About 55 kilometres east of Granada lay the monumental city of Guadix. Follow the A-92 from Granada into the city picking up the Avenida Maria Pineda. Turn off the Plaza De Las Americas and park near the precincts of the cathedral.
An imposing red sandstone structure, it is built on the site of the old Mesquita Major. Its construction stretched from the 16th to the 18th Century and includes an amalgam of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. Opening hours are Mondays – Saturdays 10.30hrs to 13.00hrs and 16.00hrs to 18.00hrs.
Following from the cathedral it is a short walk along the Juderia or Old Jewish Quarter to the Plaza de la Constitucion or Plaza de los Corregidores. This square is one of old Guadix’s more successful urban creations.
Completely enclosed by porticoes it is the result of a mid 19th Century plan to remodel the site in a more historical vein. During the Moorish period the area would have been full of trading stalls, workshops and storage areas.
Near what is known as La Puerta Alta De Baza one of the city’s most important gates, it is clearly an area of considerable historical interest. In the 16th Century the Plaza became a focal point for politics and festivities and numerous buildings were erected in or around it, i.e. the Town Hall, the Gaol, the Corregidoria( residence of the Corregidor or Monarch’s representative) and the stocks for public punishment.
Nearby in the Placeta de Santiago, the white washed Iglesia de Santiago built by Diego De Siloe sits in all its splendour. The Plateresque facade and entrance with a blue and green tiled bell tower is beautiful.
Follow the road along Puerta Alta and a short distance south you’ll find the 8th Century Islamic Castle, the Alcazaba which is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday 11.00hrs to 14.00hrs and 16.00hrs to 18.30hrs.
The towers of this fortress built in the 11th Century provide a spectacular view of the Barrio De Las Cuevas quarter. The cave district which is sited in small red sandstone hills extends about a square mile in the district of Barrio Santiago.
At the heart of this old quarter lies the old Ermita Nueva, cut into the hillside. It houses an image of Nuestra Senora de Gracia. The square also houses the Cave Museum of Popular Customs, containing items of everyday use and farming tools and implements. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 10.00hrs – 14.00hrs and 17.00hrs – 19.00hrs.
