Frailes
by Saskia Mier
Frailes is a small municipality in the Sierra Sur region that has managed to preserve, in its streets and buildings, the traditional architecture of agricultural towns reliant on olive tree cultivation, vegetables and cattle raising. It has about 1,580 inhabitants.
HISTORY
The name of Frailes comes from ‘Alfralyas’, a name possibly of Arabic origin which is documented as early as the thirteenth century. From this place came Abu l-Hasan Ali b. Ismail, who was a virtuous Alfaquí who preached in the Alhama de Alcalá mosque, and who died around 1220. After the Castilian conquest of 1341, it was legally dependent on Alcalá la Real. Contemporary history began in Frailes with the French invasion. In the early hours of January 26, 1810, the French approached these lands and the town was subjected to the despotic power of the French represented by the Colonel and Commander Monsieur Mareschal. In the nineteenth century, Frailes adopted its own identity and prepared to face its history. The town became independent from Alcalá la Real on several occasions; after the definitive establishment of independence in 1836, Francisco José García was elected Mayor and eight Councilors made up the first City Council. More>
THINGS TO SEE
Tirolina y Puente Colgante
This thrilling experience begins with zooming over an 80m drop on a 130m zip line across the Velillos River. It is the only urban zip line in the world that starts from a Town Hall. The experience continues across the 150m Colgante Bridge, where you can enjoy wonderful views as you reach the starting point. Visitors can continue the adventure by climbing and abseiling down a climbing wall. (Location)
Iglesia de Santa Lucía
In 1550, Pedro de Valencia built a small chapel at his own expense, on a site that he acquired from Bartolomé Fernández de Montemolín, and paid for the image of Santa Lucía. Teacher Manuel García del Álamo built the altarpiece, which has now disappeared. In 1778, shortly before it was erected as a parish, the baptismal font was brought from the Alcalá de la Mota church. In the eighteenth century, the church started to support the parish of Santa María la Mayor in Alcalá la Real (1778). Adaptations were made to the building by Jacinto Pérez, which consisted of lengthening the nave and building a main chapel. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the church was dedicated to the Virgen de los Dolores. (Location)
Casa del Deán Mudarra
The house of Ezequiel Mudarra was built at the end of the 1920s by master builder Domingo Sánchez Velasco, known as ‘Dominguito’. It has a sober, three-story façade, topped by a railing supported by small pilasters. On the ground floor, there are straight windows and grills, while on the first floor there are balconies with beautifully intricate grills, probably the work of the Lopera family, in which geometric and floral motifs predominate. The interior holds tiles from the Mensaque House in Seville, and a splendid white marble staircase. On one of the side facades, a beautiful closure gives way to a small garden with a cup fountain and views of the main square. Located in Plaza Miguel de Cervantes. (Location)
Casa de José Escribano
This mansion from the same period is located a few meters from Casa del Deán Mudarra, but is the work of other master builder Manuel López Ramírez, known by the nickname ‘Manuel de la Morena’. It is said that, as both buildings were built around the same time, Manuel had the lookout tower built at his own expense so that it would stand out more than that of ‘Dominguito’. Two lanterns, attached to the wall by dragons, illuminate the entrance to the house. Oculos also adorn the façade with a figurehead on the keystone and, between the roof canes, small blue and white tiles form a checkerboard. (Location)
Ermita del Calvario
Located at the highest part of the urban area, a few meters from the top of the hill, this chapel is visible from a distance, welcoming travellers as a beacon that guides and illuminates those who approach. It is reached via a winding path dug into the slope of the hill, between holm oaks and almond trees, dotted with fourteen crosses. There are few historical facts about the origin of this chapel. In 2005, it was refurbished to take on its current appearance. The works were carried out by Florencio Álvarez Muriana. The original image of the Virgen de las Angustias disappeared during the Spanish Civil War, as did that of Cristo Yacente. After the War, Enrique Serrano bought a new image of Las Angustias at his expense. (Location)
