two peoples in a salted meats and fish. To conclude, desserts constant confrontation of ideas, beliefs and customs, but also of epic and and sweets. These are the aspects of the cuisine along this Route, that most humane interchanges and the birth of something that has come to be called the clearly reflect the survival of al-Andalus tradition, patent in its use of spices frontier culture. In spite of everything, one musn't consider this frontier as and dried fruits, in the pastry used in the confectionery, in the frying and the something irremovable or static; on the contrary, more like a pliable fabric, which baking and in the sweetness of the honey, with which they are coated. gave, according to how much one pulled on it. The route includes a great many protected areas, particularly in the sierras, There are few routes, such as this one, that show such a numerous amount covering open spaces, natural and national parks, many of which are among the of castles, fortresses, towers, strongholds and watchtowers the whole length of largest and most attractive in the Peninsula. The path leads to the Sierra its path, as much in the towns, as scattered about the sierras and countryside. It Mágina Natural Park and ends in Granada, in the lap of the Sierra Nevada isn't really surprising, if one thinks that the territories of the Holy Kingdom of National Park. Jaén and the northern fringe of the were, from Antiquity, a “Granada is the Damascus of al-Andalus, a feast for the eyes, rapture for the natural frontier and crossroads between the North and the South, the East and soul. It has an impregnable citadel, with high walls and splendid buildings. It is the West of the Peninsula. These defensive works, which to-day might seem iso- distinctive for the peculiarity of its river, which flows through the houses, baths, lated, or confused with the large houses in the villages, or the cortijos, in their squares, exterior and interior mills and gardens”. majority, date from the Middle Ages and in particular from between the 12h and al-Saqundi, 13th century. the 15th centuries, when the division between the Christian and the Muslim king- 5

Guadahortuna

On the edge of the province of The parish church of Jaén and 65 kilometres from Santa María la Mayor stands in the town's the capital of Granada, on the unique centre. The ear- banks of the river which bears liest references to its the same name, and on the construction date from road which leads us to the 1506, commenced by the master builder, Domingo de Yguía, and Sierra Mágina Natural Park, we later joined by Diego de Siloé. The monu- come across this particular- mental façade in the form of a triumphal ly beautiful town and a vast arch is a highlight, which is reminiscent of horizon of farmland. the Puerta del Perdón of the cathedral in Granada. The belfry tower, crowned by a This town is situated on the banks of the series of diminishing sections, stands be- River Guadahortuna, a name which stems side it. The interior consists of three from the Arabic ued, river, and the Latin naves separated by pointed arches and hortus, being ‘huerta’ or ‘huerto’ (orchard) covered by a rich Mudejar wooden ceiling. in Spanish. It dates from Neolithic times The main chapel, designed by Diego de and during the Nasrid period, it suffered Siloé, has a fine altarpiece. harassment from the Castilian cavalry, On the way out of the town one can see stationed in Cazorla, during its attacks on the Hermitage of the Virgin of Loreto, pa- the Moorish territory around . Fol- tron saint of the town. Following along the lowing the conquest of the area by Don road to one comes Fadrique de Toledo, in 1486, Queen Isabella across the Hacho Bridge, a arranged for its repopulation by Chris- product of 19th c. tians, in order to guarantee the security of industrial the roads and the supply of bread and engineering, provisions to Granada. The town soon which spans prospered and became, together with Iz- a 623 metre nalloz, the principal town in the ravine. area of the Eastern Mountains.

A general view ☛ Above, a detail of the Loreto Hermitage 7

Píñar

Lying in the Sierra de Arana, in Jaén. Following the Píñar is a white village with a conquest at the end of the war of Grana- strategically placed castle of da, Píñar's impor- Moorish origin, visible from a tance declined in distance. Olive and almond favour of other trees add colour to its sur- towns repopulated by Christians. roundings. In turn, it serves The town streteches out as a window to the under- from the foot of the castle ground landscape of its caves. and is presided over by the Church of Santa Mónica, which is It is one of the earliest inhabited villages Mudéjar in origin and is of a single aisle in the entire peninsula and dates from with a wooden ceiling. Going up the hill. the Mid-palaeolithic. The remains found one comes to the main precinct of the in the Cueva de la Carigüela and castle, which consists of tracts of wall the neighbouring Ventanas cave are with rectangular towers and two semi- spectacular. The Neanderthal remains circular ones. A cistern made up of two (bones and stone tools) are famous and sections can also be seen. The the Neolithic ones, with their splendidly Carigüela and Ventanas caves are also decorated ceramics can be seen in the on this same rise and are well worth a Archaeological Museum in Granada. The visit, as they offer the visitor a world of history of Píñar is made up of Iberians, natural beauty, which will Romans and Moors. take him on a journey During the Muslim domination, this was through time. one of the principal towns of the area. Following the establishment of the Nasrid frontier, it became a fortified town, against the advances of the Christians from their bases

