Linares, el valle escondido

We approach Linares de la Sierra, in the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park. The village, with about 200 inhabitants, is located in a deep valley, some 500 meters above sea level. It lies between Alájar and Aracena. Its urban layout is characterized by its tightly packed houses, crisscrossed by cobbled streets. It's a typical example of traditional mountain architecture, featuring the parish church of San Juan Bautista, its washhouses, fountains, and bullring. The town center is structured around a hermitage, which once stood where the church of San Juan Bautista is today. The urban layout of the town adapts to the steep terrain. Notable features include the "Llanos," or cobbled "carpets" at the entrances to the houses. These began to be built in the 19th century to overcome the uneven ground. A key feature of the town center is the almost complete absence of courtyards and patios, as well as the small size of the houses. Of medieval origin, the town is conceived as self-contained. The size of the entrance halls in the houses is striking, larger than those in the houses of the County, so that the streets become a kind of extension of them. The houses are either single-story or have one story and two upper floors. It has three small squares: Plaza de Colón, next to the church; Plaza de la Fuente, next to the washhouse and the Town Hall; and Plaza Martín Pareja Obregón. Linares reached its peak in the 19th century, when its population exceeded a thousand, thanks to its fruit exports, which were in high demand due to their exceptional quality. From then on, its decline began due to emigration to the mines of the Andévalo region and the rural exodus of the 1960s. It exported fruit to the rest of the region and to places as far away as Salamanca, where its prized oranges from the orchards reached. The irrigation system, consisting of ditches, channels, cuts, and riverbanks, has been maintained in the traditional way for centuries. The church is the town's main monument, situated on a small hill. It has a bell tower and a style typical of 18th-century religious architecture. The bullring is a picturesque spot in the town; the arena has tiered seating built against the base of the church. An old cork oak stands out, providing shade to part of the seating. The New Fountain and the washhouse date from 1908. The Old Fountain, surrounded by orchards and fruit trees, is also noteworthy. The name Linares de la Sierra comes from the "court of flax," as it is believed that this plant was once abundantly cultivated in the area. It is the common name "linar," meaning a place sown with flax, a plant widely used in the textile industry. Linares is located in a deep valley, between the Sierra de Linares mountain range to the north and the Plamencia stream and the Barranco del Valle de la Palma ravine.