Úbeda

Olive Trees Seen from Úbda

Not far from Granada lies the medieval town of Úbeda.  Perched on a hilltop, it lies in an area so totally devoted to olive growing that it is said to produce 20% of the world's olive oil.  After driving past miles and miles of olive trees, one could believe that there are indeed 66 million of them in this province of Spain alone!  Unfortunately, the day was cloudy and prone to fog, so the picture at the right can't quite do this landscape justice.

Medieval Square in Úbeda

Úbeda is a world heritage site because of the beauty and cohesion of the medieval architecture in the center of the city, which is a series of squares that open one upon another.

The city owes its beauty to the wealth of one of the families born there.  Francisco de los Cobos y Molina became state secretary to King Carlos I, and his nephew Juan Vázquez de Molina succeeded him in the job and kept it under Felipe II.

High office exposed these men not only to great wealth but also to the Renaissance aesthetic just then reaching Spain from Italy. Much of the wealth that they and a flourishing agriculture generated was invested in some of Spain's purest examples of Renaissance architecture. As a result, Úbeda (like its little sister Baeza) is one of the few places in Andalusia boasting stunning architecture that was not built by the Moors.  I loved the facades of these beautiful buildings.  

Of equal interest was the time we spent in an abandoned church being renovated by three brothers as an art space.   Their fondatión Huerta de San Antonio has raised money privately to rescue the building and to provide space for working artists and their students as well as for exhibitions, concerts and other activities.  We met one of the leaders of the effort as well as the well-known Spanish artist Juan Vida.  It was a most interesting day.