Puebla de Don Fadrique

In the northeast of the province of Granada, near to the Sierra de la Sagra, in a magnificent natural setting of extraordinary beauty, can be found  La Puebla de Don Fadrique. In the town centre is the Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Senora de la Quinta Angustia (Parish Church), built in the sixteenth century, and the Casa de los Patino, a 16th century manor house that contains interesting architectural elements of the time, the local environment is ideal for hiking through such natural areas such as Las Santas, Colladas de Arriba and Casa de la Virgen. Within the municipal area, and along the road between Puebla de Don Fadrique and La Losa, we find one of the most unique resort complexes for the practice of rural tourism in Andalucía: Los Collados de la Sagra.

With important archaeological remains of the Iberian-Roman and Muslin eras in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, this was a border area where several clashes occurred between Muslims and Christians. In those times the current Puebla de Don Frederic was only a hamlet consisting of a handful of settlers or a collection of numerous watchtowers, known as Bolteruela. In 1488 the Catholic Monarchs annexed from the Nazari Kingdom a wide region that included this area, giving the Duke de Alba full charge over the border of the Kingdom of Granada, and it was necessary to bring Christian settlers into the region due to excess numbers of Muslims.

In 1495 these lands were offered under the control of Don Louis de Beaumont, Count of Lerin and the then Constable of Navarre, which brought in Navarros, together with their customs. Because the area was a war zone with many instances of banditry, in the late fifteenth century militias were formed in order to safeguard the region, these were Los Calcaborras who were ready and willing to carry out the mission, severely punishing any who transgressed.

With the death of the constable and Don Alvarez de Toledo Fadrique procuring the occupancy of the kingdom of Pamplona in 1512, and being given the lordship of these territories in 1513, a fact which was not to the liking of the Mudejar majority in the region, the unrest among the Mudejars of Huescar led to Don Fadrique taking refuge, together with a small group of old Christians, in Bolteruela, which likely led to the current name, and being aided by settlers from Castile, Murcia and Andalusia. There was a significant rise in the production from vineyards, and of wool and wood in the sixteenth century, this being helped by the passing through the region of the Camino Real Granada-Valencia. (main road).

It was at this time that the construction of a great church, Santa Maria de la V Angustia, was begun. In the 17th century the convent of the barefoot Franciscans was founded, (now disappeared) and most of the fraternities, brotherhoods and shrines. The richness of the mountains gave, in the eighteenth century, a large population growth due to the production and development of logging. In the 19th century there was a significant urban development in Puebla de Don Fadrique, which became an important town, separating from Huescar and obtaining the title of Villa with the municipal area. However, in the 20th century it can be seen that the large population recorded in 1950, 8640 inhabitants, with migration, has been reduced to the current 2600.

Monuments
Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Maria de la Quinta Angustia (late Gothic, early Christian remains.)
Casa-palacio de los Patiño (XVI century).

Urbanism
Casco Urbano (Old town)

Gastronomy
Standing out in the local food are recipes introduced by the ‘navarros’settlers. Other typical dishes are partridges with chocolate, migas, garlic ‘de aserrador’, andrajos, guenas, fried cakes or garlic ‘arriero’. They also have pork sausages and other high quality pork derivatives.

Directions

Leaving Granada. At the roundabout take the 2nd exit Continue along: E-902 / A-44 heading to Armilla - Motril. Follow the direction: Exit 118 - A-92 - Almeria - Murcia - Malaga - Algeciras - N-432 - Cordoba - Airport. Follow directions Almeria - Murcia. Continue along: A-92. Take the exit towards: Exit 295 - Baza - Murcia. Take A-92N. Take the exit towards: Exit 356, A-330, A-4302 - Cullar - Huéscar - Puebla de Don Fadrique. Turn left: Carretera de Baza to Benamaurel direction: C-3329 - Cullar - Huéscar - Puebla de Don Fadrique. In Cúllar Baza, go to: A-330. Arrive at Puebla de Don Fabrique.

Distances