☛ The Castle 8

Iznalloz

This town, which is the capi- (Artistic-Historic monument), which links tal of the area of the Montes the roads that communicate the Upper Guadalquivir with the valley and the coast Orientales, is very near to of Granada. Only a little while ago a 3rd c. Granada and sits on the edge Roman sculpture, known as the “Togado of the Tajo (gorge) de la Hoz. (togaed) de Periate” was found at the side It was a town of a clearly mili- of a road in the municipal limits of Píñar. It was during the Nasrid period that the tary nature, since the Romans town adopted its definitive name, Hisn al- used it as a strategic enclave Lawza, or what is the same thing, the to defend the road which Castillo de los Almendros. Unfortunately, linked Tarraco with the coastal all that remain to-day are the ruins. The town formed part of the defensive line be- areas of Eastern . tween the Christian and Moorish king- There are many prehistoric remains to be doms. In the 14th c. and 15th c., Iznalloz seen in the town and above all in the nu- became involved in the border skirmishes, merous caves. However, its Roman past is until its fall in 1486, in the wake of the loss very well documented. The town of of Cambil. It became an important com- Acatucci, cited in the mercial, agricultural and livestock centre itineraries of the after the conquest of Granada. Empire, was built A walk through Iznalloz reflects the di- by the Romans, as versity of cultures to which it has been was the bridge in the subject. On entering the town there is a Roman bridge lower town dating from the 1st centu- ry, which spans the course of the River

The Parish Church and, in the background, the fortified ☛ tower of the castle 11

ed by the Morisco rebellion in 1568, and from then on it was only worked on in stages. Attempts to complete the work in the 18th c, were unfruitful and it remains an unfinished building. The modest building of the Old Hospital, the construction of which was ordered by the Catholic Monarchs, is very nearby. It came to be used as the communal Cubillas. It is of a single span with stone granery, which the Church used to store pilasters. The scanty remains of the the tithes. To-day one can pay a visit, to Castillo de los Almendros are further up admire its magnificent coffered ceiling. the hill. They are of Nasrid construction, Near the road toward , one built upon an earlier one, possibly of Al- comes across the Hermitage of Nuestra mohad origin and consist of a mud and Señora de los Remedios, patron saint of rubblework tower and two others, at Iznalloz. It is a simple edifice, with a different levels with stone blocks single nave and a traditional in the corners. At the foot of Mudéjar timberwork ceiling and the castle stands the Parish construction began in the Church of Nuestra Señora 16th century. It was rebuilt in de los Ángeles, the focus of 1960, when two towers were the old town. It is of enor- added to the façade. mous proportions and con- The new part of the town is struction began in the mid- around the Plaza de la Con- 16th c., along designs by stitución, where the one can Diego de Siloé. It is Renais- see the town hall and an old sance in style, on a rectangular fountain with a coat of arms. plan, with three naves divided by The whole township is dedicated cruciform columns with Corinthian capi- principally to farming, above all to culti- tals. Lateral chapels are set in niches. vating the Olive and some of the best The presbytery is covered by a coffered olive oil in all of comes from here, vault, decorated with heraldry and the although it also produces quality wool Imperial coat of arms. The coats of arms and beef. Iznalloz also participates in the of Archbishop Guerrero, and the sculptor, ‘Moors and Christians’ festivals, which are Alonso Hernández, can be seen on the so rooted in the villages which once be- side walls. Its construction was interrupt- longed to the old Nasrid kingdom.

