BAEZA
www.baeza.es
Splendour of Renaissance
If you thought to travel to Andalusia, then do not forget
to point out Baeza on your road book.
Located close to Guadalquivir, in the province of Jaén,
Baeza offers to the curiosity of the visitor an exceptional
heritage.
The history of this city, of more than 16.000 inhabitants,
is particularly rich. It goes back indeed to the Bronze Age
and numerous excavations carried out on its territory
testify of its Iberian, Roman and Visigoth past.
Its strategic situation, at the crossing of natural
important ways, made it an important fortified city during
califal time and omeyyade occupation. Then renamed Bayyasa
under Al' Andalus, walls were built and the urban structure
of Baeza is set up gradually. During all the medieval
period and the centuries of requonquista its position
between Castille and Andalusia, gives it a great importance
at the regional level.
It is nevertheless in XVI century that Baeza, developing
with the Spanish "siglo of oro" movement, knows its
cultural apogee. It was time when the splendour and the
radiation of this small Andalusian city reached a
remarkable refinement architectural degree of constructions
that one can still admire those days in the different areas
of the city.
Within the many public and religious buildings, Islamic,
mudéjar, Gothic, or baroque styles are gathered and made of
Baeza one of the jewels of Renaissance in Andalusia. It is
for all these reasons that Baeza, is associated to its
neighbour, Ubeda, has been registered since 2003 on the
list of world heritage of UNESCO.
