Jabalquinto
by Shenai Martínez Fernández translated by Leoni Chaplow
Jabalquinto is home to Mirador La Carrera, a local beauty spot with a panoramic view over the Guadalimar and Guadalquivir Rivers, surrounding mountains and the city of Jaén. It has about 2,010 inhabitants.
History
Jabalquinto originated as a Muslim tower with the dual purposes of controlling and defending the ford of the Gualdalquivir River. On November 5, 1009, the Battle of Quantix took place in what is now the rural district of Jabalquinto, as recounted in the famous chronicle by Constable Lucas de Iranzo. Count Don Sancho defeated the Almahadí troops, leaving about 20,000 dead on the battlefield, according to the chronicler (though it is feasible that the author exaggerated this figure in order to glorify the battle). The Christians settled in the area and built a castle that has long since disappeared. More>
Things to See
Casa de los Marqueses de Jabalquinto
This house was built between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries inside the medieval castle fortress. In 1856, some works were carried out on the openings, balcony and entrance gate. In its present restored state, it is one of the largest and most beautiful Town Halls in Andalusia. (Location)
Iglesia Parroquial de la Encarnación
Construction of the church began in the sixteenth century, but the population growth of the late eighteenth century necessitated an expansion process which was undertaken throughout the 1800s. The external structure is a very simple rectangular stone structure with a belfry. This aesthetic is matched in the two interior spaces: the rectangular nave, covered with a barrel vault, and the presbytery, perpendicular to the nave and separated from it by three semicircular arches. The most interesting element of the church is its door, a Renaissance masterpiece of 1577 attributed to the Andrés de Vandelvira School. (Location)
Ermita de San Bautista y Nuestra Señora de la Mercedes
The chapel was built by order of the Marchioness, Catalina de Rojas y Sandoval, in 1635. It is a small convent-style building located just behind the Town Hall, next to a viewpoint with excellent views, now deconsecrated and conditioned for housing; its stone walls have a rectangular floor plan and a gabled roof. In the upper centre of the facade is the belfry, with a single hole and a rectangular pediment. In April 2018, the plenary session of the Corporation approved the purchase of the hermitage. Among the ideas for its future are: its conversion into a museum of arts and popular customs, fitting it out for conferences, a cultural space, and above all, the restoration of its heritage. Here you will also find the Mirador de La Carrera viewpoint. (Location)
Things to See outside the town
Finca Badenes (Aires de Jaén)
Finca Badenes is an olive farm with an extra virgin olive oil mill and bottling plant. It is open for visitors, offering several routes around the farm to explain the different varieties and plantations, as well as the facilities in the oil mill and bottling machine, where you can learn about the entire production process. Finca Bedenes also hosts tasting sessions which are carried out by expert tasters. Tailor-made events are also available, including typical local tapas or tasting menus for groups. For a night under the stars within the largest olive grove in the world, Finca Badenes have five fully equipped rental apartments to experience the farm more intimately. (Location)
Estación de Jabalquinto
The station was opened on September 15, 1866 in line with the newly commissioned Vilches-Córdoba railway line that was intended to link Manzanares with Córdoba. MZA’s concession of the line was of great importance, since it allowed the station’s expansion to the south after having managed to link Madrid with Zaragoza and Alicante. In 1941, after the nationalisation of the Iberian gauge railways, the facilities became part of the recently created RENFE. Over the years, a small population nucleus was formed around the station, dependent on the municipality of Jabalquinto. Since January 2005, Renfe has been operating line in Spain while ADIF is the owner of the railway facilities. (Location)
Castillo de las Huelgas
The two towers of this castle have prompted archivists to attribute its construction to the Berber occupation of al-Andalus, although the previous existence of an Iberian oppidum is suggested, with remains of Roman work. It seems that it was remodeled by Castilian Christians in the thirteenth century. In the 1224 campaign, Fernando III of Castile conquered the castle without resistance, together with those of Iznadiel and Espeluy, which highlights the inefficiency of the Almohad defensive system, which spanned a great number of internal conflicts. In 1243, Fernando III granted this castle to the city of Baeza. In 1321 the city of Baeza granted it to Don Día Sánchez de Biedma, among other Mayors of Jaén. In the seventeenth century, Martín Ximena Jurado pointed out that it was ruined and has remained in that state ever since. Located west of Jabalquinto, off the A-44 from Bailén to Jaén, Km 307, next to the farmhouse called Las Huelgas. (Location)
Palacio de Jabalquinto
The palace is the most emblematic building of Jabalquinto, strategically located between the Guadalquivir and Guadalimar Rivers. Its construction was started in the fifteenth century, and it was remodeled in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as well as throughout the second half of the twentieth century due to its ruinous state. Its benefactors were the Benavides Family, owners of the manor after its purchase from Baeza, who decided to symbolize their power by building the palace in the space previously used as a fortress. Centuries later, they passed it on to the Counts of Benavente. The palace has a rectangular floor plan with a built-in garden-orchard. It has a large horizontal façade enriched by two masonry doorways dating from the late sixteenth century. The main one, facing south, opens with a semicircular arch framed by pierced pilasters with Corinthian capitals on high plinths. Its entablature is broken to accommodate a balcony with a lintelled opening and a wrought iron parapet. At its sides are two large noble coats of arms supported by tenants, carved a century later, which have an oval shape on a parchment and crowned cartouche. The interior hall, thought to date from the nineteenth century, has a particularly striking lintelled ceiling with small vaults. Also preserved is a funerary monument in carved stone dated 1895, with plant ornamentation and compound capitals. A further magnificent baroque coat of arms can be found in the courtyard. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1985. Located on Calle Conde Romanones (Baeza). (Location)
Festivals
Popular festivals in Jabalquinto are Fiesta en honor de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, Romería de San Isidro and Fiesta del Emigrante. (Location)
Gastronomy
Those who want to taste the traditional flavours of the cuisine of Jabalquinto should look out for dishes such as guiñapos (tomato, pepper, onion, poatato and rabbit stew, thickened with flour), potaje de garbanzos (chickpea stew) and bacalao con tomate (cod stewed in tomato). Sweet treats include borrachuelos (liqueur soaked buns), magdalenas (muffins) and huevos moles (Spanish version of floating islands).
Bus service
There are bus services from Jabalquinto to Jaén, Mengíbar and Linares. (Location)
Tourist Office
The tourist office of Jabalquinto is located in the Town Hall (Location)
Nearby Places
The neighbouring villages to Jabalquinto are Bailén, Mengíbar and Linares.