The site is really special for the great variety of species we found. In it we can walk and enjoy one of the few high mountain deciduous forests that have left in the Natural Park.

Today we can no longer define as forests the few remaining stains, even though in past times they spread across large areas of the high mountain of these saws, wearing the valleys and vessels of lush forests. At present their presence is limited to small holes, rails and rails in which deep and fertile soil is accumulated.

These beautiful bosquets are made up of maple (Acer granatense), mustard (Sorbus aria), cereal (Prunus mahaleb) and whine (Quercus faginea), accompanied by a shrub of spiners with majuelos (Crataegus monogina), rars (Berberis vulgaris australis), skirmishes (Rosa spp.), madreselvas (Lonicera spladada, L. etrusca), sanjuaneros (Lonicera arborea) and spinos (Cratagulata).

We suggest:

• Later there is Nava Noguera and the control of Rambla Seca, which marks the entrance to the Campos de Hernán Pelea, one of the most original and overwhelming landscapes of the Park.

• There are other very accessible places where we can enjoy these exceptional bosquets, such as the surroundings of the Collado del Ventano in the Calar de Navalespino and the Barranco del Guadalentín.

• Don't miss these sketches in the fall.

LOCATION

We access the road that goes from Vadillo Castril to Santiago de la Espada, which becomes a ground track from Los Collados, but the firm is good and we can reach the destination point without great problems. Once we have ascended to the Saves of San Pedro, we are already on the line, we arrive at the junction of the Laguna of Valdeazores, which is about 9 km from the Navy. We look at the extraordinary landscape, as we take the Guadalanimin ravine to our right. As we pass through the Collado de la Zarca (where there is a track to our right, cut to traffic with a chain), we lose sight of the Barranco del Guadalentín and enter a few rails. Less than a kilometre after a few curves are presented to our right, in the sense of the march, a few holes full of trees.

This type of forest can be the purest and best preserved that we find in the low mountain of the Park, refugee in unaltered ravines and slopes, where a fertile and deep soil is accumulated. There are some delays of this first formation, and one of the places where we can see it is in the lower basin of the Borosa River. On its slopes is an impressive lauroid forest of madroños, gracegos and doves. The highest point of this forest in our tour is the entrance to the closed of Elias, where a plant vault of madroños and agracejo covers us during a good stretch.

But what is a lauroid forest?

In Mediterranean forests we find several types of vegetation, determined by their conservation status, and the presence of more or less deep fertile soil. In the enclaves with better soil, deep and rich in organic matter, the lauroid forests, made up of shrubs and perennial, lustrous and always green leaves, grow.

The main components of this forest are the madroño (Arbutus unedo), the agracejo or labiérnago (Phillyrea latifolia), the pedillo or barbadija (Viburnum tinus), and climbers such as madreselvas (Lonicera implexa) and the zarzaparilla (Smilax aspera). These shrubs are sometimes accompanied by trees such as complaints and oaks (Quercus faginea and Quercus ilex ballota), although in closed formations of madroños and agracejo, it does not develop under them anything but their own seedlings, due to the dense shadow they form. These lauroid forests are the richest phase of plant succession in the low mountain of the Park.

These forests come from the vegetation that dominated southern Europe before the quaternary glaciations. After them the lauroid forests, which had more elements (trees such as the laurel, hence its name), had no choice but to adapt to a drier and colder climate, lost elements and took refuge on the middle slopes of the mountains and valleys where they found soil and softer climate with subhumid namoclima. Other plant elements that arrived with the northern latitudes glaciations found in these forests a suitable habitat, such as the complaints (Quercus faginea), the maple of Montpelier (Acer monspessulanum) and the pespejon (Sorbus tormentinalis).

LOCATION

We'll access the Borosa for the A-319. At the height of the Visitor Reception Center Torre del Vinagre, we turn right to the farm, where we park and remount the river upstream. Soon, at the Shipyard's source, we began to see that Mediterranean formation of lauroid species. We can reach the end of the Cerrada de Elias, where we end our walk through the lauroid forests.

One of the most surprising plant formations in the Park is the nozzles. Their presence is extraordinary for several reasons: for more to the south of the Iberian Peninsula they no longer exist, for they find refuge in many northern species, because the boj (Buxus sempervirens) has created a culture of home utensils and because they keep the ground in channels and slopes.

