Quesada is a Spanish

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the province of Jaén. It is in the

Alto Guadalquivir Alto Guadalquivir is a Spanish comarca in the province of Córdoba. It covers an area of 1,299 km², and has a population of 44,828 inhabitants ( INE 2008). It borders the comarca of Valle de los Pedroches to the North; Campiña Este - Guad ...

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

and its inhabitants are called ''quesadenses'' or ''quesadeños''. It has an area of 328.7 km² and 5483 inhabitants according to the 2016 census. Its population has decreased in the last half of the twentieth century. In 1950, 12,224 quesadeños were registered. The eastern and southern parts of its municipality are part of the

Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park () is a natural park in the eastern and northeastern part of the province of Jaén, Spain, established in 1986. With an area of ,

. The source of the

Guadalquivir The Guadalquivir (, also , , ) is the fifth-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula and the second-longest river with its entire length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is the only major navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable from Seville ...

River is in its municipal district, in the Cañada de las Fuentes.

Tourism

In its municipal area there are caves with rock art, although they are rarely visited, and the remains of a

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

necropolis. There are also the ruins of the Roman villa of Bruñel, which has some preserved mosaics, the most spectacular of which is dedicated to the goddess Thetis (others are exhibited in the Provincial Museum of Jaén). The villa is next to an early Christian basilica and is open to the public. More recent is the "Watchtower of the Infante Don Enrique", dated 1314, above the port of Tíscar. It is open to the public and offers wide views. Tíscar Castle, with a fragmentary tower, is next to the Water Cave, a natural cavern containing an impressive waterfall (except during times of drought). According to legend, the Virgin of Tíscar, patron saint of Quesada, appeared to the king of Tíscar, Mohamed Abdón, within the cave in the fourteenth century. At the foot of the castle, on a plateau, stands the sanctuary of the Virgin of Tíscar. It retains a primitive

Gothic style Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...

door of the 14th century. Its interior contains an altar in Neo-Romanesque style made in painted terracotta by artists from Orea y Baños. There are rich gates of

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

from the 17th century, as well as votive lamps from the 18th century. The paintings from different eras of great masters are kept. The verses of

Antonio Machado Antonio Cipriano José María y Francisco de Santa Ana Machado y Ruiz (26 July 1875 – 22 February 1939), known as Antonio Machado, was a Spanish poet and one of the leading figures of the Spanish literary movement known as the Generation ...

dedicated to the Virgin of Tíscar and the Sierra de Quesada are sculpted in the sanctuary square and on a stone slab. In turn, it was a tribute to the Sevillian poet that the town of Quesada honored him in 1957. There is a building on Avenida de Almería where all the paintings by Rafael Zabaleta and his friends are available. Paintings from all periods of the painter are preserved, in a chronological way, and were donated by the heirs of Zabaleta to the town of Quesada. Currently, and since March 28, 2015, it houses the

Miguel Hernández Miguel Hernández Gilabert (30 October 1910 – 28 March 1942 ) was a 20th-century Spanish-language poet and playwright associated with the Generation of '27 and the Generation of '36 movements. Born and raised in a family of low resources, he ...

Museum and his wife Josefina Manresa.

Economy

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, the

olive grove Olive Grove was The Wednesday F.C.'s first permanent football ground, home to the club for just over a decade at the end of the 19th century. It was located on the site of what is now Sheffield City Council's Olive Grove Depot, near Queens Roa ...

dominates, being part of its olive

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...

(La Bética Aceitera) of the

designation of origin Designation may refer to: * Designation (law), the process of determining an incumbent's successor * Professional certification * Designation (landmarks), an official classification determined by a government agency or historical society * Designa ...

Sierra de Cazorla Sierra de Cazorla is a mountain range of the Prebaetic System in the Jaén Province in southern Spain. It is named after the town of Cazorla. Its highest point is the 1,847 m high Gilillo peak. Geography This mountain range is located betwee ...

Cereal A cereal is a grass cultivated for its edible grain. Cereals are the world's largest crops, and are therefore staple foods. They include rice, wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, and maize ( Corn). Edible grains from other plant families, ...

cultivation is now vestigial, as it has been replaced by olive groves.

Holidays

From January 19 to January 21, the festival of

San Sebastián San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...

is celebrated. Residents of Quesada will wear flags, have drummers, and lights to shine on key areas of the town. The two most important holidays, both dedicated to the Virgin of Tíscar, are held in August and in May. On the first Saturday of May, a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

occurs to bring the Virgin of Tíscar to its sanctuary. It is known as the "brought of the Virgin" day. During this trip, the Virgin of Tíscar crosses the town to the church, where she will remain until the end of August. During the trip, the quesadeños throw rose petals. On the mantle of the Virgin of Tíscar, they pin fifty or one hundred euro bills as an offering. The summer holiday begins on August 23 and ends on August 28. On the dawn of the 29th, the Quesada locals travel to the Virgin of Tíscar to bring it back to the town. They begin at the town and make their way to the sanctuary, which is 14 kilometres away. The locals travel on foot to the Humilladero cross, located at the exit of the town. Here, the quesadeños and people of the region give an emotional farewell to the Mother of God and her Most Holy Son. From there, the trip continues in a vehicle. In the annex of Belerda, the Feast of the Charges or Feast of the God Boy is celebrated, a tradition that goes back to the 16th century reminiscent of the festival of Moors and Christians and currently, the clothes that carry the charges are old uniforms of the nineteenth century. The party starts on December 25. The five "Charges", the first and second captain, the flag bearer, the guidance, and the small charge, accompanied by the drummer and an enthusiastic entourage, depart on the 26th towards the Sanctuary of Tíscar where the image of the Virgin. During the return, from cortijada to cortijada, the tasty products of the slaughter and the good wine receive the entourage. On the 27th, with the renewal of the "Charges" of the coming year, this party ends.

Gastronomy

The most unique dish is the talarines, a close relative of the

Gazpacho Gazpacho () or gaspacho (), also called Andalusian gazpacho (from Spanish ''gazpacho andaluz''), is a cold soup and drink made of raw, blended vegetables. It originated in the southern regions of the Iberian Peninsula and spread into other are ...

manchego and the tatters, consisting of a stew of meat, vegetables, and mushrooms in which dough wafers are cooked that are broken into pieces (hence the name of tatters). Pipirrana, crumbs, porridge, ajoharina, gachurreno, etc. are also prepared. Some typical quesadeños sweets are: fig bread, papajotes, sweet gachillas, florets, drunkards, and bath donuts.

Quesada people

* Rafael Zabaleta (1907-1960), painter. * José Luis Verdes painter, although born in Madrid, was closely related to Quesada, where he sponsored a children's painting contest. One of the local schools is named after him. * Rafael Hidalgo de Caviedes (Quesada 1864-Madrid 1950), a painter who was awarded several medals at the National Painting Exhibitions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. * Josefina Manresa Marhuenda, wife of

, born in Quesada on January 2, 1916, and died in

Elche Elche (, ; , , , ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2024's data, Elche has a population of 234,800 inhabitants,

on February 19, 1987. * Antonio Navarrete (Quesada, 1926-Granada, 2007), poet and writer. * Cesáreo Rodríguez Aguilera, Magistrate, art critic, writer and senator in Cortes. * Bienvenido Bayona Fernández (1915-2003), poet.

References