Montejícar
In the strands of Sierra de Lucena, a natural borderline of the province of Granada with Jaén, at 65 km north of the capital, on the banks of the river Guadahortuna, lies Montejícar.
In the town centre it is worth seeing the 16th century Parish Church of San Andrés and the remains of its medieval castle.
History
The name of this village derives from the Arab Shicar (Hisn Monte Xaquer, from Latin Mons Sacer, meaning "castle of the Sacred Mountain"). In the Arab Andalusan period it was an important military enclave.
It was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs in 1486, and after the Moors were expelled in the 16th century, it was repopulated with 49 people from Castile. Under King Charles V rule, the population increased in numbers as well its economic prosperity.
It is the furthest of the historic Seven Villages.
