Segura de la Sierra

Segura de la Sierra municipality
	Segura de la Sierra - town view
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Andalusia
Province :	Jaén
Comarca :	Sierra de Segura
Coordinates	38 ° 18 ′ N , 2 ° 39 ′ W Coordinates: 38 ° 18 ′ N , 2 ° 39 ′ W
Height :	1100 msnm
Area :	225.02 km²
Residents :	1,790 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density :	7.95 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	23379
Municipality number ( INE ):	23081
administration
Website :	Segura de la Sierra

Segura de la Sierra is a southern Spanish town and a municipality ( municipio ) consisting of the main town and several hamlets (aldeas) and individual farms with a total of 1,790 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) in the south of the province of Jaén in the autonomous region of Andalusia . The place is recognized as a conjunto histórico-artístico .

location

The place Segura de la Sierra is located in the Sierra de Segura about 150 km (driving distance) northeast of the provincial capital Jaén at an altitude of about 1050 to 1140 m above sea level. d. The city of Albacete is another 150 km to the northeast . The climate in winter is temperate, while in summer it is warm to hot; the low amounts of precipitation (approx. 485 mm / year) fall - with the exception of the almost rainless summer months - distributed over the whole year.

Population development

year	1857	1900	1950	2000	2016
Residents	2,338	2,929	4,736	2,204	1,845

The significant population decline in the second half of the 20th century is essentially due to the mechanization of agriculture and the associated loss of jobs.

economy

Segura de la Sierra is located in the northeast of the seemingly endless olive tree plantations of the Jaén province. In the past, cereals, vines, etc. were also planted for self-sufficiency ; Vegetables came from the house gardens. Livestock (sheep, goats, chickens) and forestry are also operated. Small traders, craftsmen and service companies of all kinds have settled in the village. There are also several holiday homes (casas rurales) .

history

Neolithic rock paintings were discovered in the municipality . Phoenicians and Carthaginians probably called the place Tavara , the Romans called it Tader and operated ore mining here. At the beginning of the 8th century the area was overrun by the Moors ; they called the place Saqūra . After the end of the Caliphate of Cordoba (1031), the remote area became part of the Taifa Kingdom of Saragossa . In 1091, the Almoravids took over power, which passed to the Almohads in the middle of the 12th century , which, after their defeat in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) , resulted in increasing attacks by their Muslims ( Ibn Hud , Muhammad I. ibn Nasr ) and Christian neighbors. In 1214 Segura de la Sierra was recaptured by the Christians ( reconquista ) and given to the Order of Santiago for military security . With the Alhambra Edict (1492) of the Catholic Kings began the expulsion of the Sephardic Jews ; in the years around 1610 the last Muslims ( moriscos ) were also expelled.

Attractions

Castle (castillo)

Alley in the place

Parish church (paroquía)

The castle (castillo) was probably built in the 11th century, but it did not get its current appearance until the knights of Santiago and restorations in the 20th century. The castle gate is angled; behind it is the courtyard (patio de armas) with a cistern (aljibe) and a bathing area (baños arabes) . The approximately 18.50 m high keep (torre del homenaje) was mainly used for residential purposes. A free-standing castle chapel was also part of the ensemble; its apse is ribbed .
Large parts of the former city fortifications - partly built using rammed earth technology and provided with several towers - have been preserved.
The winding and gently sloping streets in the village are delightful.
The parish church (Iglesia de Santa María del Collado) dates from the 16th century; the vaulted nave received three later chapel extensions, which also served to stabilize the masonry. The church houses numerous figures, including a small late Gothic Madonna and Child (Virgen de la Peña) and some pictures.
In front of the church there is a representative fountain (fuente imperial) , the long basin of which also served as a cattle trough (abrevadero) .
The Church of the Jesuit Order was built between 1583 and 1593. After the Jesuits were driven out by King Charles III. and Pope Clement XIV in the years 1767 to 1773 began the gradual decline of the building, which could be stopped by a thorough restoration at the end of the 20th century.
The town hall (ayuntamiento) is located in the former administrative seat of the Jesuit order (Casa de la Compañía de Jesús) . The portal with an outside balcony above is well worth seeing.
The Islamic bathing complex (hammam) , built on Roman foundations with its brick vaults pierced by small air openings, is well preserved or restored .

Surroundings

The wooded surroundings of the mountain village are ideal for hiking. Sometimes you come across old kilns that were in operation until the 19th or early 20th century.

Web links

Commons : Segura de la Sierra - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Segura de la Sierra, Sightseeing - Info (Spanish)

Individual evidence

[1] Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).

[2] Segura de la Sierra - Map with altitude information

[3] Segura de la Sierra - climate tables

[4] Segura de la Sierra - population development

[5] Segura de la Sierra - Economy etc.

[6] Segura de la Sierra - History

[7] Segura de la Sierra - History in Key Words

[8] Segura de la Sierra - Castillo

[9] Segura de la Sierra - Castillo

[10] Segura de la Sierra - City Walls

[11] Segura de la Sierra - Parish Church

[12] Segura de la Sierra - Fountain

[13] Segura de la Sierra - Jesuit Church

[14] Segura de la Sierra - Town Hall

[15] Segura de la Sierra - Hammam