Bedmar y Garcíez History
The origins of Bedmar can be traced back to the Iberians, later becoming a Roman castro and in turn inhabited by the Visigoths. However, it was during the Arab occupation of the territory that Bedmar became a formal township through the building of Villa Vieja. In 1411, the Order of Santiago built the “New Castle” modelled on contemporary defensive techniques, making it impossible for the Nasrid troops to attack. The castle’s strategic position on the Nasrid border made it a frequent object of military attention, which ultimately culminated in the Castilian conquest of 1431.
The town of Garcíez was ceded to Fernando III in 1224 during the surrender of Baeza due to its position defending the Bedmar River. The Catholic Monarchs granted Bedmar the title of town in 1494 and, in 1510, it is documented that some Bedmar locals accompanied Don Pedro de Alvarado on his expedition to America.
Towards the end of the sixteenth century, unsanitary conditions led to the relocation of Garcíez to the vicinity of the castle, bringing it closer to Bedmar. The seventeenth century was challenging for both townships, with the populations facing economic hardship and a subsequent decline in numbers. A more stable economy and population began to emerge during the eighteenth century.
The nineteenth century brought the expansion of trade unionism and class struggle, since the majority of the populations of both towns were employed as day labourers. In 1909, the magazine Nuevo Mundo reported an attack by one of the labourers on the Marquis de la Laguna, father-in-law of the Marquis de Viana, in the church at Garcíez.
In the first decades of the twentieth century, Garcíez and Moratalla (Hornachuelos) were the two agricultural entities which received the most funding and investment from José de Saavedra y Salamanca, a key figure in the court of King Alfonso XIII. In the case of Garcíez, the Marquis of Viana made purchases of adjoining plots owned by his wife and acquired a pump made in England for the hydraulic installations on the farm, which included 1,639 hectares and more than 400 workers. In 1926, King Alfonso XIII paid a visit to Jaén and Úbeda, also visiting Garcíez together with the Marquis of Viana and taking an interest in the olive groves and the infrastructures for oil production, inaugurating the La Laguna Hacienda mill.
In 1975 the municipalities of Bedmar and Garcíez merged at the request of Bedmar.