Ermita San Antonio
The charming silhouette of this chapel consists of a narrow façade topped by a belfry with a bell which rings every time a devotee arrives or leaves. The interior is surprisingly spacious and decorative, with the altar presiding over the nave, in ochre and gold tones. The altarpiece was acquired in 2008 from a house in Valencia when Manuel Ángel Castillo Quintero was the parish priest. (Location)
Ermita San Pedro
San Pedro is a small chapel in the form of a room that Antonio Pareja, better known as Tío Pelos, gave for the followers of the Patron of the town. The façade is modest, crowned by a somewhat unbalanced belfry, with a bell that was placed at the end of the twentieth century. Though artistically uninspiring, the chapel has great sentimental value for the local community. José López, who was the local undertaker for many years, asked for money from his neighbours until he managed to buy it. Other images in the chapel are those of San Isidro, which was formerly in the Hermandad de Labradores and which was acquired by the Castro-Pareja family, the Virgen de los Dolores and the Santa Cena. (Location)
Puentes
Frailes has a grand total of 13 bridges in its municipal boundary; Puente de la Presilla, Puente Alta, Puente de la Posá, Puente San Andrés, Puente de Soto Redondo, Puente de la Veguetilla, Puente de las Pitelas, Puente de la Cooperativa, Puente de las Cuevas, Puente del Olivar, Puente de Linarejos, Puente Ardales and Puente del Baño.
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NATURAL AREAS
La Martina
The peak of La Martina, with a height of 1,552.84 m above sea level, is the highest point in the mountain range to which it gives its name; the Sierra de La Martina. At the geodesic vertex at its summit, the municipalities of Frailes and Alcalá la Real converge, and are thus framed within the Sierra Sur region. Many hiking and cycling routes offer the chance to traverse and discover this mountain range. It is named after a real woman and is the jewel of the town’s natural environment, an ideal place for hunting enthusiasts.
Los Ríos
The surface runoff discharges its waters mainly towards the Guadalquivir basin, except for small streams and ravines that drain towards the Granada depression on the southern edge. Frailes is divided by two rivers, which are the life source of the dry lands of Vega Frailera. The La Martina River and the Sotorredondo River converge at the San Andrés bridge, from which point the river is renamed Río Frailes; later, in the lands of Ribera Alta, it takes the name of Velillos.
El Tajo
The land to which the town belongs is from the Tertiary Era, from the Jurassic period. El Tajo is an authentic natural monument due to its scientific, cultural and geological value. It is located on Calle Cuevas, precisely because of the caves (cuevas) that formerly existed, which were used as houses. In the 1930s, cave houses were affected by landslides, frequently buried. The retaining wall on Calle Elvira is the work of Domingo Sánchez Velasco, and was built in 1930. The stone that outcrops on both sides of the course of the Frailes River forms calcareous sedimentary rocks full of holes of all shapes and sizes, of a yellowish-gray colour, which are usually formed at the outlet of water courses. Many families hollowed out their own homes here. Of those constructions, only one well-known car remains, ‘La Cueva’. The City Council installed lighting in the stone in 2005.
GASTRONOMY
Popular dishes to try when visiting Frailes include ajo blanco (cold almond and garlic soup), remojón (orange, cod and egg salad), caldera de cocido (bean and potato stew), almoronía (vegetable stew), papas con oreganillo (potatoes with oregano), tortilla de cardillos (thistle omelette), tortilla de collejas (campion omelette), choto frito (fried goat) and setas en salsa de almendras (wild ceps in almond sauce). Sweet treats include leche migá (rice pudding), borrachos (fried pastries), nochegüenos (almond biscuits) and tortas de manteca (lard cakes).
FESTIVALS
Popular festivals in Frailes are Romería en Honor a la Virgen de la Cabeza, Fiesta del Vino, Feria en honor de San Pedro and Festividad de la Patrona Santa Lucía. More>
NEARBY PLACES
The neighbouring villages to Frailes are Alcalá la Real, Valdepeñas de Jaén and Benalúa de las Villas.