Jamilena

Nature

Jamilena with only 8.99 km² of surface, becomes the village of the province from Jaén. In the Sierra de la Grana with a maximum altitude of 1240 m and that can be traveled by one of the many paths that walk it. It's located at 16 km. of the capital, Jaén, and a 765 m of altitude over sea level. Its municipal term is divided into two well-differentiated halves: the serrana area, dedicated to pastures, and the other half populated with olive trees.

The vegetation has undergone a profound transformation throughout history: most of the territory is currently dedicated to the cultivation of the olive tree in a dry form. The original vegetation corresponded to oak, bushes and mountain pastures in the higher areas. So we can say that the indigenous vegetation practically. It's non-existent. This town has no river and the wetlands we can say do not exist.

The flora of the term is dominated by the olive, located in a large percentage of the land of the municipality. It also exists indigenous vegetation of the Mediterranean forest in the mountain areas, where we see species such as: the oak, coscoja, white jara, cornicabra, complaining and abundant number of aromatic plants such as lavender, rosemary or thyme.

The fauna is mostly made up of animals of medium or small size. The large vertebrate fauna associated with forests and bushes is currently very little due to the agricultural transformation and persecution of many species. The great Iberian mammals: the bear, the wolf and the lince... disappeared. Other species of great natural value such as the royal eagle or the royal owl They still have some couples. The area provides shelter to some species of mammals such as badger, field mouse and boar.

In addition to invertebrates, small fauna is particularly interesting. Instructive birds, by the ecological role they play. Birds like the myrtle, the zorzal, the red petrored, the curuca, the vegetables and the jilgueros They play a very important role in the control of insects that can become plagues of the olive tree.

For nature lovers, Jamilena offers an interesting natural offer to perform different hiking routes such as the "La Cueva Palomera y Pecho de la Fuente" in which you can climb to the top of the Peña de la Fuente and visit the Cueva de la Palomera of special tourist interest. It is a recently rehabilitated path with a journey of approximately 2 km of one-way with a degree of average difficulty and has an estimate of time of 1 h 30 minutes. Along the path a carrasco pinar is extended and a beautiful panoramic view can be seen on the highest altitude of the path.

Another natural offer option would be to approach natural space of the Bañizuela, offers unparalleled views of the countryside landscape and the surrounding mountains.

Parties and Events

Jamilena's festive cycle is immersed in the popular agricultural culture, with a multitude of references to the countryside and its work at the roots of traditional festivals and legends. From the festive cycle, they highlight:

• San Antónon January 17. The party begins with the burning of fires in his honor. Some say that the custom of "marrano de San Antón," a pig who was raised by all the neighbors of the village to rifle him on the day of his holiday and the benefits were for the Brotherhood or the parish, had its origin in Jamilena.

• San Isidro, is celebrated on May 15 and is the pattern of those who work in the agricultural work. The festivities start on May 13, when the saint is descended from his hermitage to the church of Our Lady of Nativity. The next day it will be carried to its hermitage on a cart, not missing the festive atmosphere throughout the night until the 15th, when it is processed through the fields to bless them.

• Patrons of Our Father Jesus Nazarene. On September 14, the Jamaicans celebrate the feast of their patron, Our Father Jesus Nazarene, whose devotion starts from the 17th century, a time in which a surprising event is located that gave rise to the devotion that is processed to the patron. It is said that a local labriego acquires a canvas with the image of Jesus Nazarene and took him home. By the miracles he did, he even came to sweat blood, he was transferred to the Parish Church. Even today, when on September 14 the procession to which the neighbors attend carrying candles, passes through the house where the canvas was housed, the procession stops in front of the window. During the 5 days of the celebrations, the City Council organizes sports competitions, musical performances and typical night verbenas.

• August Fair and Festivals in honor of the Virgin of Nativity. They take place during the days 14-15 August, the parties in honor of their Patron and are held in the so-called New Quarter of the town. Musical performances, verbena and sports competitions take place these days. The religious feast is the 15th of August festive of the Assumption of the Virgin, with a procession of the image of the patron in the streets of the Villa.

• Course and International Music Festival "City of Jamilena": More than 200 students participate in 22 courses of which 16 correspond to different musical instruments and 6 to various complementary techniques such as initiation to "Jazz" or "Internet" for musicians. During the Festival, the traditional "International Trompa Prize" "Miguel Ángel Colmenero is held. It is held in August.

• Corpus Christi: the neighbors of Jamilena set the streets where the Sacramental Body of Christ is processed.

Gastronomy

As with the festive cycle, it also happens with the gastronomy that goes very close to the festive and religious cycle. Among the most traditional dishes are:

• Caldy rice with rabbit. A festive dish with which the celebrations dedicated to the patrons, Our Lady of Nativity and Our Father Jesus Nazarene are held in September.

• "Fill," is done with the stomach of a pig which was salted by the ham, and that once clean it is filled with ham and chorizo chopped. A succulent dish that becomes the third dish of the menu that day, the previous posts have been occupied by broth and chickpeas. It's a dish that is traditionally eaten on Carnival.

• Albondidon, it is the same dish of the filling but not inculcated in the pig's stomach, but it is allowed to cook as a simple but larger meatball.

• "Cod stew with potatoes"; is to be consumed in Lent, and is the same meat stew, to which the meat has been replaced by cod.

It is taken on Good Friday and the rest of the days of vigil.

• "Olive-Vinegar." or "machacao". It is a peculiar piirfrog of crushed tomato, pepper, pieces of orange, bread miga, garlic, salt, olive oil, vinegar, tuna, hard eggs, and can sometimes carry green beans. The presence on this dish of oranges recalls the "soak " from far-off Moorish origins.

• "Bread punishes." These are the traditional garlic soups with which it was hot in the winter days. Maybe it's called because it was used. the hard bread that ends up giving consistency to the very spicy garlic of the earth.

In pastry shops:

• Rosses: A dough is made with flour, egg, milk, cinnamon and passed through the pan.

• Bake: characteristic sweet with a egg cooked in the center.

History

For the archaeological remains found in the area known as the Dehesaas well as Calvary (necropolis, tombs, arrow tips...), here was settled a village before the Iron Age, or later but not iber.

History tells that in the mountains of Jamilena the Lusian warlord ViriateHe fought against the Servilian consul, suffering a great defeat.

The settlements that existed when the Muslims remained occupied and became alqueras, which took advantage of the many springs in the area.

The most characteristic of the Muslim occupation in Jamilena is now considered to be the castle, built in the 13th century And now he's gone.

The purpose of the castle was double: on the one hand, served as a shelter and protection for the population in the event of an attack; and on the other hand, it had the function of controlling and monitoring the road between Martos and Jaén. The castle passed to the Order of Calatrava, after the cession of Martos and his territory to the Order by King Fernando III the Holy.

In the year 1525 the Emperor Charles V, intended to build a convent for the nuns using the stones of the castle already melted. It would later become the Parish Church of Our Lady of Nativity.

Throughout the Modern Age life in the town was characterized, apart from the belonging to the Order of Calatrava, and the slow and tortuous construction of the church, for a subsistence economy and a crisis of lack of care.

At the end of the 19th and early 20th century, a flourishing the economy with a recovery of the cultivated land and the progressive introduction of the olive tree. This economic recovery was accompanied by an increase and consolidation of the population, with a total of 4,030 inhabitants.

The post-wars, the bad crops and the hard life in the work of the countryside, were motivating factors for many people to leave the countryside and go to industrial cities in Spain, and also to foreign nations. It was emigration. that would cause harm in the population of the region. The population figure for 2019 in the town of Jamilena was 3,300 inhabitants.