Bornos - Cádiz

Bornos is located in the region called “Sierra de Cádiz”, in the Northern area of the province, included in the South of Andalucía. This town is part of Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos.

The municipal district has an area of 54,3 Km2, it is to 300 metres above sea level. At North it borders on Villamartín, at South and East on Arcos de la Frontera and on West on Espera.

Bornos is located in the Km. 44 of the Motorway A-382 and to 5 Km. from the populated area you can find Coto de Bornos, that in its origin it was a estate of settlers. Bornos is a perfect place to rest and offers the visitor its history, with an important artistic heritage, and the landscape beauty of its environment, that captive the lovers of the nature.

The origin of its name has been very controversial. For someone it is the old Brana quoted by Plinio; others authors identify it with the Carissa of the Turdetani; for other, it comes from bornes: limits. Another etymological trend attributes the origin to the place name Born, area of El Sudán, where the tribe of Al-barnús was created (from where the garment, bathrobe, similar to the ones they wear) that in 744 populated this area. And, finally, Born, that in Teutonic language means fountain.

This town was formed in the Muslim age around the castle of El Fontanar. During this age were famous its fountains with healing effects. 
 
In the XIII century dates back from several Christian expeditions against the Muslim settlers, and at the beginning of the XIV century it is quoted like part of the lands in the Castilian Crown. 
 
During the XVII century it passes to the Casa de Medinaceli’s wealth.

Important Figures 
 
Per Afán de Ribera, (XVI century). Field Marshal of Cataluña and Viceroy of Nápoles. 
San Juan de Ribera, (XVI century). Canonized in 1960.

Reservoir of Bornos

Monuments

Parish Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán 
Convent of El Corpus Christi 
Convent of San Bernardino de Siena 
Monastery of Santa María del Rosario 
Hermitage of El Calvario 
Church of La Resurrección 
Castle of El Fontanar 
Casa de la Cilla 
Casa Ordóñez 
School of La Sangre
Gardens of the Palace of Los Ribera

Gastronomy

Lomo en manteca blanca (loin, lard, salt, paprika, etc). Soups. Cabbages. Stews with meat. 
 
Fruit: we can emphasize the famous Damascos de Bornos (apricots).

Routes

Route of La Presa 
Route of La Sierra 
Stretch of La Via Verde 
Monumental Route 
Route of Los Molinos 
Gully of Morón until Carissa Aurelia 
Route of Via Crucis 
Adventure Travel

How to get there

If you exit Cádiz, you have to continue in: N-443. Pass near Puerto Real and continue in: AP-4, then in: E-5 / A-4. Pass near Jerez de la Frontera. Take the exit towards: Salida 78, Arcos, Circuito de Velocidad. Continue in: A-382. Pass near Jédula and continue in: A-384 until you get Bornos.

Distances

To Ronda 71 km
To Sevilla 86 km
To Cádiz 77 km 
To Espera 10 km
To Arcos de la Frontera 14 km

Bornos, site of several civilizations...

The village of Bornos, situated on the banks of the reservoir of the same name, has been declared a Historical Complex for its rich artistic heritage, the result of the combination of several civilizations, from prehistoric to present times.

The finding of remains dating from the Upper Palaeolithic, and a Tartessian bronze sword from 900 BC, as well as the medieval fortress of Fontanar, the origin of its present castle, are some of the testimonies to the different civilizations that settled in this village.

The village of Bornos was founded by the Arabas around a fortified tower that later became the castle of Fontanar, of which some parts of the walls and the keep tower still remain built with ashlars stone. The square tower has various rooms. On top of this construction as Renaissance palace built in the 16th century, to which was added a Renaissance garden in Italian style, catalogued as a Historical Garden of Cultural interest. The complex became known as the Castle- palace of Fontanar de los Ribera.

The urban layout of the village revolves, therefore, around this emblematic monument, declared a Bien de Interes Cultural in 1985. It is designed according to the orthogonal system, with straight streets and big blocks, making possible the construction of other important buildings amongst which stand out the stately houses of the Cilla Family (17th-18th centuries) and the Ordoñez family (18th century), the Blood hospital and college, as well as the parish church of Santo Domingo de Guzman (16th-18th century), the convent of Corpus Christi and the monastery of Los Jeronimos, both from the 16th century.