Martos | |
|---|---|
 View of Martos and the rock of Martos | |
.svg) Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Nicknames: | |
 Location of Martos | |
| Coordinates:37°43′N3°58′W / 37.717°N 3.967°W /37.717; -3.967 | |
| Country | Spain |
| Autonomous community | Andalusia |
| Province | Jaén |
| Government | |
| • Alcalde (2023–2027) | Emilio Torres Velasco (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) |
| Area | |
• Total | 259.10 km2 (100.04 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 753 m (2,470 ft) |
| Population (1 January 2023) | |
• Total | 24,363 |
| • Density | 94.029/km2 (243.53/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Marteño/a, tuccitano/a |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 23600 |
| Dialing code | (+34) 953 55 XX XX (+34) 953 70 XX XX |
| Website | www |
Martos is a city andmunicipality of Spain belonging to theprovince of Jaén in theautonomous community ofAndalusia.
With a population of over 24,000 people, Martos is the fifth largest municipality in the province and the second inJaén metropolitan area. Housing lies at the foot of the 1,003-metre (3,290 ft)Peña de Martos, on the western side of theSierra Sur de Jaén, a subrange of theBaetic System, in the south of theIberian Peninsula.
As is essentially the case in the entire province of Jaén, the economy of Martos is heavily based on agriculture, specifically the cultivation of theolive tree. With over 22,000 hectares of olive fields (accounting for 85% of the municipality area) and 20 million liters per year, Martos is the largestolive oil producing city in the world,[1] thus earning the nickname of 'Cradle of the Olive Grove'.[citation needed]
Martos is also an important industrial center in inner Andalusia. French global automotive supplierValeo established a factory in the city in the 1980s, making it the largest business in the province.[2] Moreover, the low-cost fuel sales companyPetroprix was founded in Martos in 2013, becoming the fastest-growing energy company of Europe in 2024.[3]
The city has been linked to theRoman settlement ofColonia Augusta Gemella, and starting in the 8th century was ruled by theMoors under variousIslamic states for over 500 years.
In 1225, KingFerdinand III of Castile andLeon were handed the city from Al Bayyasi in exchange for helping Al Bayyasi in his war against the Almohads in Andalusia. Subsequently, Ferdinand III incorporated it into his kingdom.
During the Middle Ages, Martos became a strategic place, and its defences were reinforced with the construction of numerous fortifications in the city.
At the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, Martos underwent significant economic and urban development (reflected in the city's architecture), in large part due to the wealth derived from the industrial production of olive oil. Martos thus became one of the most prosperous cities of easternAndalusia.
Around250 AD, a bishopric was established in present Martos under the nameTucci, on territory from the suppressedDiocese of Iliturgi. It was asuffragan of the MetropolitanRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Sevilla.
In 350, it lost territory to establish theDiocese of Cástulo (now also a titular see), which it regained at that bishopric's suppression around 400. In 715, it was suppressed to establish theDiocese of Beaza.
Recorded bishops are Rogato (675? – 688?) and Teudisclo (693? – ?).
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1842 | 11,092 | — |
| 1857 | 12,552 | +13.2% |
| 1860 | 13,835 | +10.2% |
| 1877 | 14,621 | +5.7% |
| 1887 | 16,227 | +11.0% |
| 1897 | 16,556 | +2.0% |
| 1900 | 16,682 | +0.8% |
| 1910 | 17,045 | +2.2% |
| 1920 | 19,769 | +16.0% |
| 1930 | 23,682 | +19.8% |
| 1940 | 27,538 | +16.3% |
| 1950 | 30,513 | +10.8% |
| 1960 | 24,159 | −20.8% |
| 1970 | 21,666 | −10.3% |
| 1981 | 22,041 | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 20,945 | −5.0% |
| 2001 | 22,356 | +6.7% |
| 2011 | 24,457 | +9.4% |
| 2021 | 24,296 | −0.7% |
| 2023 | 24,363 | +0.3% |
| Source:National Statistics Institute[4] | ||
According to theNational Statistics Institute of Spain, the city's population as of 1 January 2023 was 24,363 people, on a land area of 259.10 km2 (100 sq mi).[5]
Martos experienced strong population growth in the first half of the 20th century, reaching a peak of over 30,000 inhabitants in the 1950s. However, the population began to decline rapidly due to a lack of job opportunities that led to a massive rural exodus inAndalusia, particularly in theProvince of Jaén andProvince of Almería. Most of emigrants left forMadrid, Barcelona and theSpanish Levante.
The population stabilized around 1990 and gradually grew until the early 2010s. This growth was motivated by a strong industrialization of the city, which included better road communications such as theA-316 highway.
The2008 financial crisis had severe effects in Spain and the province of Jaén in particular, as most cities in the province suffered a serious population decline during the 2010s. Martos was one of the few towns in the area that did not experience such declines, stabilizing at more than 24,000 people for over a decade.
In 2022, there were 1,074 foreigners residing in Martos, accounting for approximately 4.5% of the population.[6] This figure is considerably lower than Spain's average of 13%, but double the percentage in the province of Jaén (approximately 2%).
The population unofficially grows during winter due tomigrant workers, who come to the city for olive harvest. These workers mostly come from other parts of Spain and theMaghreb.
The Martos City Council governs the municipality and its members have been elected every four years byuniversal suffrage since thefirst municipal elections after therestoration of democracy in Spain in 1979. Because the city's population has always been over 20,000 people but under 50,000 people, the City Council has been composed of 21 councilors in all elections, as provided in the organic law of the General Electoral Regime.[7]
The electoral census is made up of residents over 18 years of age registered in the municipality, whether they are ofSpanish nationality or from any member country of the European Union.
TheSpanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) has won both the popular and electoral vote in all 12 elections, of which it obtained an absolute majority 8 times (last time in 2023). Despite this, PSOE has not governed in 2 legislative terms: 1995–1999, when the localAgrupación Progresista Independiente reached the office through a tripartite agreement that included thePeople's Party andPartido Andalucista, and 2011–2015, when Partido Andalucista and the People's Party agreed to share the mayorship (2011–2013 for PA and 2013–2015 for PP).
| Partido político | 1979 | 1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1995 | 1999 | 2003 | 2007 | 2011 | 2015 | 2019 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | 12 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
.svg) People's Party | – | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
 Vox | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 4 |
 Por Andalucía | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
 Ciudadanos (CS) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | – |
 Partido Andalucista | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | – | – |
| Agrupación Progresista Independiente | – | – | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
.svg) Centro Democrático y Social | 4 | – | 7 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Independents | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 Coalición Democrática | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
The town holds several festivals throughout the year:
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Carnival | February | |
| Spring Party | Around 21 March | Parties and concerts for young people are held |
| Holy Week | Last week of Lent | Considered of tourist interest by theJunta de Andalucía. |
| Virgin of the Villa | First Tuesday after Holy Week | |
| Saint Amador | 5 May | Patron saint of the town |
| Romería of the Virgin of the Victory | Last weekend of May | Held in theRock of Martos. |
| Corpus Christi | Thursday after Trinity Sunday; 60 days after Easter, or the Sunday immediately following this | Children who have received their first communion that year participate in a procession |
| Saint Martha | 29 July | Patron saint of the town |
| Festival ofSaint Bartholomew | Late August | Major festival of the city |
| Festival of the Olive | 8 December | A festive week symbolizing the start of the olive harvest season, first held in 1980.[9] |
The most important sports club isMartos CD, aTercera Federación football club.
Martos istwinned with the following cities:
Mora, Spain
Baler, Philippines
Cellamare, Italy
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