There are many places where we can see a nozzle. In many streams and ravines it is almost impenetrable, but we can also see it on the slopes of the Banderillas colonizing to the same top. There are also nozzles in any ravine of the Las Villas saw, in the closed of Elias, in the Borosa river, by the stream of the Molinos in Siles, etc. All these are easily accessible by vehicle, but we are going to set ourselves in a place a little more apart from the traditional tourist circuits, although perfectly accessible: a ravine called La Bojeda.

In La Bojeda there is a formation of boj accompanied by deciduous species such as cures (Acer granatense), maple de Montpelier (Acer monspessulanun), mustards (Sorbus aria), pespejones (Sorbus tormentinalis) and complaints (Quercus faginea). In the inside of the bowl, vegetation is not thriving because of the lack of light and the high humidity that is maintained, so the appearance of a bowl is of a continuous, always green tapestry. Only when winters are very cold, the whole bowl takes a tone between dark green and reddish brown. This is a cold defense mechanism. Other species are stripped of their leaves, but the boj, which is of perennial leaf so they are ingested in this way.

LOCATION

To access the port of Tiscar, on the road from Quesada to Pozo Alcón, if our direction is in that sense. When we get to the port we must follow a mile or so, until we reach a crossing of a forest track that leaves us to the left. We can park and follow it walking, it will take a little more than 3 km, which will make us very short, as the panoramic view we will see throughout the tour is spectacular.

Despite the strong emigration suffered over the last half century, both villages are still populated and with some vitality, still keeping their environment calm. The same fate has not been achieved by another village that is located downstream, Arroyo Molinos, which has been completely depopulated.

Although it does not appear on the maps, there is no sign of it, nor is there any separation that can be observed clearly, there are two Belerdas: the high and the low, so it is common to hear the village in plural. Many popular customs are still preserved, even the old public laundry is still used. The inhabitants are farmers and farmers, although there are some services (bakery, shop, bar, etc.).

We suggest...

• Visit the Larguillo Picón, a natural monument to the balance and geological whim.

• Between Belerda and Don Pedro is the Blue Pilon, a natural pool between rocks, which has traditionally been used for the bathroom by the locals. The waters are cold, but the experience revitalizes.

The village closest to Belerda is Huesa, 5 Km., from which part a road, very narrow and with curves, that goes directly to the village (JA-7200) and that links 3 km later with the road of Tícar (JA-6206). On this last road, Quesada is 18 km away. (the crossing to Belerda at 15), Hinojares at 15 (the crossing at 12) and Pozo Alcon at 20 km.

La vieja fábrica gótica de Santa María resultaba insuficiente para el culto, proyectándose un nuevo templo parroquial. Sin embargo, la falta de medios económicos determinó la paralización de las obras y tan solo se fabricó la Capilla Mayor, que quedó unida con el resto de la fábrica gótica en ochavo, y buena parte de la torre de campanas. Tal circunstancia ha generado un perfil del templo ciertamente singular al quedar unidas ambas arquitecturas tan dispares en altura, parcialmente contrarrestado gracias a la esbelta torre de campanas que se yergue a los pies. Documentalmente conocemos la intervención de varios maestros canteros, destacando entre ellos Andrés de Salamanca y Andrés de Vandelvira, director y tracista del nuevo templo renacentista.

El inicio del proceso constructivo de sustitución de la antigua iglesia gótica (siglos XIV-XV), tradicionalmente fijado en torno al año 1573, hay que retrotraerlo a los años 60 del mismo siglo. La primera noticia que conocemos sobre el desarrollo de las obras la aporta el padrón de vecinos de 1564, pues se cita entre los moradores de la calle del Pilar a un maestro de cantería llamado Andrés de Salamanca, del que se dice: en la actualidad trabaja en la obra de la iglesia mayor junto con sus oficiales, todos ellos solteros. Las primeras tareas se centraron en el derribo progresivo de la fábrica gótica, que comenzaron por la cabecera, según se desprende de la carta suscrita por Andrés de Salamanca el 27 de agosto de 1566 por la que se obligó a mudar el retablo viejo de la iglesia para que la obra siga adelante.

