Canena

Canena belongs to the region of La Loma and Las Villas, located in the northern slope of La Loma that goes down gradually until the river Guadalimar. Canena is an olive village because the entire township devotes to the growing of olives. The main economic activity is derived from this growing (oil industry), being also important the textile industry and the one of metal transformed. It has an interesting thermal waters spa of and an impressive Castle, transformed into a palace by Mr. Francisco de los Cobos, Carlos I’s secretary, being the architect Andrés de Vandelvira. In 1931 it was declared National Monument and we can emphasize its main front with round arches flaked by Corinthian pilasters.

The origin of Canena goes back to the Prehistory Age, because in its nearness there were found stone polishing axes, and it is during the Roman Age when it should appear the first stable towns in the area of the Health Resort, like we can see in the mosaics and the existence of a hydraulic construction from this age. The present enclave has its origins in the Roman Age, according to Narciso Peinado, Aguirre Sadaba and other. It was the tribe of Banu Kinana the ones who settled it after the conquest of Spain by the Moslems.

It would be from 1220 to 1227 when it was conquered by Fernando III el Santo together with Úbeda and Baeza.

At the beginning of XVI century the half of Canena belonged to the Command of Bedmar, Santiago Order and the other half of the inhabitants to the Command of Torres, Calatrava Order.

In 1539 the emperor Carlos V transferred them and formed a single Council. Carlos V sold the entire villa to Francisco de los Cobos, by the sum of 58.000 duchies. This sale was allowed by the Pope Clemente VIII and approved by Paulo III, through a bull given in Rome 15 October, 1539.

When Mr. Francisco de los Cobos was the owner, 3th may, 1544 and from Valladolid, conferred the by-laws that they will be the ones that will rule all the working of the villa and that had been presented by the Council. These by-laws emerge from Baeza jurisdiction.  

With these by-laws the functions of the Council are regulated (meetings, scales, measures, cleanliness, irrigation ditches, etc.) Economic aspects (meat and fish supply, agriculture, stockbreeding, incomes, oven, mill, etc.), renouncing the operation and functions that the Council had a huge autonomy to govern the village.

From that moment on Canena has been linked to the Camarasa Marquess until the end of the forties, when they sold all their properties.

According to the census the population in Canena has never been numerous – in 1595, 784 inhabitants; in 1791, 685 inhabitants; in 1846, 840 inhabitants; in 1900, 1.611 inhabitants; in 1950, 2.430 inhabitants; in 1990, 2.100 inhabitants – with these information we can see its development. From the religious point of view its patron saints are: San Marcos, 25th of April, and Virgen de los Remedios, 15th of August.

The means of live in this village has been the agriculture; nowadays we can find almost the 100% of the municipal district with olive groves. In the past there were also cultivated the cereal, vineyard, vegetable garden, etc. The property is very distributed, being the area of the plots small.

Canena has a surface of 15 km2. This little farming surface has increased from the fifties; the effect due to the buying in other municipal districts has been a notable action, and nowadays, farmers of Canena, have important farming enclaves in Ibros, Baeza, Úbeda, Torreperogil, Arquillos, Rus, Vilches, Linares, etc., being a mechanized agriculture.

We have to emphasize the working spirit of the people in Canena, they are good farmers, hardworking and honest, with many and good students, and it is a quiet and warm village.

Monuments

Castle of Canena 
Church of Ntra. Sra. de la Concepción 
Hermitage of Ntra. Sra. de los Remedios 
The Molinillo

Gastronomy

Stew of Meatballs, guiñapos with hare, pipirrana (salad with onion, tomato and pepper), segadores soup, fried breadcrumbs.

Confectionery: caridad bread rolls, sweet omelettes, rosquillos de la sartén, sweet oatmeal porridges with croutons, homemade syrup pasties

How to get there

You have to exit Jaén and continue by the road J-14, then take the Motorway A-316 towards Mancha Real - Baeza - Úbeda. Alleyway of Puente Nuevo. Turn left in JV-3043 and cross Begíjar. Continue by the road JV-3044 and cross Ibros. Take the road JV-3046 and you enter Canena.

Distances

To Jaén 56 km 
To Rus2 km  
To Ibros 6 km  
To Úbeda 12 km  
To Baeza 9,5 km  
To Linares 17 km  
To Lupión 13 km  
To Vilches 36 km  
To Begíjar 12 km  
To Sabiote 20 km  
To Arquillos 34 km  
To Torre del Obispo 8 km  
To Puente del Obispo 18 km