Pozoblanco () is a town in the
province of Córdoba, southern
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 ...
, in the north-central part of the
autonomous community
The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...
of
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 ...
. It is located near the
headwaters
The headwater of a river or stream is the geographical point of its beginning, specifically where surface runoff water begins to accumulate into a flowing channel of water. A river or stream into which one or many tributary rivers or streams flo ...
of the Guadamatillas and other small sub-tributaries of the
Guadiana
The Guadiana River ( , , , ) is an international river defining a long stretch of the Portugal-Spain border, separating Extremadura and Andalusia (Spain) from Alentejo and Algarve (Portugal). The river's basin extends from la Mancha and the e ...
, in the lowlands of
Los Pedroches
Los Pedroches is a natural region and comarca in Córdoba Province, Andalusia, southern Spain. It is located in the Sierra Morena area at the northern end of the province. The main town is Pozoblanco.
The climate of the comarca is continenta ...
, which lie between the Sierra de la Alcildia on the north and the
Sierra Morena
The Sierra Morena is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. It stretches for 450 kilometres from east to west across the south of the Iberian Peninsula, forming the southern border of the ''Meseta Central'' plateau and providi ...
on the south.
It is the birthplace of the novelist
Rafael Peñas Cruz and the composer
Lorenzo Palomo
Lorenzo Palomo (10 March 1938 – 13 April 2024) was a Spanish composer and conductor. He was chief conductor of the Valencia Orchestra from 1973 to 1976 and conductor and pianist of the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1981 to 2004. Several of his com ...
.
History
Pozoblanco, like other nearby towns such as
Villanueva de Córdoba, probably originated in the mid 14th century when residents of
Pedroche fled from the
bubonic plague
Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...
. Alternatively, Pozoblanco may have begun as a small outpost that developed over time as residents of Pedroche were forced to pasture their livestock further and further from the town. Another possibility is that Pozoblanco was founded by a Jewish community, perhaps after being expelled from Pedroche.
The first settlements were in the area known today as “Pozo Viejo.” According to tradition, the town grew up around a well that had turned white from the excrement of chickens, hence the name Pozoblanco, meaning “white well.” The well and chicken can also be seen on the town coat of arms.
Pozoblanco depended administratively on Pedroche until it obtained the title of Villa around 1478. In the medieval era, the history of Pozoblanco is tied to that of the so-called “Seven Villas of the Pedroches” (Pedroche, Torremilano,
Torrecampo, Pozoblanco,
Villanueva de Córdoba,
Alcaracejos and
Añora). This community was broken up in 1836 and the communal lands were redistributed among the towns. Pozoblanco received the title of city from
King Alfonso XIII on April 22, 1923.
Pozoblanco remained loyal to the
Republic
A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
throughout the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
. The battle of Pozoblanco took place in March 1937, when the forces of
General Queipo de Llano attempted to conquer the town. However, the troops of the
Spanish Republican Army
The Spanish Republican Army () was the main branch of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic between 1931 and 1939.
It became known as People's Army of the Republic (''Ejército Popular de la República'' ...
under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Joaquín Pérez Salas defeated the Nationalist forces and held the town. In late March 1939, Pozoblanco was conquered by the armies of the Francoist faction.
See also
*
List of municipalities in Córdoba
Córdoba is a province in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain, which is divided into 77 municipalities. Spanish census, Córdoba is the 20th largest of the 50 provinces by population, with inhabitants, and the 13th largest by land ...
Twin towns
*
Le Mée-sur-Seine,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
*
Meckenheim
Meckenheim (; ) is a town in the Rhein-Sieg district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Geographical situation
Meckenheim is situated approximately 15 km south-west of Bonn and separated from the German former capital (1949 ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
References
External links
Pozoblanco- Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía
Ayuntamiento de Pozoblanco
Municipalities in the Province of Córdoba (Spain)
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