En 1568 se dio comienzo a la nueva Capilla Mayor, ya que en este año (16 de octubre) el cantero Fernán Cobo y su fiador Gabriel Jordán se obligan a sacar piedra para la obra de la iglesia mientras durase esta. De 1568 a 1571 las obras se desarrollaron a buen ritmo. El 24 de septiembre de 1571 se publican las condiciones para cubrir la Capilla Mayor, lo que evidencia que esta ya estaba construida; la obra, que consistía en enmaderar el conjunto de la Capilla, fue rematada en el carpintero Ginés de Zamora.

Tradicionalmente se ha especulado con una más que probable intervención en la obra del nuevo templo del arquitecto Andrés de Vandelvira. No ha de extrañarnos tal intervención, ya que por los años en que dio comienzo el arquitecto alcaraceño ya figuraba como maestro mayor de la Catedral de Jaén, cargo que conllevaba el de maestro de obras del Obispado. En buena lógica es fácilmente deducible que un proyecto de la envergadura de Santa María tendría que pasar por las manos de Vandelvira. Nuestras conjeturas pueden quedar avaladas, al margen del propio análisis de la pieza, a través de dos documentos. El primero, publicado por el cronista Sánchez Caballero, deja bien claro que Vandelvira viajó en 1573 a Linares para inspeccionar el nivel de la construcción, ver el modo de tirar pilares viejos y apuntar como ha de seguirse la obra nueva. Con arreglo a este planteamiento, el 2 de octubre de 1574 el cantero Andrés de Salamanca se obligó a llevar a cabo lo dictaminado y trazado por Vandelvira, es decir, a seguir con el derribo de elementos góticos para avanzar con el proyecto renacentista del crucero. En 1579 el visitador del Obispado, Francisco de Huete dispuso sin embargo, que “no pudiéndose continuar el proyecto que había sobre el resto de la iglesia, se liquidase dicha obra”. El proyecto vandelviriano, que entendemos contemplaba la sustitución completa de la estructura gótica, se interrumpió definitivamente. A finales del siglo XVI se remató la torre y en la centuria siguiente se labró la portada con arreglo al diseño del arquitecto catedralicio Juan de Aranda Salazar. La portada gótica, orientada al sur, procede

La Capilla Mayor de Santa María, se muestra al espectador como un organismo independiente, produciéndonos la sensación de un gran espacio centralizado, al estilo de S. Francisco de Baeza o de la iglesia de La Guardia, común según F. Marías a las capillas mayores renacentistas. En Linares este efecto se refuerza al quedar la cubierta gótica muy por debajo de la obra renacentista y además por la ausencia de la proyectada nave única de planta cruciforme con capillas-hornacinas que Vandelvira creemos planteó para esta nueva parroquia.

Como recuerdo del plan vandelviriano quedan los vestigios de las dos primeras capillas que debían abrirse a ambos lados de esta nave, cuyos arranques dan la idea que aquellas serían cubiertas con bóvedas de medio cañón por cruceros. Años atrás Vandelvira ya había ensayado el plan de la iglesia de Linares en la iglesia dominica de La Guardia, aunque en una escala menor. Este espacio centralizado de Santa María está conformado por cuatro arcos torales de medio punto que abren al presbiterio acasetonado, a dos capillas laterales igualmente acasetonadas y en el lado de las naves conecta con el “ochavo”; estos arcos apoyan en pilares de esquina de tradición siloesca con columnas adosadas y traspilastras en las que se alternan el orden dórico y corintio. El crucero se cubría con una bóveda vaída. El ochavo que enlaza el crucero con las naves góticas se materializó haciendo recaer el peso de los tres paños del mismo sobre el arco central apuntado del primer tramo gótico y sobre dos arcos escarzanos en diagonal sustentados entre los primeros pilares góticos y los semipilares de esquina. Las portadas, de haberse llevado a término el proyecto de Andrés de Vandelvira, tendríamos en Linares una importante muestra, ya casi final, de su trayectoria como arquitecto, pero en cualquier caso el conjunto gótico-renacentista es de gran interés.

