History of Villacarrillo
Originally known as Mingo Priego, its current name comes from Alonso Carrillo, who was appointed Archbishop of Toledo in 1445 and granted the municipality the category of town in a founding certificate dated September 1, 1449, later confirmed by King Juan II of Castile on January 1 in 1450 and by the Reyes Católicos on January 25, 1498, thus separating the village from the old town of Iznatoraf.
In the tenth century, an imposing fortress stood on the site of what is now the Vandelvira tower. The Walí and Governor of Iznatorafe jealously guarded the Alto Guadalquivir valley from this vantage point.
In 1235, Fernando III el Santo, King of Castile and León, united with the Archbishop of Toledo, Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada, to conquer this area for the cause of the Cross. They successfully claimed the stronghold of Iznatoraf, until then held by the Moors and their three advance fortresses, the current towns of Villacarrillo, Villanueva del Arzobispo and Sorihuela del Guadalimar. The town of Iznatoraf was considered practically impregnable, guarded by two fortresses at the foot of the mountain which monitored the north and south approaches. To the north, the watchtower gave rise to the village of La Moraleja, the current Villanueva del Arzobispo. To the south, there was another fortress, the current Villacarrillo, which, due to its privileged equidistance between two rivers, dominated the Guadalquivir and Guadalimar basins to the east and west.
Together with the terms of Cazorla, Quesada, La Iruela, etc., the town was organized under the name of Adelantamineto de Cazorla, dependent on the Archbishopric of Toledo. The archbishops of Toledo were, in effect, the sovereigns or lords of this region, by delegation of the King of Castile. They held the power to dictate legislative norms, collect taxes and administer justice. Between the vassals and the Archbishop was the Adelantado, appointed by the Archbishop as a representative of his authority, with a residence in Cazorla, capital of the Adelantamiento.
The government of the tower or fortress, already under Christian sign, was entrusted to a gentleman from Cuenca, Don Mingo de Priego, its first warden, who gave it its name, being known as Chozas de Mingo Priego, Aldea de Mingo Pliego, Muño Pliego, Torre of Mingo Priego, etc. Around this fortress, the buildings of a new town, annexed to Iznatoraf, were gradually erected.
The re-conquered territory was populated with inhabitants from Castile, León, Navarra and the Basque country. With the integration of Iznatoraf into the Jaén Lordship of the Archbishops of Toledo, the period of conquest and formation of the Cazorla Adelantamiento came to an end, launching the active participation of the border towns in the Kingdom of Granada.
King Fernando III donated the town of Iznatoraf to the Archbishop of Toledo, Don Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, in 1246, as a reward for his numerous loyal missions. With this warlike atmosphere between Christian groups, the Moorish raids intensified, and in the autumn of 1452 the incursion of the Moorish King Muhammand IX el Zurdo took place, reducing most of the residents of Villacarrillo to captivity. The growth and importance of the town increased over the next year, until Archbishop Carrillo decided to make it an independent town in 1449, giving it his name and coat of arms. In the summer of 1477, gangs lead by Abü-L-Hasan-Alï, Emir of Granada, assaulted and burnt down the town of Villacarrillo.
When Granada was subdued, the border disappeared and the importance of the Adelantamiento diminished. The lifestyle and character of the inhabitants subsequently changed. At the end of the Middle Ages, when the border with the Kingdom of Granada was stabilized in the Sierra de Mágina, a period of tranquility arrived in the Jaén region of "Las Cuatro Villas", that allowed its economic and social development throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
In the middle of the seventeenth century (1631-1653), the last administrative and political stage of the Adelantamiento de Cazorla was taking place; the Brotherhoods were revitalized, especially that of Santo Cristo de la Vera-Cruz and those of the Santísimo Sacramento. The Parish Archive was organized, according to the disposition of the Synod of Moscoso y Sandoval; the foundations of chaplaincies and other pious works increased; the collection of funds for the works of the new Sanctuary of Cristo de la Vera Cruz experienced a notable increase and the Church of Santa Isabel de los Ángeles was restored.
In 1645, Cardinal Moscoso ordered the reconstruction of the convent temple of Santa Isabel de los Ángeles, at his own expense. The chapel was in poor condition and threatened with ruin. In 1676, the bells were brought for the Vandelvira tower. In 1752, the Local Commission for the operations of the Única Contribución was established in the town in order to complete the so-called Cadastre of the Marquis of Ensenada. This cadastre was commissioned by Don Zenón de Somodevilla, later the Marquis of Ensenada.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Villacarrillo was occupied by the Napoleonic troops. The occupation lasted two and a half years, from January 1810 to September 1812. On October 24, 1810, Brigadier Don Antonio Osorio Calvache, a brave Spanish soldier who commanded the patriotic guerrillas operating in this area under General Blake's orders, was shot here. It was between 1835 and 1837 that disentailment laws, the demolition of the Sanctuary and the transfer of the Sacred Image to the Parish took place.
On May 8, 1877, Don Francisco Romero Robledo, then Minister of the Interior, signed the Royal Decree granting Villacarrillo the title of City, the Royal Decree ratified by Alfonso XII and published in the Madrid Gazette of May 12, 1877. Before issuing the general Exclaustration, the Decree of February 19, 1836 was approved, which is the most transcendental of the nineteenth century.