Sierra Arana The spectacular calcareous massif of the Sierra Arana rises to the south of Iznalloz, crowned by the Peña de la Cruz, at an altitude of 2,029 m. Hundred year old pines and masses of Mediterranean forest grow on its slopes.It has a lot of interesting fauna, such as the mountain goat, boar, fox, badger, mountain cat, genet and a great quantity of birds. The Museo Micológico is situated at a spot called the “Casa del Forestal”, in the area of El Sotillo, a place which is dedicated to the study and investigation of different wild mushrooms. This is an area which is open to relaxation, excursions and various sporting actitivities. Another of the attractions of the Sierra Arana are the caves. Perhaps the most beautiful of these is the Cueva del Agua, which is deep and spectacular and has springs and a lake in its interior. ☛ The tower of the Parish Church The Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios ☛ The remains of the fortress 12

Deifontes

Deifontes is the last stop in The population consolidated itself under the Eastern Mountains and the Moors and the hamlet became dependent on Iznalloz. Being on the one is already aware of the frontier, it became involved in border descent towards the capital. skirmishes. There are many references Behind stand the footthills of to those events but in particular, those the Sierra Arana and below it, of the High Constable D. Miguel Lucas de Iranzo. Following the conquest it became the carefully cultivated plain. dependent on the Abbey of Sacromonte, According to the tools dating from the later passing into the hands of the local Palaeolithic and Neolithic period that nobility and finally becoming divided have been found within the town limits, into plots and shared out between it is assumed that the area has been farmers. inhabited since prehistoric times. The Deifontes preserves the aspect of an Roman presence is demonstrated at agricultural village, with its simple Venta del Nacimiento, where a temple whitewashed houses. In the highest part Parish Church dedicated to the Water gods may have of the village stands the of San Martín existed. Some historians think the name , a Mudejar building with a may come from deus and fontes, the single nave and a timberwork ceiling, springs of God; others, perhaps more with tie beams and an interlaced design. correctly, from dar and al-font, The place known as the Nacimiento the home, or place of (source) and the Hermitage of San Isidoro the spring. are on the outskirts. Downhill, one comes to las Erillas, a place where remains have been found, dating from the Neolithic to the Roman and Moorish periods.

The Church of San Martín ☛ The Hermitage of San Isidro The 'Venta del Nacimiento' 15

Albolote

Life under the Nasrids in Al- and the ensuing bat- bolote was just like that in all tle resulted in a de- feat at the gates the other agricultural villages of Granada. of the area; normally pro- A circular lookout sperous and peaceful but not or watchtower of exempt from the fear of sur- the Nasrid period remains on a hill near prise attacks by the Christians. to the town. Its function was the surveil- There are vestiges of Paleolithic lance of the Cubillas corridor. settlement in the area of the Cubillas The centre of the town is the Plaza de dam and also archaeological remains of España, where the Ayuntamiento and Parish Church of the Encarnación a Roman town dating from the 3rd c. AD. the Nonetheless, the establishment of are to be found. Declared a National Albolote as a village dates from the Artistic Monument, it was built in the Nasrid period and is related to the 16th c. along designs by Ambrosio de abundance of holm oaks in its Vico. It is rectangular with three naves surrounding area. It's name, al-Bulut, in and a series of semicircular arches on fact, means holm oak, or forest of holm pillars and a Mudejar coffered ceiling. oaks. An Arab chronicler talks of a The 1610 altarpiece is remarkable and is human settlement in the area, which he the work of the mastercraftsmen Pablo considers to be a hamlet belonging to de Rojas, Bernabé de Gaviria and Marín the district of Elvira. de Aranda. The Battle of Higueruela took place in Outside the town, the shores of the the municipal district of Albolote, in Cubillas dam offer us the possibility of 1431. Juan II of Castile and his favourite, enjoying peaceful and Don Álvaro de Luna, at the head of lovely surroundings. the Castilian troops, came down the side of the Para- panda, camped in the area of Maracena and proceeded to devastate the Vega. The Emir Muhammad IX came out with all his forces

The parish church of ☛ the Encarnación Above, a 13th c. defensive tower.

