Cazorla Coun Try: Spain
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Si te : Cazorla Coun try: Spain C ON TE N TS OF TH E F I L E Synthesis Architectural typologies present Country’s accepted sites History and general information Current state of vitality and preservation Transformation process Interventions and rehabilitation programmes Bibliography Lexicon SYNTHESIS Cazorla, in the province of Jaén, stands on the western slope of the mountain range of the same name. The town, which became an important ecclesiastic domain, is dominated by the castle of La Yedra, built by the Muslims between the 11th and 13th centuries. The town stands on a steeply sloping hillside and is a characteristic example of a hill settlement with steep narrow streets winding around a hill which is topped by a f ortress, generally of Arab origin. The streets are laid out irregularly and are very steep; they sometimes take the Countr map y f orms of steps and are usually cobbled where the original paving has been preserved. There are some open spaces within the fabric, with characteristic v antage points overlooking the neighbourhood opposite. The houses, built of masonry or rammed earth, usually stand two storeys high with an attic and have small, irregularly laid out openings. They tend to have a single bay perpendicular to the street. The shed or ridge roofs are tiled; in the case of a single pitch, it is characteristic to have eaves at the ridge to protect the top of the wall and shed water into the street. The floors and roof trusses are made of timber, a plentiful material in the area due to the proximity of the Cazorla and Segura ranges. There used to be two canals which provided the town with water and powered two wheat mills within the fabric of the town. Regional scale Source: Geographic map El Guión 2002. Grupo Anaya. Madrid, 2002. Local sc ale ARCHITEC TURAL TYPOLOGIES PRESENT Grouped habitat in the plain / hills COUNTRY’S ACCEPTED SIGNIFICANT SITES Local sc ale Salàs Vall de Bianya Torroella de Montgrí Vilassar de Mar Montuï ri Ibiza Puertomingalvo Aledo Cazorla Osuna Guadix Capilerilla Casares This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 1/3 Cazorla HISTORY AND GENERAL INFOR MATION th Some historians hold that the origins of Cazorla go back to the 6 century BC, but there are no records until the Iberian occupation, when the town was given the name of Castaón. During Roman presence, its name was changed to Carcacena and silver was mined there. During the Islamic period, the town expanded considerably, as the construction of the castle of La Yedra goes to show. In the 13th century, it became the fief of the Archbishop of Toledo, with the name of "Adelantamiento de Cazorla". In the 16th century, numerous lords and families ruled the town, achieving considerable degrees of prosperity. Its decline began after the Cortes of Cádiz in 1812, with the abolition of the lordships. The villa ceased to depend on the archbishopric of Toledo but was granted the title of ciudad in recognition of the bravery with which its inhabitants f aced Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops during the War of Independence. One of the most representative buildings, for its situation on the hilltop, is the Arabic castle of La Yedra, which was extended by the Christians in the 14th and 15th centuries. Mention should also be made of the Renaissance ruins of the church of Santa María, the Fuente de las Cadenas fountain, the Puente de las Herrerías bridge and the church of San Francisco, built in the 17th century. 2 Surface ar ea of the site 305 km Geographical co-ordinates Lat. 37º 54’, long. –3º 00’ Height above sea l evel 768 m Lithology Limestone and sandstone Population 8,394 inhabitants (2001) 2 Population densit y 27.5 inhab./km Average annual maximum temperatures 22.3 ºC Average annual minimum temperatures 11.4 ºC Averag e of maximum temp eratures during 34 ºC the hottest month for 10 year s Averag e of minimum temperatur es during 4.6 ºC the coldest month for 10 years Annual rainfall 558 mm Averag e number of days of rain p er year 89 Graph of average temperat ure and precipit ation Specifi c ch aracteri stics National Park of La Sierra de Cazorla (214,000 ha). Traditional economic activities Farming is traditionally the most important activity, with the cultivation of olives, cereals, legumes and fruit trees. Sheep- f arming and the foodstuffs industry (flour and oil mills) have also played an important role. New economic activities Since the opening of the National Park of La Sierra de Cazorla, the tourist sector is the town’s leading economic activity. Site’s communications with its terr itor y Cazorla is 101 km from Jaén. The N-321 road from Jaén to Ubeda joins the N-322 and there is a junction in Torreperogil, from where the J-314 road leads to Cazorla. It is 363 km from Madrid; the N-IV road leads to Bailén, where it joins the N-322 towards Ubeda, as f ar as the town of Torreperogil. Landscap e The Betic and Sub-Betic ranges extend across the north and centre of the geography of Andalusia, forming the region’s natural border and presenting an undulating landscape of medium height mountains in the western and central sectors, extending as far as the eastern zone with higher areas such as the Cazorla and Segura ranges, with peaks of over 2,000 m. The landscape includes numerous hill villages on strategic natural sites with remains of fortresses. Particularly worthy of mention is the castle of La Iruela of the Knights Templar, built on a rock and very close to the town of Cazorla. The most important natural space is undeniably Cazorla National Park, with the most extensive forests in Spain, covering a surface area of 214,000 ha and comprising the ranges of Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas. It presents a particularly woody landscape with higher indexes of rainfall than its surroundings. The Cañada de Fuentes is the source of the river Guadalquivir which f lows into the reservoir of El Tranco de Beas. The park of Cazorla stands out f or its wealth and variety of species of fauna, with many deer, foxes, genets, wild boar and mountain goats. There are also birds of prey such as the osprey, the griffon v ulture and the golden eagle. As regards the vegetation, there is a predominance of European black pine with patches of Maritime pine, alternating with holm oak and scrub of strawberry trees and savin. Along the watercourses there are poplars, alders, ash and elms, with numerous endemic species. This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 2/3 Cazorla CURRENT STATE OF VI TALI TY AND PRESERVATION In recent years, the development of rural tourism has been a major incentive to the local economy. However, the municipality still preserves much of its traditional atmosphere and there have been no major transformations in its appearance. The state of preservation of housing is acceptable, and it maintains the traditional whitewashing. TRANSFOR MATION PR OCESS In general, there have been no major modifications to the traditional architecture. New constructions tend to be built only on the outskirts of the town, due to the difficulty of access to the central plots, which limits demolition. Most interventions take the form of rehabilitation to preserve the structure of traditional housing. There are some cases of small upward extensions or annexed constructions which partially occupy the spaces behind the houses. The transf ormations are due to changes in use of the interior, introducing new spaces, generally bathrooms and kitchens, with the disappearance of spaces dev oted to farming or stock-keeping chores. INTERVEN TIONS AND REHABILI TATION PROGRAMMES Interventions are limited to partial roof repairs, which often involve the disappearance or reduction of the wooden eaves, and in some cases their complete replacement by a flat terrace. The interior claddings of the houses are habitually changed, with the laying of sandstone floor tiles and ceramic wall tiles f or skirtings. Timber is frequently replaced with metal joinery and the use of PVC roller blinds. The Junta de Andalucía Regional Government has set up various grant programmes for housing rehabilitation. The current Regional Rehabilitation Programme (former Priority Rehabilitation Programme) has been in force in the municipality for some years now. The programme finances 50% of the cost of the intervention and prioritises families with lowest incomes. Contacts César Gómez Fernández. Technical architect. BIBLIOGRAPHY • FEDUCHI, Luis M. Itinerarios de arquitectura popular española. Editorial Blume. Barcelona: 1974-1984. (Volumes III and IV). • FLORES, Carlos. Arquitectura popular española. Aguilar. Madrid, 1973-1977.(Volumes IV and V). File created: 23/02/01 File last modified: 03/05/01 This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 3/3.