Both this town and the neighbouringBaeza benefited from extensive patronage in the early 16th century resulting in the construction of a series ofRenaissance style palaces and churches, which have been preserved ever since. In 2003,UNESCO declared the historic centres and landmarks of these two towns aWorld Heritage Site. As of 2017, the municipality has a registered population of 34,733, ranking it as the fourth most populated municipality in the province.
Legend has it that Úbeda was established byTubal, a descendant ofNoah. The city's name is said to have originated from the mythical tower of King Ibiut.
Archaeological evidence indicates the earliest settlements in Úbeda going back to theCopper Age, and are situated in the oldest part of town known as Cerro del Alcázar. Recent archaeological investigations have revealed a history spanning six millennia; thus, Úbeda stands as the "oldest city, scientifically substantiated, in Western Europe". This assertion comes from the research team led by Professor Francisco Nocete, based on findings from 35Carbon-14 datings conducted at the Las Eras del Alcázar site.[4][5]
There are remnants from theChalcolithic,Argaric,Oretanian,Visigothic, andLate Roman periods in the Alcázar. There was a sistering Iberian settlement nearby called Iltiraka, later incorporated into theRoman colony of Salaria and was known as Old Úbeda or Ubeda Vethula. Greeks arrived in Úbeda seeking trade, followed by theCarthaginians with imperialist aims, but both were defeated by the Romans after prolonged conflicts.
During theRoman Empire, following theBattle of Ilipa in 206 BCE, the ancient Iberian city-state underwent Romanization, becoming known asBetula. It became a hub for various scattered populations. In the Gothic era, theVandals destroyed the region, leading the inhabitants to consolidate in what is now known asBétula Nova, though the reasons for this are unclear.
The city regained significance with thearrival of the Arabs, notably underAbd al-Rahman II, who reestablished it asUbbada orUbbadat Al-Arab — Úbeda "of the Arabs" —, aiming to control the neighboringMozarabs of Baeza. In the 11th century, it was contested among thetaifa kingdoms ofAlmería,Granada,Toledo, andSeville until its eventual conquest by theAlmoravids. As a Muslim city, it expanded its defensive walls and flourished as one ofAl-Andalus' most important centers due to its thriving craftsmanship and trade. Thus, it became a prosperous and strategic stronghold.[6]
During the year 1091, Úbeda was forcibly surrendered toAlfonso VI by the king of Toledo amidst internal rebellion among the Andalusian Moors. Throughout the 12th century, Castilian kings intensified pressure on the region, leading to Úbeda being mentioned in historical records primarily for its involvement in military conflicts. The city experienced significant devastation and changes of control, including a massacre by crusaders in 1212, following theBattle of Las Navas de Tolosa.
During the 14th and the 15th centuries, conflicts between the local nobility and population impaired the growth of the town. In 1368, the city was damaged during theCastilian Civil War betweenPeter I of Castile andHenry II of Castile. This, combined with other circumstances, caused the worsening of the rivalry between the families de Trapera and de Aranda at first, and the families de la Cueva and de Molina after. This political instability was solved when theCatholic Monarchs ruled: they ordered that theAlcázar, used by the nobility as a fortress, be destroyed.
Úbeda, on the border betweenGranada andCastile-La Mancha, was an important geographic buffer, and thus the population gained from the Castilian kings a number of official privileges, such as the "Fuero de Cuenca", which organized the population formed by people from Castilla and fromLeón, in order to face the problems that could arise at the borders. Through the "Fuero de Cuenca", a popular Council was formed, which developed a middle-class nobility and made the high-ranking official hereditary.
During the 16th century, these important Castilian aristocratic families from Úbeda reached top positions in the Spanish Monarchy administration. Notably,Francisco de los Cobos and his nephewJuan Vázquez de Molina became Secretary of State forHoly Roman Emperor Charles V andPhilip II respectively. The Viceroy of Peru Pedro de Toledo, the governor of the Canary Islands Juan de Rivera y Zambrana, the Marquis of Messia or the Count of Guadiana are other examples of nobiliary families living in Úbeda at the time. Due to the patronage of arts of these competing families, Úbeda became a Renaissance focus in Spain and from there Renaissance architecture spread to theKingdom of Seville and America.
