History of Frailes
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.
In 1868, when local David Garrido Serrano arrived at the City Council, four years being elected Mayor, infrastructure was a priority issue, especially the replacement of the deplorably dilapidated wooden pontoons with sturdy stone bridges.
In January 1875, the leaders of the Alfonsino de la Villa de Frailes Committee met at the home of their most prominent representative, David Garrido Serrano, and, after reading the Committee’s proposals, they went to the City Council in order to take power as true representatives of the new dynasty. Equipped with the portrait of the young King Alfonso XII, and once in the Town Hall, they placed him in the presidency. To the tune of clamorous cheers, a new Governing Board was also established, headed by monarchist David Garrido.
The twentieth century was opened by José Serrano Linde, who resigned shortly afterwards and was succeeded by Indalecio Bolívar Serrano, who from 1901 to 1903 carried out a series of innovations in the municipality, such as the appointment of district Mayors, who were the representatives of the City Council in areas of the town such as San Antonio and Almoguer, Nacimiento and Solana, Los Rosales and Cañada Alcalá and, finally, Puerto Blanco and Navasequilla. Infrastructures such as bridges, slaughterhouse and public laundries were also renewed and water was conducted from the Nacimiento water source to Plaza Rector Mudarra and Plaza de la Constitución, today Miguel de Cervantes.
There is anecdotal evidence that, in 1909, nobody wanted to be Mayor. Candidacies were so scant that the role almost went to Manuel Garrido Ortega, who was responsible for the installation of public lighting, in 1911. On October 2, 1923, and under the supervision of the post commander Augusto Perojo, Camilo Mudarra Romero was appointed Mayor, beginning a whirlwind of appointment of mayors, always with the presence of the post commanders. There had been a clear reorganization of the municipal finances, reducing the consolidated budget and removing the enormous debt that the municipality was carrying.
The global crisis that had marked a turning point in October 1929, the famous ‘Black Friday’, also marked a break in local politics, with Antonio Gago Mudarra taking over from the City Council, who prioritized the construction of the Valdepeñas de Jaén-Frailes road. For Frailes, the construction of this road was important, since it meant communicating it with Jaén through Valdepeñas and joining the town with Castillo de Locubín.
With the proclamation of the Second Republic on the 15th April 1931, the republican-socialist coalition, headed by Manuel Álvarez Romero, took over the municipal government. During the three years of the Spanish Civil War, Frailes remained loyal to the republican government and, with the front a short distance away at ‘La Cabeza del Molino’, the bombings were heavy and many of the houses were turned into ‘blood hospitals’.