History - La Puerta de Segura
The strategic position of this town, formerly called “Lugar Puerta”, at the natural entrance to the Sierra de Segura, led to the erection of defensive constructions going back to the Islamic period. It has been populated since prehistoric times. The first settlers in the Middle Paleolithic (Musterian) settled on the banks of the Guadalimar River, dedicating themselves to hunting and gathering. In the Copper Age they occupied the Pastor and Reina caves, to which must be added those of Gallo, Carrascaílla, etc., which would continue to be inhabited in the Bronze Age.
The strategic character of La Puerta de Segura, a passage between Upper Andalusia and the Levante, is evident in the Iberian period in Bujalamé, whose ceramic remains reveal agricultural, livestock and commercial activity. The urban framework of this town dates back to the Middle Ages, with a defensive nature, adapted to the physical environment - sloping, narrow, winding streets, and dead ends. The only remaining part of the complex is a tower and the foundations of the old Arab bridge that was built on a Roman foundation.
La Puerta de Segura was conquered by Don Pelayo Pérez Correa, master of the Order of Santiago when he took Segura, becoming part of the province of Castilla and a landmark of the Kingdom of Murcia, Granada and Toledo. Puerta de Segura belonged to the Santiago Encomienda of Segura de la Sierra which was attached to the Fuero de Cuenca from 1246 to 1748. It had the Common Ordinances of the town of Segura of 1580, which granted it the privilege of having its own legal, economic and social regime. The Marine Forest Ordinance of 1748 was the main cause of the end of the Common of Segura and its land, which ended the forestry exploitation of the locals, reduced livestock farming and devastated a large part of the forests of the Sierra.
The town had a prominent place in the War of the Communities at the beginning of the reign of Carlos V. The captain of the Germanía de Villarrodrigo was sentenced to death by the Bachelor Alcalá following instructions from the Governor of Segura. The captain’s children and friends entered the fortress of La Puerta, where the Bachelor lived and killed him. Justice later had them killed and their heads nailed to the fortress.
On January 22 1811, La Puerta suffered an attack by French troops who set fire to the old church. The current church was built in 1821 by Infante Francisco de Paula. In 1833 it was separated from Segura and received the title of town in 1837, to which the term “Segura” was added in 1917 to differentiate it from other towns of the same name.
In 1911 and 1930 there was a flow of immigration that contrasted with the other decades. This immigration was occasional, due to the construction works of the Baeza-Utiel railway starting in 1927. The completion of the works brought with it a considerable contingent of people. In 1933 Puente de Génave and Peñolite were segregated, which represented a significant demographic and economic decline that continued until the 1960s. Currently, seasonal migrations continue to occur related to downtime in agricultural activity in the area.