Santo Tomé

Santo Tomé is located to the east of Jaén, in the foothills of the mountain ranges of Cazorla, and on the banks of the River Guadalquivir. Its spot, which is common to many towns of Jaén, is formed by extensive olive groves, cereals lands and vegetable gardens. Part of its municipal district belongs to the Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas, that is the biggest protected space in Spain: an orographical labyrinth of valleys, limestone quarries, cuts, mountains and high plateaus with a great hydrologic importance (because of the huge quantity of rivers and streams that flow from it); botanical (European Black Pine, Aleppo Pine and many endemic species); the wealth of the fauna, hunting and the landscape. From it we can observe that it is one of the most visited open spaces in the country.

In Santo Tomé, in the spot known like Vega de Montiel, there was found a treasure and a winged effigy, from the Iberian age (VI century B.C), that is kept in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional.

During the Roman Age the area had an intense occupation through rural towns such as Las Graveras. From this period we can observe several tombstones and other objects like a weight in the Museo Provincial.

From its Visigoth past we can observe a tombstone whose translation is "Avilia Marcela, with thirty five years old, she was buried here.- the land has to be light, their companions dedicated her this keepsake" (Museo Arqueológico Provincial). 
During the Moslem age it would be one of the farmhouses that inhabited this territory and had a tower to protect the town. A tower that was mentioned in the Christian chronicles, immediate to the conquest of this territory and that later it would change in belfry of the parish church.

In 1231 Santo Tomé, together with other towns of the Comarca, was part of the "Adelantamiento de Cazorla", wealth of the archbishop of Toledo. In 1438 the archbishop of Toledo authorized Pedro Díaz de Toledo the foundation of this town. According to Pedro Díaz when he arrived this place there was only a country house and an old tower.

In 1543, Díaz Sánchez de Quesada, Señor de Garciez and from the Torre de Santo Tomé, married with Leonor de Acuña, lady of the castle and inheriting of Nínchez y Chozas, in the municipal district of Baeza. The Viscounty of Santo Tomé was given to Hernando de Quesada Mendoza y Toledo by Cédula de Felipe IV.

Monuments

Casa Grande. National monument, with royal coat of arms.

Tower of the Church Belfry. 

Gastronomy

Sausages. Gachamigas (oatmeal porridges made with flour, salt and oil). Talarines (meat stew with vegetables and mushrooms with wafers). Rin-ran (cod with potatoes, peppers, olives, olive oil). Omelette. Mushrooms. Plato albado.

How to get there

You have to exit Jaén towards: Mancha Real - Baeza - Úbeda. Then you pass near Baeza. Alleyway de Úbeda. In the roundabout, take the exit 3 and continue in the Motorway A-301. Then turn right in N-322. Alleyway of El Campillo. Then cross Villacarrillo and continue in the Motorway A-6204 until you get Santo Tomé.

Distances

To Jaén 92 km;
To Úbeda 36 km
To Torreperogil 28 km
To Cazorla 18 km
To Quesada 30 km
To Villacarrillo 16 km
To Castellar de Santisteban 35 km
To Herrera 27 km