Serra Calderona (; es, Sierra Calderona), often referred to as La Calderona is a long mountain range in the

Camp de Túria Camp de Túria ( es, Campo de Turia) is a ''comarca'' in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. Geography It comprises the lower reaches of the river Turia and its adjacent territories. Borders with the region of Camp de Morved ...

Horta Nord Horta Nord (, es, Huerta Norte) is a comarca in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. Municipalities *Albalat dels Sorells *Alboraya *Albuixech *Alfara del Patriarca *Almàssera *Bonrepòs i Mirambell *Burjassot * Emperador *Foi ...

and

Alt Palància Alto Palancia (Valencian: ''Alt Palància'') is a comarca in the province of Castellón, Valencian Community (Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto ...

comarcas of the Valencian Community, between the provinces of Castelló and

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. This moderately high range is an eastern prolongation of the

Sierra de Javalambre Sierra de Javalambre ( an, Sierra de Chabalambre) is a long mountain range in the Gúdar-Javalambre comarca of Aragon and the Rincón de Ademuz and Serrans comarcas of the Valencian Community, Spain. Highway N-234 winds its way between Sier ...

. Its highest point is El Gorgo (907 m). Other important summits are ''Muntanya del Garbí'' (600 m) and ''El Puntal de l' Abella'' (635 m). The range was formerly known as ''Monts de Porta Coeli'', after the

Carthusian The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...

Monastery of Porta Coeli located in the mountains. The name Calderona originated in the seventeenth century when a woman known as

María Calderón María Inés Calderón (1605, in Madrid – 1678, in Guadalajara) also known as La Calderona and Marizápalos, was a Spanish actress, the mistress of Philip IV and the mother of his only recognized natural son, John of Austria the Younger. Biogr ...

"La Calderona", one of the favourite

mistresses Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a term for a woman who is in a sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a d ...

of King

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered f ...

, hid in these mountains among the

highwaymen A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to fo ...

Olive oil Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

Together with

Serra d'Espadà Serra d'Espadà (, es, Sierra de Espadán) is a long mountain range in the Alt Palància, Alt Millars and Plana Baixa comarcas, in the Province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is La Ràpita (1,106 m). Road N-234 road ...

, a parallel range only 25 km to the north, the Serra Calderona constitutes a defined

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

in the foothills of the

Iberian System Iberian refers to Iberia. Most commonly Iberian refers to: *Someone or something originating in the Iberian Peninsula, namely from Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. The term ''Iberian'' is also used to refer to anything pertaining to the fo ...

that are closest to the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

coast. In many areas of the mountainsides

olive tree The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' 'M ...

s are grown. Their olives produce excellent

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

that has been awarded

Protected Designation of Origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union and the United Kingdom aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main ...

(PDO) and has been included by the global

slow food Slow Food is an organization that promotes local food and traditional cooking. It was founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986 and has since spread worldwide. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regi ...

movement in the

Ark of Taste The Ark of Taste is an international catalogue of endangered heritage foods which is maintained by the global Slow Food movement. The Ark is designed to preserve at-risk foods that are sustainably produced, unique in taste, and part of a distinct ...

international catalogue of heritage foods in danger of extinction. This oil is marketed as ''Aceite de las Sierras Espadán y Calderona'' ( ca-valencia, Oli de les Serres d'Espadà i la Calderona).

Natural Park

There are numerous caves in these mountains, as well as deep river gorges. Formerly these mountains were a fearful place for travellers, for they were haunted by

bandit Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, and murder, either as an ...

s or highwaymen, known locally as ''roders''. The

Natural Park of the Calderona Range Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are p ...

is located in the Serra Calderona. Within this well-kept park there are numerous marked paths for hikers.Natural Park of the Calderona Range

Features

References

External links

La Sierra Calderona

Parcs Naturals de la Comunitat Valenciana - Official List
{{Authority control Calderona Alto Palancia Horta Nord Camp de Túria Calderona

Olive oil Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

Natural Park

Features

See also

References

External links