Torres
by Saskia Mier
30 kilometres east of the city of Jaén, within the Sierra de Mágina mountain range, lies Torres. Torres is a village with a rich historical heritage. It features traditional Andalucian architecture with whitewashed houses and charming courtyards. There are many walking routes around the village. Torres is known as the birthplace of the Imagina Funk Festival, which was held in the village from 2015 to 2022. It has around 1,400 inhabitants.
HISTORY
The origins of the village of Torres date back to the Upper Palaeolithic. The first dwellings discovered were in the nearby Cerro del Morrón, where the inhabitants found shelters suitable for living. Another settlement chosen by the first inhabitants of the area was Cerro Alcalá, also known as Ossigi. Cerro Alcalá is 687 metres above sea level, making it a good natural defence against possible invasions. This allowed the settlements to continue until the Iberian period, when the enclosure was fortified and the population increased considerably. More>
THINGS TO SEE
Iglesia de Santo Domingo Guzmán
The church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán was built between the 16th and 17th centuries in the Renaissance style. On closer inspection, there are features that show that it also departed from pure classicism to merge with popular forms of construction. It is notable for its location on the top of a cliff, which necessitated the construction of an enormous retaining wall with eight arches that are connected internally at the top by a vault on which the church was built. The church itself has a single nave divided into three sections with covered vaults. There is a choir at the foot of the nave. Side chapels and a presbytery are covered by a barrel vault. The entrance is a wooden door carved with cassettes and partially decorated with acanthus. (Location and more).
Palacio de los Cobos
The Renaissance Palace of Los Cobos, also known as the Palace of the Marquis of Camarasa de Torres, was built in 1565. It shows the splendour that the city experienced after Carlos V gave it to his secretary, Don Francisco de los Cobos. The building façade is divided into two halves by an entablature supported by two fluted stone columns. Below this is a semi-circular entrance arch with an acanthus keystone. The upper part is crowned laterally by two vases on pedestals and, in the centre, a shield with a coat of arms and the cross of Santiago between smaller columns decorated with reliefs. In 1997 the building was included in the General Catalogue of Andalusian Historical Heritage. Today it is used as a local health centre. Located on Calle Prior Higueras. (GPS 38.00850, -3.366164)
Iglesia del Santo
The Iglesia del Santo, also known as the Ermita de Santo, is a small church in the centre of Torres, built in stone and plastered and painted white in the traditional way, with decorative corners that reveal the stonework. The current building dates from the twentieth century, although the original building was sixteenth century, from which the works of art have been preserved. It has a single nave with a presbytery on steps and a choir at the foot. The exterior is very simple and the main façade is the pediment. The church preserves a seventeenth-century oil on canvas with the iconography of the Ecce Homo: a seated Christ, painted in the style of the Baroque aesthetic of tenebrism. Another 18th-century oil painting depicts the Divine Pastora, a popular theme with strong chromatic contrasts. A wooden carving of a crucifix dates from the twentieth century. Located in Corredera street. (Location).
THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE THE TOWN
Cueva del Morrón
The cave was discovered in 1981, a cave with a large chamber with numerous limestone formations. It contains a series of cave paintings dating from the end of the Palaeolithic period, between 15,000 and 10,000 BC. They are important because they are the only Palaeolithic paintings in the province of Jaen. The paintings describe hunting; on a smooth surface we find a red caprid (animal of the goat or antelope family) drawn to indicate movement, and another incomplete black caprid, missing the hind legs and tail. The cave is located on the northwest of Mount Aznaitín. The paintings mainly depict two caprids, one black and the other red, both of which are of great interest for their strokes. The Prehistoric Studies Group has defined this site as a "background sanctuary", placing it between the Solutrean and Lower or Middle Magdalenian periods. The cave was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest with the legal protection of a Monument in the BOE dated 29 June 1985.
Hotels in Torres
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NATURAL AREAS
Monte Aznaitín
The authentic landscape landmark of the Sierra Mágina Natural Park, whose summit is at 1,720m. It is one of the most significant mountainous areas of the Natural Park with panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes. There are numerous hiking trails. This mountain is also home to Cueva del Morrón, Located 10km north of the town, off the JV-3221.
Monteagudo
This mountain range is an exceptional natural viewpoint to contemplate beautiful and impressive panoramic views of the Sierra Mágina Natural Park. Located 6km southeast of the town.
BUS SERVICE
There is a bus service from Torres to Jaén. More>
GASTRONOMY
Visitors to Torres can sample traditional dishes such as papas al ajillo (garlic potatoes), carnerete (pork stew), guiso en miguilla (potato stew) and mojili torreño (cold tomato soup). Sweet treats include roscos de vino (aniseed biscuits), ajuelas (sweet pastry) and hornazos (sweet filled breads). It is also worth trying the vino de nueces (walnut liqueur) and risol (a drink made with coffee, chocolate, apple and aniseed liqueur).
FESTIVALS
Popular festivals in Torres are Fiesta de Nuestro Padre Jesús de la Columna, San Marcos and Fiestas de los Jornaleros.
The village was the location of the summer Imagina Funk Festival from 2015 to 2022. The best funk festival in Spain takes place each year over two or three days in mid or late July. In 2023 the festival moved to Pozo Alcón in the Sierra Carzola, Jaén of Torres
WEATHER FOARECAST
The weather forecast for the next few days for Torres. More>
TOURIST OFFICE
The tourist office of Torres is located in the Town Hall. More>
NEARBY PLACES
The neighbouring villages to Torres are Albanchez de Mágina and Mancha Real.