Iznalloz is a small town about 35 km north of Granada, Spain. The town is the main center of a region known as Los Montes Orientales, which comprises about 17 towns and villages spread over the north of the province of Granada. Encompassed within this area is the Sierra Arana mountain range (highest peak just over 2000 m).

History

There are prehistoric paintings and tools in the caves surrounding the village. The Iberian peoples are thought to have settled here. The village sits on the banks of the River Cubillas and what was once on an important

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

road to

Tarraco Tarraco is the ancient name of the current city of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). It was the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula. It became the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Citerior during the period of the Roman Republi ...

(ancient Roman name for

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tarr ...

) traversing via the south eastern coastline of the Iberian peninsula. The people of Iznalloz attribute their origins to the Romans and call themselves Acatuccitanos, after Acatucci, the Roman name for the village. Roman imperial soldiers built a garrison, on the hill in what is now the old quarter of the village, and constructed a bridge over the river which remains in use. The origin of the modern name, Iznalloz, has its roots in the

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

''Hisn Allauz'' which means ‘ castle of Almond trees’. Only the ruins of the castle remain, but it formed part of the front line of Muslim defense during the latter days of the reconquest of Spain. The village fell into Christian hands in 1486, after which Iznalloz and its neighbouring villages aided in the siege of Granada. As payment for their services the people of Iznalloz were exempt from various taxes. Following the Catholic reconquest of Granada, Iznalloz became an important centre for commerce and agriculture. Due to the growing population of workers, and their importance to the local economy, the Reyes Catolicos (Catholic Monarchs) decreed the construction of a hospital to care for the infirm. The building which is now called ''El Posito'' became a store for the village harvests.

Main sights

*16th century church of ''Ntra. Sra. de los Remedios'' (16th century), designed by

Diego de Siloé Diego Siloe (anglicized) or Diego de Siloé (c. 1495–1563) was a Spanish Renaissance architect and sculptor, progenitor of the Granadan school of sculpture. He developed the majority of his work in Andalusia. Biography Siloe was most likely t ...

and the ruins of an ancient Moorish castle. *Roma Bridge over the Cubillas river *''Castillo de los almendros'', remains, including two towers, of a Moorish fortress *''Cueva del agua'', a group of Jurassic caves where numerous findings from the Stone Age have been found

Economics

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

is and has always been Iznalloz's major source of income and the cultivation of

olives The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' 'M ...

is by far the most common agricultural activity in the municipality. Some of the best olive oil in Spain is produced in this region. The local mountain range of Sierra Arana is particularly picturesque and boasts a large number of

caves A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

. Of these the deepest is La Cueva del Agua (Cave of water).

References

{{authority control Municipalities in the Province of Granada