Since the University of Baeza was founded in 1538, much has changed in studies. And also the students. For example, in the past it was a deep-rooted custom for students to immortalize their graduation by leaving a kind of commemorative signature on the facades. They are the so-called cheers, still visible in many historic universities. Well, on the walls of the San Felipe Neri seminary in Baeza there is a good repertoire of these signs. Most of them read who completed their studies and when. Or the city is praised. After all, only Baezanos could write their cheers. However, some were not satisfied with the praise and took the opportunity to mock the closest city: Úbeda.
Only nine kilometers separate Úbeda and Baeza. And if there is neighborliness, there is rivalry. Although sometimes, more folkloric than real. At least that is what has emerged since 20 years ago these cities marked a milestone with the joint declaration as world heritage sites. Two decades with a very positive balance. Both are enviable artistic ensembles, attractive in their own right. But they have so many names and dates in common that it would make no sense to consider them separately. The traditional enmity has been saved and they are not doing so badly. Visitors come by the thousands throughout the year.
To serve them, restaurants and accommodations of all categories have multiplied. Just as there is an abundant supply of tourist activity companies. Its proposals are varied, but the guided tours of the historical centers stand out, the union of which provides a more than complete vision of the Hispanic Renaissance era.
It must be taken into account that these Jaén lands were the first that the Christian kings took in their efforts to dominate the Iberian Peninsula. This meant the early settlement of Christians compared to the rest of Andalusia. Hence the southernmost Romanesque temples are found, such as the church of Santa Cruz in Baeza. Just as convents were established, some as monumental as that of Santa Clara in Úbeda, which was a stop and inn for Isabella the Catholic on her conquering journey to Granada.
However, the transformation of the two cities came later. In the 16th century they reached their splendor. And the culprit was Francisco de los Cobos, from Ubeta by birth and by heart. Despite not belonging to the nobility, he became one of the most powerful men of his time. He held multiple positions, such as secretary to Charles I, with succulent salaries and perks. In other words, he amassed a huge fortune thanks to acquiring mines and land, not to mention his commissions in the trade of meat, tobacco or salt, and his percentage of the merchandise coming from the colonies.
However, his ambition was not fulfilled until he achieved aristocratic titles. And as he had seen in his travels through Italy, he decided that to be a nobleman worthy of posterity, he had to act as a patron of the arts. An attitude that he expressed in his native Úbeda. A place that he also designated for his eternal rest, building the sacred chapel of the Savior as a family pantheon.
In its construction it counted on relevant artists of the time, but especially with the stonemason and architect Andrés de Vandelvira, the second most responsible for the monumental appearance of the city and also of its neighbor Baeza. And Vandelvira intervened in other local constructions such as the Palace of Dean Ortega, the hospital of Santiago or the church of San Nicolás. While in Baeza he completely renovated the cathedral, integrating Renaissance forms into a temple that had Romanesque, Mudejar or Gothic elements.
In some way, the Nativity Cathedral is a metaphor for Baeza's heritage, since eclecticism and a mix of styles dominate here. To see it, just stand in front of the Jabalquinto palace where the Elizabethan Gothic of its façade and the humanist harmony of its patio come together. Or as you pass under the baroque crown of the cathedral's bell tower you reach narrow alleys with a medieval atmosphere. Or when crossing the Jaén gate next to the Villalar arch with its Plateresque decoration, several historical episodes come together.
On the other hand, Úbeda provokes the idea of more uniformity and also of larger dimensions. There are up to 120 mansions and palaces from different periods cataloged, most of them Renaissance and emerged under the protection of the wealth of that time. This is the case of the Palacio de las Cadenas or that of Vela de los Cobos. Not to mention almost twenty religious spaces such as the imposing church of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares or that of San Lorenzo, transformed today into a dynamic cultural center.
The fact is that both populations have gradually recovered all that heritage. Updating it if necessary. Sometimes with a cultural purpose, such as the Jabalquinto Palace, which houses the International University, or with hospitality intentions, such as the Palace of the Counts of Guadiana, which today is a five-star hotel. And cultural tourism has become a first-rate economic resource in Úbeda and Baeza, diversifying the sources of wealth in a province where a sea of 66 million olive trees seems to flood everything.
Within the monumental Úbeda, the Vázquez de Molina square is an architectural delirium. Here are the basilica of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares, the rear façade of the Palacio de las Cadenas, the side façade of the palace of the Marquises of Mancera, the sacra sapilla del Salvador and also the front of the palace of Dean Ortega.
When this Ortega entrusted his residence to Andrés de Vandelvira, neither the priest nor the stonemason could have imagined that, over the centuries, his work would become the first palace integrated into the Paradores network. Since 1930, it has fulfilled this function, one of the oldest in this select list of accommodations. Obviously its 36 rooms are set in the building's rich past but have the comforts of our time. While its restaurant is inspired by the best local cuisine. It couldn't be any other way in a place overflowing with history!
