Curiosities in our city
Teaching with
 

Ceramics

  
 
Úbeda has a long tradition in the ceramic industry. We already know that our origins are very old and during all this time we have inherited customs, techniques and designs from ancient cultures: Iberian, Roman, Muslim, Jewish and Christian. We find samples of ceramics in domestic objects, on floors, walls and ornaments.
  
 
A 'botijo' is an old object that we usually use in summer, to store water, so that it stays fresh. The jug is molded in clay and is placed in a kiln at about 1000ºC so that it becomes a ceramic object of great hardness. The microscopic porosity of this material allows the outer surface to be somewhat moist, so that when evaporated it cools the surface and the interior of the object.
If you think about it, it is one of the most ecological objects we can manufacture and is centuries old.
White botijo - Museum of European Cultures, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany - CC BY-NC-SA
 
 
The color of the ceramic is a secret well kept by the potters of each place. In our city, green colors are typical in many objects of decoration and daily use. In the image we can see an old medicine container with a color very similar to that of our pottery tradition.
Oală verde, datată 1817 - 1817 - National Heritage Institute, Bucharest, Romania - Public Domain.
 
 
In some monuments in our city we can see roofs made of ceramics in a variety of colors, a very creative detail that gives the roofs a cheerful appearance.
Ubeda PM 091264 E por Paul M.R. Maeyaert - 2016 - PMR Maeyaert, Belgium - CC BY-SA.
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Cross formed by tiles made in an old pottery in Úbeda. Cloister of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares.
Ubeda PM 091434 E por Paul M.R. Maeyaert - 2016 - PMR Maeyaert, Belgium - CC BY-SA.

 
 
 

Wrought iron

  
 
Úbeda also has a long tradition in the manufacture of wrought iron. All peoples have needed this useful material but in our case, originality and artistic creation makes this work an example of excellence. Wrought iron is used to make horseshoes, swords, fences, doors, lampposts, weather vanes, benches and decorative objects of great beauty.
  
 
This is an example of a decorative object: a cross that we find in the church of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares. You can see the rounded shapes achieved by hitting the hot iron with a hammer on an anvil.
Ubeda PM 091426 E por Paul M.R. Maeyaert - 2016 - PMR Maeyaert, Belgium - CC BY-SA.
 
 
Church of Santa Maria de los Reales Alcázares; Úbeda, Andalusia, Jaén, Spain; The fence in one of the side chapels; ref: PM_091403_E_Ubeda; Chapel of San Antonio; . /UNESCO World Heritage Site; Europeana; Europe/Spain/Úbeda
Ubeda PM 091403 E por Paul M.R. Maeyaert - 2016 - PMR Maeyaert, Belgium - CC BY-SA.
 
 
Church of Santa Maria de los Reales Alcázares; Úbeda, Andalusia, Jaén, Spain; The fence in one of the side chapels; ref: PM_091323_E_Ubeda; The chapel of the Yedra; . /UNESCO World Heritage Site; Europeana; Europe/Spain/Úbeda;
Ubeda PM 091323 E por Paul M.R. Maeyaert - 2016 - PMR Maeyaert, Belgium - CC BY-SA.
 
 

Working with esparto

  
 
The use of esparto grass in the Iberian Peninsula is very old. The classical Greco-Latin authors, such as Strabo or Pliny, estimated that it had been the Punics who brought the plant to Hispania, although there are pieces of esparto grass from much older times, such as the exceptional Neolithic sandals found in the Granada cave of the Bats, dated between 3500 and 2700 BC. C.
In any case, the truth is that already in Roman times the esparto objects manufactured in the Peninsula were famous and highly appreciated in other areas of the Mediterranean. The region of Empúries was a producer of esparto, but the main focus of its collection and work was in the southeast.
Some say that the art of esparto weaving is dying out, as new technologies and the modern world have taken the younger generation away from devoting their free time to traditional craftsmanship. However, look a little closer and you will discover that esparto grass is still widely used and has even been adopted by fashion houses as one of the main trends.
Esparto is the Spanish name for the needle grass Stipa tenacissima, a hardy perennial that thrives in dry, sandy soils. The fibrous nature of this tall, drought-resistant plant makes it ideal for weaving and binding, which is exactly what the ingenious people of Spain have been doing for centuries.
Esparto has long been used to make rope and twine, baskets and mats and, of course, the classic espadrilles, which have recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity.
As a sustainable and environmentally friendly material, it has enormous potential, and not just for weaving.
In Úbeda, visitors will find that much is being done to preserve the art of esparto crafts for the future. Workshops and courses are available, giving those who are interested the chance to learn this rewarding handicraft.

 

  
 
Face espadrilles with ribbons and ankle fixation. It has twisted esparto sole, ovoid shaped, on which the heel and toe are made, both with notch. They are made with braided esparto, just like the tie ribbons.

Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. Costume Museum. Ethnological Heritage Research Centre.
 
 
Typical farmer's hat and flat edge made of raw esparto. The edge of the edge is crossed with a braid of crushed esparto.
Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. Costume Museum. Ethnological Heritage Research Centre.
 
 
Circular shaped fan, made with a pleita of raw esparto grass of seven branches folded on itself and tied with braided rope forming a handle. It is decorated with a red strand that is interwoven with those of natural color.
Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. Costume Museum. Ethnological Heritage Research Centre.
 
 
Esparto workshop in our city. Photograph taken during a visit by schoolchildren to learn about our almost forgotten traditions.
Photography taken by our team of teachers. Public domain.
 

 

 

 

  

Typical gastronomy

 
We enjoy the so-called Mediterranean Cuisine that has in common the use of vegetables, native natural products and olive oil, but they are especially traditional (on the left) the salty ochíos covered with paprika, typical Úbeda rolls stuffed with black pudding dough or chorizo.
To the right, Andrajos is a dough made with flour, water and salt which, with the help of a rolling pin, is stretched and left to dry. It is a typical dish of Úbeda and consists of a stew of flour cakes with a sauce of tomato, onion, garlic, red pepper and cod or rabbit. There is also a version where the meat is replaced by clams, prawns and artichokes.
A pinch of dried mint makes them very special and characteristic. It was a dish usually eaten by peasants in winter.

  
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