In the Middle Ages Baeza was a flourishing Moorish city, said to contain 50,000 inhabitants, but it fell to the forces of Ferdinand III of Castile in 1227. The Cordova and Úbeda gates, and the arch of Baeza, are among the remains of its Moorish fortifications.

In the 16th century, Baeza and nearby Úbeda grew rich from the production of textiles, and local nobles hired important architects, such as Andrés de Vandelvira, to design new palaces, churches and public squares in the fashionable Italian style. The economy collapsed in the 17th century, which had the fortunate side effect of preserving Baeza's Renaissance architectural legacy, because few newer structures were built. Baeza appears much more Italian than Spanish, with an unusual sense of lightness, order, and proportion.

Baeza's chief Renaissance structures are the university, established in 1538, which is now a summer school for the University of Granada, the Catedral de Santa María, the Palacio de Jabalquinto, and the squares of Plaza de España and the Paseo de la Constitucíon. All of these sites are located within walking distance of each other, in what is called the Zona Monumental.

Baeza is 327 km (203 miles) by highway south of Madrid. It has a RENFE rail station (Linares - Baeza) 9 miles southwest on the Linares-Almeria railway and bus transportation from Granada, Málaga and Madrid. The nearest international airports are in Granada, 132 km (82 miles) south and Málaga, 241 km (150 miles) to the southwest.

Cazorla lies at an elevation of 836 metres on the western slope of the Sierra de Cazorla. It is the entry point and base for visits to the Natural Park of Sierras de Cazorla Segura y las Villas, a vast protected area of magnificent river gorges and forests. Spain's second longest river, the Guadalquivir has its source in the mountains to the south of the settlement.

Distances to nearby cities are: Jaén, 121 km.; Granada, 205 km.; and Linares, 71 km. See Mapa de Carreteras de Jaén

The town is constructed around three main squares, the Plaza de la Constitución, the Plaza de la Corredera (or de Huevo, "of the Egg", because of its shape), and the Plaza Santa Maria. This last square is the oldest and is connected to the other two by narrow, twisting streets. It takes its name from the old cathedral which, damaged by floods in the seventeenth century, was later burnt by French troops. It is now in ruin. Above the square sits an austere, reconstructed Moorish castle tower called la Yedra. Still higher up on the rocky escarpment lie the ruins of still yet another ruined fortress.

A recommended excursion is to the nearby village of la Iruela which has a ruined Moorish fortress perched on a daunting rock peak. A number of battles were fought here during the Reconquest until Don Rodrigo Jimenez de Rada, archbishop of Toledo, reconquered it in 1231 and made it the seat of his archbishopric.

Its primitive structure is relatively intact. The principal defenses consist of a crumbling principal tower and two separate enclosures, with some of its battlements still intact, connected by a long curtain wall. These walls also protected the monastery, whose remains are still visible nearby. See Castles

The history of Cazorla goes back more than two thousand years. Under the Romans the town had the name of Carcacena. Not only were there significant Iberian and Roman settlements here, but this was also the see of one of the first bishoprics of early Christian Spain. Under the Moors it was a strategic stronghold and one of dozens of fortresses and watchtowers guarding the mountains. Taken after a bitter struggle in 1235, during the Reconquista, the town then acted as an outpost for Christian troops.

Today Cazorla is heavily dependent on tourism and hosts events such as the Cazorla Blues Festival each July. There is also production of high-quality olive oil from the one third of municipal land planted in olive trees. There is even a publication, The Olive Oil Gazette, which is published in Cazorla. Sierra de Cazorla is the Denomination of Origen for this olive oil. See Sierra de Cazorla. The town celebrates its annual fair in mid-September.

For such a small town there are a surprising number of three and four star hotels and countless rural guest houses.

Winter nights can be cold due to the elevation but snow is infrequent. Summers are cooler than the low-lying plains to the west and the town fills with tourists during the summer months.

In the last years Jaén has had a great increase of cultural tourism. Jaén is also known as the World Capital of Olive Oil, because it's the biggest producer of this liquid gold (as the locals refer to it). The urbanism of Jaén is determined by its adjustment to the hills of the Santa Catalina mountains, with steep, narrow streets, in the historical central city district. 

The city of Jaén is the administrative and industrial centre for the province. Industrial establishments in the city include chemical works, tanneries, distilleries, cookies factories and textile factories.
 
Monuments

Jaén Cathedral, one of the most important Renaissance style cathedrals, began construction in 1570 and was completed in 1802. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, and it was built to shelter the relic of The Holy Face, or Veil of Veronica, lodged at the major chapel and exposed to the public every Friday. Due to the length of time in its construction, different artistic styles can be appreciated, the most prominent being Renaissance; Andrés de Vandelvira the most important architect. He is the greatest exponent of the Andalusian Renaissance. It aspires to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.... read more

The most outstanding feature of the city is the monumental Vázquez de Molina Square, surrounded with imposing Renaissance buildings such as the Palacio de las Cadenas (so named for the decorative chains which once hung from the façade). The Chapel of the Savior or Capilla del Salvador was constructed to house the tombs of local nobility. Both the interior and exterior are decorated; for example, interior has an elaborate metawork screen by the ironworker Bartolomé de Jaen. The Hospital de Santiago, designed by Vandelvira in the late 16th century, with its square bell towers and graceful Renaissance courtyard, is now the home of the town's Conference Hall. Ubeda has a Parador hotel, 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 figure of speech in Spanish, andar por los cerros de Úbeda (literally 'to walk around the hills of Úbeda'), meaning 'to go off at a tangent'.