Úbeda, with about 33,500 inhabitants, lies in the province of Jaén, in Andalusia, on a hill surrounded by a sea of olive groves in the Loma region. With nearby Baeza, about 9 km away, it has been a UNESCO site since 2003 for its Renaissance monumental ensembles, among the finest examples of the Renaissance in Spain. See also 16th-century art in Spain.
History
A thriving Muslim town, it was taken by the Christians in 1233. In the 16th century the city's powerful families, linked to Charles V's imperial court, such as Francisco de los Cobos, the emperor's secretary, and his nephew Juan Vázquez de Molina, commissioned palaces and churches from the architect Andrés de Vandelvira, who created an original Renaissance style.
Plaza Vázquez de Molina
Plaza Vázquez de Molina is one of Europe's most harmonious Renaissance ensembles. Around it stand:
- the Sacred Chapel of El Salvador, Francisco de los Cobos's funerary chapel, designed by Diego de Siloé and built by Vandelvira, with its carved façade and Alonso Berruguete's altarpiece;
- Vandelvira's Palacio de las Cadenas, now the town hall;
- the Palacio del Deán Ortega, now a parador;
- the basilica of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares, with Gothic cloisters.
What to see
- The Hospital of Santiago, called "the Andalusian Escorial", with its patio and grand staircase.
- The church of San Pablo and the Vela de los Cobos palace.
- The recently discovered Synagogue of the Water and the walls with the Puerta de Granada.
- The potters' quarter, where traditional green ceramics are still made, and esparto workshops.
Baeza
Baeza has Vandelvira's Renaissance cathedral, Plaza del Pópulo with its Lions' Fountain, the Palacio de Jabalquinto, with its Isabelline Gothic façade, and the old university, where the poet Antonio Machado taught: his classroom can still be visited.
Food
Local extra virgin olive oil, andrajos, ochíos, small paprika breads, pipirrana, game and aubergines.
Getting there
Úbeda is about 55 km from Jaén, linked by bus. The nearest railway station is Linares-Baeza. The nearest airports are Granada, about an hour and a half away, and Málaga. See also cities of Andalusia.