Villanueva del Arzobispo

Historia

Villanueva del Arzobispo is a city located in the province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2011 census (INE), the city has a population of 8,924.HistoryThe town was first mentioned in the year 1396 owing to a petition made by Pedro Tenorio, archbishop of Toledo, to King Henry III of Castile. Hence the town's name, which means New Town of the Archbishop in Spanish. Before this date, the town was called La Moraleja, adjacent to Iznatoraf and towards the beginning of the 13th century formed part of the conquered territory of Cazorla.There exist basic forms of the ancient name of the locality, which before being called La Moraleja was called in Arabic Al-Buxarressa, from which La Moraleja derives.The urban nucleus of Villanueva del Arzobispo is situated next to the mountain of Albercones, to the west, at a crossroads. It presents a mixed picture, with some ancient districts made up of irregular roads and blocks of houses, and others with blocks more or less in a regular pattern which conforms to the more modern extended area. In the ancient quarter, situated in the west part of the centre, there are various roads with steep inclinations. The towns development basically radiated from the centre to the north-east and south-east, following the line marked by the highway 322 and by the way to the park. To the west the presence of the arroyo of the Pozo has prevented further urban expansion.