Andújar

Andújar stands by the Guadalquivir in a fertile plain between the river and the Sierra Morena. Its position made it a place of passage and exchange, linking the mountain approaches to the agricultural valley. Nearby Los Villares was the site of the Roman town of Isturgi, known for its red terra sigillata pottery; it should not be confused with ancient Iliturgi at Máquiz.

The layout of Andújar took shape under Muslim rule and after its incorporation into Christian Castile. Its defensive walls, strengthened around the turn of the thirteenth century, enclosed narrow streets and were punctuated by towers and gates. The old bridge across the Guadalquivir, despite its popular name of Roman bridge, is medieval in origin. In 1446 Andújar received the dignity of a city. Churches, convents and noble houses later added to the fabric of its historic centre, while pottery remained a longstanding local craft.