Belmez de la Moraleda

PROVINCE OF: Jaén DISTANCIA FROM CAPITAL (km): 69 HEIGHT ABOVE SEA LEVEL (m): 876 AREA COV. (km2): 49 INHABITANTS Nº: 2.067 POST CODE: 23568

SITUATION
Within the municipality of Jaén and crossed by the Gandulilla Vale, it benefits from the protection by the Sierra de la Cruz in the north and the Lucero Hill which results in milder winters than experienced in other surrounding villages.
A good part of the municipality also forms part of the Sierra Mágina, which enjoys an abundance of fauna and flora.
 
One of the most interesting g spots is by the Gargantón stream rare whitethorns or hawthorns are found. From there one can observe the heighest parts of the Mágina Mountain with its stony face that descends to the valley below and joins to the pasture lands that lead to the indigenous pine forest and reforestation area. The rocky face next to the Gargantón is home to a great variety of birdlife such as the Royal Swift, the Black Wheatear, the Chough, and the almost extinct Lesser Kestrel…

HISTORY
For the first time, the Castle was won back from the Moors sometime between 1243 and 1246, but it was not finally conquered until 1448 and was incorporated under the rule of Jódar some years later.
From 1501 all Bémez lands belonged to Granada in payment of certain debts that the Kings had with that town, reserving the control of the Castle to the Master of Jódar.
The official founding as a town dates back to 1524, when parts of the land were given to some local farm workers, because of this it was also known as "Cortijo de la Fuente de la Moraleda". It formed part of the Granada jurisdiction until the reform of the province of Javier Burgos in 1833 when it then became part of Jaén.

MUST SEE
The Renaissance Castle of Bélmez.
The Arab Castle at Torreón El Lucero.
Archaeological site.
The Towers' remains (Torres en ruinas): del Sol y Lucena.
THE VILLAGE IS WORLDWIDE KNOWN
This is due to the strange apparition of drawings (faces) on the inside walls of some houses. A phenomenon that started on the 23rd of August 1971 and which attracted attention from all over the world.

If you wish to know more about this, see:
www.leftfield-psi.net/ghosts/belmez.html
or http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/
programmes/from_our_own_
correspondent/476045.stm

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