OTRAS MANIFESTACIONES ARTÍSTICAS NO ARQUITECTÓNICAS

El patrimonio mueble conservado en esta parroquia es especialmente valioso. Sustituyendo al desaparecido retablo barroco de la capilla mayor, destruido en 1936, se alza en ella un hermoso retablo renacentista con pinturas sobre tabla, obra del Maestro de Ávila, en opinión de la profesora Luz de Ulierte. Procede este retablo del pueblo leonés de Villarrabines, y fue adquirido por D. José Yanguas Messía y su esposa Dª. Rosario Pérez de Herrasti. Antes de ser colocado fue recompuesto por el granadino José Navas Parejo e hijos. A este artista se deben otras piezas: tabernáculo y sagrario (labrados con plata procedente de las minas de Linares), mármoles de la capilla mayor y retablo de la capilla Yanguas, retablos en madera tallada y dorada dedicados a la Virgen del Carmen, San Isidro y la Inmaculada de la Medalla Milagrosa.

Sobresaliente es el conjunto de su imaginería, toda ella posterior a 1939. Destaca el impresionante conjunto de la Santa Cena, obra del escultor Víctor de los Ríos, a quien se deben también el Cristo de las Misericordias (venerado en la capilla enterramiento de Lolo, linarense en proceso de santificación) y un hermoso Ángel. La custodia de asiento del Corpus, aunque recompuesta, es una bella muestra del taller de los Morales (siglo XVI).

The name of the Forest Pass has a source that is worth knowing. The current wide road was formerly a cavalry path that communicated the Garbanzal forest house, with the area of Tícar and that more than thirty years ago became a forest track to allow access to vehicles in the event of emergencies, thanks to the theson and imagination of a forest guard, Alfonso Bosques. The track, in the first section, had to save the obstacle of a vertical wall (Picones de Fique), so the work was craved impossible for the superior of the agent, who denied the attempt.

Forests was in charge of a maintenance crew, to clean the gutters and fix the forest tracks. Taking advantage of the main guard's vacation, he got to work, almost without means. Based on masonry and hard work, in just twenty days he managed to widen the lane, allowing the movement of all-terrain vehicles, which facilitated rapid access to an area to which, in the event of a forest fire, he could only access on foot or give a rodeo of almost 40 km. Even to make a blow on the rock he used fair rockets, the only explosive he had within his reach. Since then, the locals have known the place with the last name of the guard.

We suggest...

• At the beginning of the walk, next to the chain, there is a natural lookout in one of the promontories of the Picones, with excellent views.

• Another highly recommended option is to make a small route that goes above the Fique Picones and that reaches the head of the Extreme Barrio, to a place known as La Bujea, which is under the Glove Picón. To this end, leaving the vehicle in the place indicated above, we continue on the main track, which ascends by the lack of the Rayal Picon, to enter, by the pine, to a clear through which a stream circulates. Meters above the forest track, following the course of the water, we found the birth of it. This small channel is known as the Bujea stream and disappears in the middle of the ravine. However, this is the true birth of the Extreme Arroyo, since the waters below are actually the same as those of the Bujea, which appear after a stretch of underground circulation.

By reference to the Port of Tícar, 500 metres from the highest point of the road, in the direction of Pozo Alcón, there is a forest track to our left, in a wide entrance where we can leave the vehicle. The firm is good, so we can drive in another 800 meters, up to a wide curve (with a pine in the interior vertex) with space to park. A few meters later (either on foot or on a bike) of the main lane part another track that ascends the slope, to enter between the rocks (there is a chain). Following that lead we reached the Picones de Fique and the Barrio del Garbanzal. If we continue later, already in the next ravine, we arrive at the birth of the Extreme Arroyo.

Location: To the west of the city centre, in the natural park of Sierra Magina.
Distance: 7 km.
Medium: By vehicle tourism and on foot.
Access route: By a lane that leaves directly from the city centre, until you reach a mountain road that access the enclave.

By the 11th century a large bathroom (about 300 m) was built, which was functioning as such until after the Spanish conquest of Jaén. In the 15th century, the second set is bought by the City Council of Jaén, which builds in it the fish shop of the city, although shortly afterwards one of the butcheries is installed there. In the 18th century this is reformed, building a new façade and changing the old one, this is the façade that is currently preserved and that gives directly to the square. In 1929 the building was emptied internally, and a school group was built. Of this school group are the remains of the classrooms, the courtyard as well as the entrance that is currently observed from Los Caños Street.