Priego de Córdoba

Priego de Córdoba
Town
Coat of arms
Priego de Córdoba Location of Priego de Córdoba in Spain
Coordinates: 37°26′N 4°11′W / 37.433°N 4.183°W / 37.433; -4.183
Population
• Estimate (2008)	22,558

Priego de Córdoba is a town and municipality of Andalucia Spain in the extreme southeastern portion of the province of Córdoba, near the headwater of the Guadajoz River, and on the northern slope of the Sierra de Priego. The population in 2008 was 22,558.

History

The oldest church was built in the 13th century and subsequently restored; it has a fine chapel. There are ruins of an, originally Moorish, castle (currently (2006) under restoration) having been a fortified city of the Moors (with the Hispano-Arabic name Baguh) which was captured by the Christians under Ferdinand III in 1225, lost again in 1327, and finally retaken in 1340^[1] by Alfonso XI.

Some of the best examples of the Spanish Baroque are found in the numerous churches in Priego. The first President of the Second Spanish Republic, Niceto Alcala-Zamora, was from Priego. Priego is a village found on the 'Ruta de la Califata' (trade route of the Caliphate).

The oldest section of Priego is its Barrio de la Villa. It is bordered on one side by the town's natural fortress, a high cliff. The alleys that wind through this part of the town are Moorish in style, decorated proudly by the populace with flower pots and religious icons. Some homes retain the ancient tunnel system that went from their cellars (bodegas) to the castle.

Priego is a member of the Route of the Caliphate. It is called “City of the water” because of the many springs and "Jewel of the Baroque Native of Córdoba” for its multitude of Baroque-style constructions. It has been referred to as “the lock and key to the Kingdom of Granada”.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

The view from the cliff, known as the "Adarve", is breathtakingly beautiful and is a favorite subject for paintings. From the "Adarve" one sees an over 180° degree expanse of valley and olive grove speckled mountains known as the "Subetica".

The oldest section of Priego is its Barrio de la Villa. It is bordered on one side by the town's natural fortress, a high cliff. The alleys that wind through this part of the town are Moorish in style, decorated with flower pots and religious icons. Some homes still have the ancient tunnel system that went from their cellars (bodegas) to the castle.

Economy

Its economy is based on agricultural products, mainly olive oil and cereals. The olive oil from Priego has been given its own denominational label. The olive oils have recently garnered many of the most prestigious prizes in international competitions.

Culture

Street view of Priego de Córdoba

The religious brotherhoods of Priego have a long history, some dating back to before the 16th century. The traditional displays of these brotherhoods in the religious processions of Holy Week (Semana Santa) are renowned for their grandeur and beauty.

The procession on Holy Thursday (Jueves Santo) of the Brotherhood of the Column (Jesus de la Columna), which is the oldest and most prestigious of the town's brotherhoods, and on Holy Friday (Viernes Santo) the Brotherhood of the Nazarenos, in which the procession is of a hand carried float with Christ carrying the cross.

The Nazareno is carried from a church in the center of Priego to a mountain top that overlooks Priego known as the Calavario. Once there a priest comes out of the hermitage there and delivers a benediction. The population holds up pastries in the form of roosters or pigs, with a hard boiled egg in the center, known as 'hornazos'. After the benediction it is considered good luck for the coming year to eat the pastry.

The Barrio de la Villa or “Old Quarter” was given the official title of Historic Centre of Priego in 1972.

References

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Priego de Cordoba". Encyclopædia Britannica 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 316 

External links

• El legado andalusí (Spanish)

v t e Municipalities in the province of Córdoba Adamuz Aguilar de la Frontera Alcaracejos Almedinilla Almodóvar del Río Añora Baena Belalcázar Bélmez Benamejí Bujalance Cabra Cañete de las Torres Carcabuey Cardeña Castro del Río Conquista Córdoba Doña Mencía Dos Torres El Carpio El Guijo El Viso Encinas Reales Espejo Espiel Fernán Núñez Fuente Obejuna Fuente Palmera Fuente la Lancha Fuente-Tójar Guadalcázar Hinojosa del Duque Hornachuelos Iznájar La Carlota La Granjuela La Rambla La Victoria Los Blázquez Lucena Luque Montalbán de Córdoba Montemayor Montilla Montoro Monturque Moriles Nueva Carteya Obejo Palenciana Palma del Río Pedro Abad Pedroche Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo Posadas Pozoblanco Priego de Córdoba Puente Genil Rute San Sebastián de los Ballesteros Santa Eufemia Santaella Torrecampo Valenzuela Valsequillo Villa del Río Villafranca de Córdoba Villaharta Villanueva de Córdoba Villanueva del Duque Villanueva del Rey Villaralto Villaviciosa de Córdoba Zuheros

Coordinates: 37°26′N 4°11′W / 37.433°N 4.183°W / 37.433; -4.183