Baena

Baena

Baena

Municipality in Andalusia, Spain


Baena is a town and municipality of Spain located in the province of Córdoba, Andalusia. It is situated near the river Marbella [es] on the slope of a hill 52 kilometres (32 mi) southeast of Córdoba by road. The population of the town is 20,266 (2012).

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History

The site of the Roman town (Baniana or Biniana).[2][3] In 1833, a subterranean vault was discovered, containing twelve cinerary urns with inscriptions commemorating members of the Pompeian family.[2]

Following the demise of the Caliphate of Córdoba, the town was ravaged by Berbers, bringing its prosperity to an end.[4]

Once conquered Córdoba, Ferdinand III rapidly acquired a number of towns in the Campiña—including Baena—in 1241, probably meeting no resistance.[5]

The hill is crowned by fortifications. In 1292, Nasrid Granada, ruled by Muhammad II, unsuccessfully besieged the citadel, which was held for Sancho IV;[3] the five Moorish heads in its coat-of-arms commemorates the occasion.[2] The castile was a base for Gonzalo de Cordova and was held in the 19th century by the Altamira family.[2] At that time, it held four parish churches and three schools conducted by sisters of charity. The girls' school held a high reputation in its province, despite not going beyond reading, writing, arithmetic, and religious instruction.[2] Its population was around 12,000 in the 1870s[2] and 15,000 by the turn of the century.[3] Grain and olive oil were the principal articles of commerce in the 19th century;[2] by the time of the First World War, horse-breeding and linen-weaving had also developed, despite the nearest railroad station being at Luque.[3]

At the beginning of the Spanish Civil War the town was the scenario of the Baena Massacre, a ruthless mass-execution of Spanish republicans where about 700 loyalists were murdered by the orders of rebel Colonel Sáenz de Buruaga.[6][7][8] Other estimates mention up to 2,000 victims following the brutal repression in Baena.[9]

High-quality olive oil continues to be the mainstay of the local economy.[citation needed] Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park is located to the south of the town.[citation needed]

Notable residents


References

Citations
  1. Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  2. Paul Preston (2012). The Spanish Holocaust. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-06476-X.
Bibliography

37°37′N 4°19′W


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