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Maracena

“According to the infinite the place or the property of Maratius. praise given to it in the ac- The fact that it was an important centre is demonstrated in that an oilmill stone counts of travellers and con- dating from the 2nd c. AD was found in versations at parties, its ex- the present day Casería de los Titos. tensive valley is similar to the Under Muslim domination, Marasana, cultivated plains of Damascus. experienced unequalled prosperity, only broken from time to time by Christian God spread it out like a carpet incursions, such as that by Alfonso I the on a plain furrowed by streams Fighter, in his search for Mozarabs in and rivers, where farmsteads Granada in 1126. Following the conquest and gardens abound, in the of Granada and the crisis of the Morisco population, Maracena had to be most delightful situation and repopulated again. In the ensuing with the greatest abundance centuries it was involved in agriculture, of sown fields and cultivated in particular with the grapevine. In the lands.” al-Saqundi 20th century tobacco was introduced and there was a rapid expansion in Our journey enters its last stage before industrial and residential areas. reaching the legendary capital of the In the centre of the original sector of Nasrids, making a stop in one of the Maracena, we come to the Encarnación most prosperous towns in the Vega. Church consecrated for the Catholic The origins of Maracena are lost in time Monarchs. It is Mudejar in style with a but it is possible that one needs to look timberwork ceiling and was reformed in at the Roman era, as reflect- the 18th century, when a slim tower was ed in its name at the added. This town is surrounded by time, Mara- beautiful countryside. tiena, The writer Emilio Carmona, an authentic 20th c. humanist, has close connections to this village.

The Encarnación church ☛

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Granada

“…Abenalahmar made his way In the year 45 BC, it acquired the rank of towards Granada with great a Roman municipality. In the first decades of the 8th century, the Muslims pomp and ceremony and set decided to transfer the capital of the up camp on the outskirts of district to the foot of the Sierra Elvira. the city, in order to enter the The revival of Granada came in the 11th following day. He then changed c., at the hand of the Berber dynasty, the Zirids. Its period of splendour was be- his mind and entered at sunset tween the 13th and 15th centuries, when on the day of his arrival, with it became the capital of the Nasrid sul- his sword already girded. He tanate, founded by Ibn al-Ahmar. The then went out to Badis ben new dynasty inaugurated its reign with a transcendental gesture: the creation of Habux's castle. Torches the palatine citadel of the Alhambra. burned between the gates and The ancient Nasrid capital allows for an in- he entered with his eunuchs, finity of itineraries. In this case a repre- like a man just married”. sentative selection for the last Muslim city are put foward. The most renown jewel of Under the Nasrids, Granada came to form al-Andalus Art is the Alhambra, whose part of the select group of cities whose name, al-Hamra, means ‘The Red (place)’. history is as strong as their very reality. Although it was preceded by a Muslim The dawn of Granada goes back to the fortress, perhaps of Roman origin, its ap- 7th c. BC, to the Iberian town of Iliberis, pearance began to take shape, thanks to situated on the highest point of the pres- the Nasrids, who created an aristocratic ent day Albaicín quarter.

