Baeza: Renaissance, Cathedral and Olive Oil

The centre of Baeza is an outstanding early example of Renaissance civic architecture and urban planning in Spain. During the Renaissance, the city developed into an important ecclesiastical and educational centre. Baeza is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza”, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003.

Culture

The official tourist route through Baeza’s old town begins at the tourist information office on Plaza del Pópulo. It passes through the medieval gateways Portal de Carbonería, Portal de la Alhóndiga and Portal de Mercaderes, continuing to Plaza de España, the Torre de los Aliatares arch, the cathedral, the former university and the Arco de las Escuelas.

Baeza’s Holy Week is an annual tradition dating back to the 15th century and is recognised as a tradition of tourist interest.

The Palacio de Jabalquinto in the centre of Baeza is an example of late Gothic, or Isabelline, architecture and was built at the end of the 15th century. It has a late Renaissance courtyard with a double round-arched arcade, marble columns and Corinthian capitals.

The tower of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady is more than 50 metres high and offers views over Baeza and the Guadalquivir Valley. The cathedral stands on the remains of a Roman temple, which was later converted into a Visigothic temple and subsequently into a mosque. It includes a cathedral museum with religious furnishings and valuable sacred objects, as well as a library with extensive documentary holdings from the 16th and 17th centuries; both areas are open to visitors.

History

The former University of Baeza was founded in 1538 by a bull issued by Pope Paul III; Baeza remains a university town today through the Antonio Machado campus of the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía. Cerro del Alcázar was the original core of the old city of Baeza; finds and materials there provide evidence of settlements from prehistoric, Iberian, Roman and Muslim periods.

The classroom where Antonio Machado taught in Baeza is now a small museum open to the public, with original furnishings and numerous documents belonging to the poet.

Nature

Laguna Grande offers opportunities for relaxation and walking in a natural setting. Laguna Grande is designated as a nature area, a Site of Community Importance and a cultural asset of special interest; these designations date from 1989. Various waterbirds can be found at Laguna Grande, including Eurasian teal, mallard, common pochard and penduline tit.

Geographical Location

Baeza bus station is less than a quarter of an hour’s walk from the town hall and offers connections to Úbeda, Linares, Jaén and other cities in Spain.

Other destinations

Puente Del Obispo, Arbuniel, Guarromán, Cárcheles, Canena, Hornos, Fuensanta De Martos and Aldeaquemada

Culinary Delights

During traditional tapas dining in Baeza, bars and taverns serve a complimentary tapa with every drink purchased—that is, a small sample of the local cuisine. Oleotourism in Baeza includes guided olive oil tastings.

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