Cazorla is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

located in the province of Jaén,

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

. According to the 2024 INE figures, it had a population of 7,071 inhabitants.

Description

Cazorla lies at an elevation of 836 metres on the western slope of the

Sierra de Cazorla Sierra de Cazorla is a mountain range of the Prebaetic System in the Jaén Province in southern Spain. It is named after the town of Cazorla. Its highest point is the 1,847 m high Gilillo peak. Geography This mountain range is located betwee ...

. It is the entry point and base for visits to the Natural Park of Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park, a vast protected area of magnificent river gorges and forests. Spain's second longest river, the

Guadalquivir The Guadalquivir (, also , , ) is the fifth-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula and the second-longest river with its entire length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is the only major navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable from Seville ...

, has its source in the mountains to the south of the settlement. Distances to nearby cities are: Jaén, 121 km.;

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

, 205 km.; and Linares, 71 km. Se
Mapa de Carreteras de Jaén
The town is constructed around three main squares, the Plaza de la Constitución (''La Tejera''), the Plaza de la Corredera (''El Huevo'', because of its egg shape), and the Plaza Santa Maria (''La Plaza Vieja''). The Cerezuelo River runs underneath the Plaza Santa Maria. This last square is the oldest and is connected to the other two by narrow, twisting streets. It takes its name from the old cathedral which, unfinished and damaged by floods in the seventeenth century, was later burnt by French troops. It is now in ruin, and it serves as scenic or institutional events. Above the square sits an austere, reconstructed

Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...

castle tower called La Yedra. Still higher up on the rocky escarpment lies the ruins of yet another ruined fortress, the Castle of the Five Corners (''Castillo de las Cinco Esquinas''). A recommended excursion is to the nearby village of La Iruela, which has a ruined Moorish fortress perched on a daunting rock peak. A number of battles were fought here during the

Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...

until Don Rodrigo Jimenez de Rada,

archbishop of Toledo The Archdiocese of Toledo () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Spain.

, reconquered it in 1231 and made it the seat of his archbishopric. Its primitive structure is relatively intact. The principal defenses consist of a crumbling principal tower and two separate enclosures, with some of its battlements still intact, connected by a long curtain wall. These walls also protected the monastery, whose remains are still visible nearby. Se
Castles
The history of Cazorla goes back more than two thousand years. Under the

Romans 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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

the town had the name of ''Carcacena''. Not only were there significant Iberian and Roman settlements here, but this was also the see of one of the first bishoprics of early Christian Spain. Under the

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

it was a strategic stronghold and one of dozens of fortresses and watchtowers guarding the mountains. Taken after a bitter struggle in 1235, during the Reconquista, the town then acted as an outpost for Christian troops. Today Cazorla is heavily dependent on rural tourism and hosts events such as the Cazorla Blues Festival each July. There is also production of high-quality

olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

from the one third of municipal land planted in olive trees. Sierra de Cazorla is the Denomination of Origen for this olive oil. Se
Sierra de Cazorla
The town celebrates its annual fair in mid-September. The town there has a number of three- and four-star hotels and rural guest houses. Winter nights can be cold and windy due to the elevation, but snow is infrequent. Summers are cooler than the low-lying plains to the west and the town fills with tourists during the summer months.

Gallery

Cazorla - Castillo de la Yedra - 02.jpg, Castillo de la Yedra, viewed from town. Cazorla - Castillo de la Yedra - 05.jpg, Castillo de la Yedra, the town and the hermitage of Virgen de la Cabeza. Cazorla - Ruinas de Santa María - 01.jpg, Ruins of St. Mary's church. Cazorla - Ermita de la Virgen de la Cabeza - 02.jpg, Hermitage of Virgen de la Cabeza. Cazorla - Río Cerezuelo - 03.jpg, River Cerezuelo near the town's limits.

Twin towns — Sister cities

* La Sénia,

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

References

External links

CazorlaPhotos of CazorlaWeb Portal of Sierras de CazorlaThe Forum

Natural Park Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas
{{authority control Municipalities in the Province of Jaén (Spain)

Description

Gallery

Twin towns — Sister cities

See also

References

External links