In the early 19th century theWar of Independence (this war against Napoleon is often called the "Peninsular War" in English) produced huge economic losses again, and the city did not boost until the end of the 19th century, when several technical improvements were applied inagriculture anindustry. Ideological discussions took place at the "casinos", places for informal discussions about several items.
The excavated Water Synagogue.
Historically, aJewish community thrived in Úbeda during medieval times, until theexpulsion of the Jews.[9] In 2007, the remains of a synagogue dating to the 13th century were uncovered in Úbeda's historic city center. Named "Sinagoga del Agua", or "Water Synagogue" because of the seven wells and themikveh, or Jewish ritual bath, that were found. The Water Synagogue consists of amikveh, a synagogue room with a women's gallery, a patio with a Jewishtree of life design, and a cellar used to store olive oil and kosher wine.[10][11]
The city is near the geographic centre of the province of Jaén, and it is the administrative seat of the surroundingLoma de Úbedacomarca. It is one of the region's most important settlements, boasting a regional hospital, university bachelor's degree in education college, distance-learning facilities, local government facilities, social security offices, and courts. According to theCaixa yearbook, it is the economic hub of a catchment area with a population of 200,000 inhabitants. Twenty-nine percent of employment is in the service sector. Other fractions of the population are employed in tourism, commerce, industry, and local government administration. The agricultural economy mainly works with olive cultivation and cattle ranching. Úbeda has become in one of the biggestolive oil's producers and packers of theJaén province.
One of the main seasonal attractions of the town is the annual music and dance festival which is held in May and June including opera, jazz, flamenco, chamber music, symphony orchestra and dance. Just southeast of the town lies the nature park ofSierra de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas.
The most outstanding feature of the city is the monumentalVázquez de Molina Square, surrounded with imposing Renaissance buildings such as thePalacio de las Cadenas (so named for the decorative chains which once hung from the façade) and theBasílica de Santa María de los Reales Alcázares. TheChapel of the Savior orCapilla del Salvador was constructed to house the tombs of local nobility. Both the interior and exterior are decorated; for example, the interior has elaborate metalworkscreen by the ironworkerBartolomé de Jaen. The Hospital de Santiago, designed byVandelvira in the late 16th century, with its square bell towers and graceful Renaissance courtyard, is now the home of the town's Conference Hall. Úbeda has aParador hotel, theParador de Úbeda, housed in a 16th-century palace which was the residence of a high-ranking churchman of that period.
The town lends its name to a common idiom inSpanish,andar por los cerros de Úbeda (literally 'to walk around the hills of Úbeda'), meaning 'to go off at a tangent'.[12]
The city possesses 48 monuments, and more than a hundred other buildings of interest, almost all of them of Renaissance style. All this patrimony led Úbeda to being the second city of renowned Spain Historical – artistic Set, in the year 1955. In the year 1975 it received the appointment of the Council of Europe as Exemplary City of the Renaissance. Finally, in 2003 it was named a World Heritage Site, together with Baeza, by UNESCO.[13]
One of the old gates, thePuerta de Sabiote, an old gate with a horseshoe arch and set in an angle of the old wall, recalls the primitive Moorish town.[14]
Ruy López Dávalos Count of Ribadeo since it was sold by the first count, the Frenchman Pierre de Villaines, who received it fromHenry II of Castile on 20 December 1369, Adelantado of Murcia, 1396, Constable of Castile, 1400–1423, during the reigns of kings Henry III of Castile and John II of Castile.
^Castillo Olivares, M.ª Dolores Antigüedad del (2004)."Úbeda: la consolidación de la imagen renacentista" [Úbeda, the Crystallization of a Renaissance City](PDF).Espacio, Tiempo y Forma. Serie VII. Historia del Arte.17.UNED: 15.
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