Guadix: a town with a neighborhood carved into the rock

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Guadix is a small town of about 20,000 inhabitants located 55 km from Granada, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, at a height of 950 meters above sea level. Guadix is one of the oldest human settlements on the Iberian Peninsula. In Roman times it was known as Julia Gemella Acci, while during the Arab domination it was called Wadi Ash from which the current name derives.

A HISTORIC TOWN WITH A DISTRICT EXCAVATED IN THE TUFF

Guadix is famous for its troglodyte neighborhood, the Barrio de Santiago or Barrio Troglodita, a neighborhood characterized by troglodyte houses carved out of the tuff. This is the town’s best known attraction. A spectacular view of the neighborhood is offered by the natural viewpoints of Cuatro Veredas and San Fandila.

Among the main monuments are the Gothic-Renaissance Cathedral built, starting from 1510, on the site of the main mosque. The church, finished in the eighteenth century has a baroque facade, the bell tower is from the seventeenth century. In the sacristy there is an interesting Museo Catedralicio with Baroque paintings, manuscripts and goldsmiths.

In the Cathedral square are the Escuela de Artes y Oficios, an ancient seminary from the 17th century. To the side are the Hospital Real de la Caridad and the Church of San José from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Palacio Consistorial, located in the Plaza de las Palomas, the Plaza de la Constitución or de los Corregidores represents the historic-artistic center of the city with buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Alcazaba, the Arab fortress built in the X-XI centuries dominates the city from above and from its towers you can admire excellent views of the town and the troglodyte district. Very interesting is also the 16th century church of Santiago, in Gothic-Mudejar style, with a rich Plateresque portal.

Among the other prestigious buildings in Guadix we can mention the Convent de la Concepción (17th century), the Church of San Miguel and the Convent of Santo Domingo, the Puerta de San Torcuato (16th century), and finally the Renaissance Palacio de Peñaflor ( XVI century) and Palacio de Villalegre.

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