Jean


 * Population:** 116.000.000 inhabitants
 * Distance:** 93.8 Kms from Granada
 * Altitude:** 573 M
 * Information Center:** [|www.andalucia2.com/jaen.html]

__Semana Santa:__ Easter week, declared of National Tourist Interest, during which saetas and tractos are sung. One of the most interesting moments is when the Virgen de los Dolores and Jesús Nazareno meet opposite the Cathedral's main door, when both pasos face each other and are "rocked" __Día de Andalucia Lumbres de San Antón Fires of San Antón:__ celebrated 16 January. Bonfires are lit and people spend the night around them singing and dancing melenchones. __Pilgrimage of Santa Catalina:__ 25 November. Ascent to the Castle, many people do it on foot, to commemorate the conquest of the city by King Fernando III.
 * Fiestas:**


 * Monumentos:**

__The Cathedral:__ Renaissance building from the 16th and 17th centuries, it has been declared Historic Artistic Monument. It is one of the best examples of Renaissance in Spain. Its main façade is spectacular. In the first section of the façade, there are several huge pillars with Corinthian capitals which reach the second section. The second section has a stone balustrade topped by a number of statues. In its interior, its spaciousness and size are surprising. We should not forget the vaulted ceilings of the main nave and aisles and the transept dome. The richly carved choir stalls stand in the middle of the main nave. In the main chapel, the impressive tabernacle stands out. The Cathedral also houses the cloth of the Santa Faz which, according to the legend, is the napkin with which St. Verónica wiped Christ’s face. __The Cathedral Museum:__ is located in the sacristy and displays mainly gold and silver pieces. In the Chapter House we can find the Sagrada Familia, work of Pedro Machuca, and in the Chapel of San Fernando an image of Jesús Nazareno. __Castle of Santa Catalina__: Arab castle much altered by the Christians. From the original construction, only the keep, the parade ground and some towers remain. The Castle has been converted into a Parador de Turismo __Arco de San Lorenzo__ Baños Arabes

The first stable human settlements date from the Palaeolithic. Iberians, Carthaginians and Romans also lived here. It was called Aurigi in this period. Scipio takes the city in the 207 B.C. The fortress is extended in this period. It enjoyed a great splendour during the al-Andalus period. It was an important and much disputed city throughout this period in history. The Christian conquest was led by King Fernando III in 1246, and the Bishop's seat moved here from Baeza. After the conquest, the Christians took advantage of the city's border location to raid Muslim lands. Many legends and popular songs relate these episodes. After the fall of the Kingdom of Granada, the city loses its strategic importance. It enjoys a certain resurge from 1833 when it became the capital of the province..
 * History**

**Map of Jaén**