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essence of Granada. From the Plaza Nue- va, adorned by the Chancery and the Church of Santa Ana, the Carrera del Dar- ro runs round the lower part of the dis- trict. The Bañuelo, the Nogal Moorish baths, a Zirid construction of the 11th cen- tury, the Convent of Santa Catalina, the Casa de Zafra city in Oriental style. The first sultan, Mo- tant of the buildings. A corridor leads to , and the Casa de , hammad ben Nasr, al-Ahmar, is the one the Patio de los Arrayanes, in whose pool home of the Archaeological Museum, the Church of San Pedro y San Pablo who commenced its construction in 1238. the magnificent Comares Tower is reflect- all line The ascent starts from the Plaza Nueva ed, the seat of the Hall of the Ambas- the river, as far as the Paseo de los Tristes. Palacio de los Córdova and first of all passes through the Renais- sadors, a complex built by Yusuf I and The is on the Chapiz hous- sance gate, the Puerta de las Granadas Muhammad V. Alongside, one reaches the Cuesta del Chapiz, as are the es (Gate of the Pomegranates), within the Palacio de los Leones, the focus of the , representing a prototype of Nasrid do- Renaissance building, and it was finished ramparts which connect the Alhambra to private apartments of the Royal family. mestic constructions. At the top of the off in the 17th c. with a Baroque façade, Church of the Torres Bermejas fortress, constructed This is set around a patio in whose centre Cerro del Albaicín stands the designed by Alonso Cano. The Royal San Nicolás by the Nasrids. The road up levels off at stands a fountain supported by twelve li- , a sim- Chapel, which is attached to the Cathe- the Pilar de Carlos V, a fountain in Classic ons. The Sala de los Abencerrajes is situ- ple Mudéjar work dral, is the Mausoleum of the Catholic style, designed by Pedro Machuca. The ated beside this. The Hall of the Two Sis- of the 16th centu- Monarchs. It is Flemish Gothic in style and Gate of Justice, constructed by Yusuf I en ters and the Mirador of Lindaraja are on ry, overlooking was built by Enrique Egas between 1505 1348, towers up beside it. The Alcazaba, the northern side. The Palacio del Partal, the esplanade and 1521. Opposite, is the Madraza, a cen- which is the oldest section of the Al- the oldest palace and built at the be- with the best known mirador in Granada. A tre of studies established by Yusuf I. The Salvador Church hambra, juts out on the western ginning of the 14th c., is beyond few steps on stands the , Alcaicería, formerly a 14th c. silk market, cliff. The keep, the Torre del these, with the Torre de las built on the site of the main mosque of is very nearby, as is the el Zacatín, the Homenaje, was rebuilt over a Damas (Ladies) and the Oratory. the Albaicín. The walk continues across trading centre of the 'medina' and the Alcazaba Qadima previous one by al-Ahmar. The On the way to the Generalife the nucleus of the Plaza de Bib-Rambla. The Corral del Car- Torre de la Vela (vigil) and the there are two more towers, (fortress) and comes out at the Plaza bón, one of the old corn exchanges, is on Pesas Arch Puerta de las Armas are at converted into small palaces: Larga and the las . From this the other side of the calle Reyes Católicos. the forefront of the Alcazaba. The Torre de la Cautiva (Captive), point and for the length of the Cuesta Al- The outskirts of Granada comprise many The Palatine section is to the east from 1340, and the Torre de las In- hacaba, there is a stretch of the 11th c. attractive places, such as the Cartuja of the Plaza de los Aljibes. In the fantas (Princesses), from the mid- ramparts which terminate at another of Monastery, in a lovely setting of or- foreground stands the Palace of Charles 15th century. Above the Alhambra, resting the entrances of the old fortress, the Mon- chards, which was much praised by the Convent of Santa Isabel la V, an unrivalled example of Spanish Re- on a hillside called the Cerro del Sol, is the aita Gate. The Nasrid chroniclers. The Vega itself is a Real naissance architecture, designed by Pedro Generalife, the largest recreational build- is to be found nearby, whose build- complete evocation of the Nasrid world. A Dar al-Horra Palace Machuca in 1527. The Reales Alcázares ing to which the emirs retired. Called, ings overlap into the . consubstantial element of the city is the stretch out from this point, a nucleus of djennat alarif, the “Garden of the Archi- The slopes of the Albaicín run down to the Sierra Nevada, which silhouettes the Puerta de Elvira palaces, with gardens juxtaposed the full tect”, it is a heavenly setting, where plants , with its imposing horse- horizon of Granada and is crowned by length of them. The first and oldest sector and water reign, and where a mirador- shoe arch, which was built in the 11th c. the Mulhacén peak, whose very name is is the Mexuar, a place for audiences and pavilion, dating from the beginning of the and reformed in the 14th c. by the Nasrids. also an evocation of the Nasrid past. the meetings of the councils, the Oratory 14th century, stands before the pleasant In front of the arch there is an area of the and the Golden Room, in front of a patio Patio de la Acequia. city which was urbanized by the Chris- Royal Hospi- with a fabulous façade, which gives access Opposite the regal edifices of the Alham- tians, with buildings like the tal Monastery of St. to the Comares sector, the most impor- bra, the Albaicín portrays the urban and the 16th c. Jerome, the Church and Hospital of San Juan de Dios, built on Baroque lines, the Church of Saints Justo and Pastor and the University. The Gran Vía de Colón brings the itinerary back to the heart of the Muslim 'medina', around the mosque, which was replaced by the Sanctuary and the Cathedral. Commenced along Gothic lines, Diego de Siloé transformed it into a

The Alcazaba The Cathedral ☛ An aerial view of the Patio de los Leones The Alhambra with the Sierra Nevada ☛ Puerta de la Justicia (The Gate of Justice) in the background The Carrera del Darro

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