District of "Guadix y El Marquesado"

To the north-east of Granada can be found this area formed by an immense plateau situated between the Sudbeticas and Penibética ridges and bordered to the north by the Sierra de Cazorla and tothe south by the Sierra Nevada separqating this area from the Mediterranean.

It is a land of great contrasts, where one can find both lunar landscapes and verdant plains backing on to snow-capped mountains.

There are many different types of people wwho have lived here, with a cultural richness going back to a Roman colony and the splendour of the Moors.

The composition of the soil here makes it ideal for caves, which have provided refuge for centuries. Many of them are now preserved as rural accommodation and are know as the troglodyte houses.

Access to the area is good by way of the A-92 motorway, which crosses Guadix and Maruesado from East to West.

Dolmens, Iberian remains and the city of Acci (Guadix), founded by Julius Caesar all tell us of remote civilations in Gruadix and Marquesado at this ancient crossroads.

The Muslims stayed for centuries and their inheritance lasts until today as witnessed by the Mudejar churchesm the techniques used in cultivation and the Arab toponomy. They left these lands during the uprising of 1568 and they were repopulated by Christians from the north. For this reason new fiestas sprung up, and churches and civilian enclaves were built which can be seen in the area to this day.

Two monuments distinguish Guadix and Marquesado; Guadix cathedral and the Castle of La Calahorra, the first built between the 16th and 18th centuries, mixing Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles; The chapel of San Torcuato is by Diego de Siloé, and the main facade recalls the style of the brilliant artist Borromini.

Calahorra Castle is in the capital of the Marquesado del Zenete and the refuge inside is one of the prettiest Renaissance palaces in Spain.

That of Guadix and Marquesado is cuisine based on the products avvailable in the area and traditional recipes have been preserved over the years.

Pottages, fried semolina, stews, kid and lamb cooked in garlic, pickled partridge.

In Guadiz you can sample dishes such as Talbinas, stew with peppers and salted herring, poor man´s potatoes, peppers with sardines, San Anton´s stew, Guadix soup or Mozarabe lamb and the delicious desert tocino de cielo.

Other typical dishes of the area are "the sustainer", a popular stew from Lanteira. Also worth savouring are the pork products from the Valle de Zalabi, its wines, its popular bread, pastries and desserts.

And in Diezma, partridges, cheese and firewater.

In Guadix and Marquesado the most well known products are ceramics, with other traditions that go back to prehistory; esparto work, lapidary, willow-work or ironwork area all items of craftwork you will encounter in the area.

In Guadix, with its clayey soil, there is a very characteristic kind of ceramic ware with ethnic shapes such as the pitcher, the Accitina (Guadix) jar, or the Guadix bowl.

To buy ceramics, you can visit the numerous stalls in Purullena, where the traditional ware is produced. In Diezma we can find esparto work.