Torres de Albánchez

Torres de Albánchez, Sierra de Segura Municipality

Torres de Albánchez is a town located to the north-east of the province, in the Sierra de Segura. It erects next to the Torre Fuerte, in a charming serrano landscape, a mixture of olive groves, cereals lands, vegetable gardens and mountainous areas. In this town we can observe monuments such as the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Presentación, Torre Fuerte and Ruins of the Castle Yedra.

Its municipal district belongs to Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park, that is the biggest protected space in Spain: an orographical labyrinth of valleys, limestone quarries, cuts, mountains and high plateaus with a great hydrologic importance (because of the huge quantity of rivers and streams that flow from it); botanical (European Black Pine, Aleppo Pine and many endemic species); the wealth of the fauna, hunting and the landscape. From it we can observe that it is one of the most visited open spaces in the country.

We can find the origin of Torres de Albánchez in one of the numerous castles-fortress that during the Islamic period had Sierra de Segura, the one of Yedra, around which many dispersed small villages gathered in danger times.

The lands that nowadays occupy Torres de Albánchez belonged to Iqlim de Saqura, dependent on the Cora de Yayyan (Jaén), and that from the XI century was an independent lordship, although it is linked to the cora of Tudmir (Murcia).
In 1235 Torres de Albánchez was conquered by the Caballeros de Santiago in charge of the master Pelay Pérez Correa and it went to swell the vast lordship of the Orden with see in Segura de la Sierra. The donation made by Fernando III to the Orden dates in the same year as in Malagón, 1st may.

After the conquest of the town Torres de Albánchez moved from the castle of La Yedra to its current location, where the Christians built a walled enclosure in the XIV century. The enclosure had the tower of Homage Tower that nowadays is located in the centre of the town, surrounded by a walls belt with four solid cubes. These cubes should be erected during the XV century, due to the artillery advances.

Torres de Albánchez underwent a fast increase in the population like we can observe with the construction of a hospital. The XVI century was an economic and social expansion age to the town, in the mid of the century Felipe II gave the title of independent of Segura, although, until the XIX century it was linked with La Encomienda.

In 1575 the duke of Feria was its commander. Torres de Albánchez sent its attorneys to the meetings called in the Monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Peña in Orcera that discussed about mountain regulations that had as its goal kept, conserve and administer the mountains of Segura. In 1744 it was set up the Provincia Marítima of Segura de la Sierra, whose aim was administer the mountains, the headquarters and minister lived in Orcera.

Monuments

Church of Nuestra Señora de la Presentación. Renaissance style.

Archaeological Sites

Torre Fuerte. Remains of the old fortress.

Ruins of the Castillo de la Yedra.

Cave of Los Caballos. In it there were found remains from the Neolithic Age.

Remains of Iberian settlements.

Torres de Albánchez Gastronomy

Typical dishes:

Migas de harina (Flour, olive oil and salt with salted sardines, fried rashers of bacon, dry fried peppers, cucumber, fruits, chorizos …)

Migas de pan (The same that the ones with flour but using bread from the previous days)

Ajo de Harina con Guiscanos (Potato, garlic, ripen tomato, red pepper, flour, guizcanos (edible variety of milk cap mushroom), olive oil, salt and paprika)

Gachamiga (Flour, olive oil and salt. It is cooked the same as the Flour breadcrumbs but without break the dough)

Andrajos (Potato, flour, olive oil, garlic, onion, pepper, salt and paprika)

Ajopringue (Pork liver, crumb, belly pork, olive oil, paprika, garlic, parsley, clove, cinnamon, paprika and salt)

Ajoatao (Egg, boiled potato, olive oil, garlic, lemon and salt)

Pipirrana (Ripen tomatoes, garlic, green pepper, boiled yolk, crumb, salt and olive oil. With hard-boiled eggs, tuna or cod slices)

Galianos (Olive oil, tomate frito (unconcentrated puree made by frying peeled tomatoes), hare, salt and galianeras, thin flat cakes made with dough)

Confectionery

Hornazos (Dough, olive oil, sugar and egg)
Flores (Eggs, brandy, flour, fizzy drink and salt)
Roscos fritos (Fried bread rolls)
Tortas de garbanzos (Dough, chickpeas and olive oil. When the flat cakes are made they are baked)
Torta de Manteca (Dough, lard and sugar)
Panetes de Semana Santa (Egg, water, flour and salt. You can eat with sweet stock and matalahúva)
Borrachuelos (Olive oil, white wine, flour, salt and peel lemon)

How to get there

You have to exit Jaén towards Mancha Real – Baeza – Úbeda. Then you have to cross Baeza and take in the exit turn left in the Motorway A-316. Alleyway of Úbeda. In the roundabout, take Salida 3 and continue in the Motorway A-301. Turn right in N-322. Alleyways of El Campillo and Villacarrillo. In the area around Puente de Génave, continue in the Motorway A-310. Turn left in JV-7051 until you get Torres de Albánchez.

Distances

Jaén 150 km
Reolid 36 km
Benatae 11 km
Las Graceas 22 km
Puente de Génave 21 km
Fábricas de Riópar 39 km
La Puerta de Segura 14 km
Los Llanos de Arriba 18 km

Torres de Albánchez Town Hall