Baena

Coordinates: 37°37′N 4°19′W / 37.617°N 4.317°W / 37.617; -4.317
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Baena
Flag of Baena
Coat of arms of Baena
Baena is located in Spain
Baena
Baena
Baena is located in Andalusia
Baena
Baena
Coordinates: 37°37′10″N 4°19′34″W / 37.61944°N 4.32611°W / 37.61944; -4.32611
CountrySpain
Autonomous communityAndalusia
ProvinceCórdoba
ComarcaCampiña de Baena
Government
 • MayorMaría Jesús Serrano Jiménez (PSOE)
Area
 • Total362.5 km2 (140.0 sq mi)
Elevation405 m (1,329 ft)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Total19,338
 • Density53/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST (GMT +2))
Postal code
14850
Area code+34 (Spain) + 957 (Córdoba)
WebsiteTown Hall

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).

History[edit]

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[edit]

References[edit]

Citations
  1. ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i EB (1878).
  3. ^ a b c d EB (1911).
  4. ^ Martín Escudero 2002, p. 44.
  5. ^ Martín Escudero 2002, p. 45.
  6. ^ Sevilla FC Forum
  7. ^ The massacre of Baena Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Paul Preston (2012). The Spanish Holocaust. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-06476-X.
  9. ^ No solo corrieron rios de sangre en Badajoz
Bibliography

37°37′N 4°19′W / 37.617°N 4.317°W / 37.617; -4.317