Arab Baths of Jaén

The Arab Baths of Jaén (Spanish: Baños Árabes de Jaén) are a well-preserved historic hammam (Islamic bathhouse) located in Jaén, Spain.

They were also known as Baño del Niño (Hamman al-Walad).^[1]

History

These baths were one of the five arab baths known in Jaén^[1]^{[n 1]}

They were built on a roman bath in 1002,^[2] near the end of the Caliphate of Córdoba. But they may have undergone later alterations, probably in the 12th century.^[3]^[4]^[5]

These baths were supplied with water from the spring of the Magdalena - as were the baths known as baños del toro or baños del naranjo.^[6]

Following the Christian conquest of the city by Ferdinand III in 1246, the baths remained in use for a while until they were repurposed as tanneries. In the 16th century Don Fernando Torres de Portugal y Mesía (1st Count of Villardompardo and 7th Viceroy of Peru) had a private palace built for himself on top of the baths, thus hiding them for centuries.

They were only definitively rediscovered by Enrique Romero de Torres [es] in 1913 during a survey of historic buildings in the city. Professor of Archaeology Manuel Gómez-Moreno visited the property 4 years later and, after studying it, proposed it as a National Monument. The site was declared a Cultural Heritage Property of Spain in 1931.^[5]

1936 saw the beginning of the first restoration work, directed by Leopoldo Torres Balbás, conservator of the Alhambra and Granada, and Jaén architect Luis Berges Martínez. But the Civil War interrupted the project. In 1970 Luis Berges Roldán, the son of Berges Martínez, was commissioned by the Directorate General of Fine Arts achieve the first complete restoration of the Arab baths. The work lasted until 1982 and was acclaimed as a success.^[7]

The association Europa Nostra awarded in 1984 the medal of honor for the restoration of these Arab baths,^[1] accomplished under the responsibility of Luis Bergés Roldán.^[8] The restoration of the Arab courtyard of the Magdalena church, together with that of the arab baths of the Palacio de Villardompardo [es], were nominated for the 1986 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.^[9]

Some work was carried out from 2011 to 2013 to increase access of the facilities to disabled people (ramps and such were installed to compensate the many level differences within the premices), and to create access to two different points that had remained unaccessible.^[10]

Description

It is one of the largest known examples of Andalusi bathhouses, and is distinguished from others by its particularly large "warm room" (bayt al-wasti).^[4]

In 2019 more original 12th century wall paintings, similar to those shown in the photo here on the right, were discovered in the vestibule preceding the cold room and in the pechina of the warm room.^[11]

Tourism

Spain's royals visited the baths in 1990.^[12]

These days, these baños árabes are open to visitors as a historical attraction as part of the Palacio de Villardompardo [es].^[13]

In 2023 they were visited by a total of 92,714 people; the highest number of visitors was in October (11,878 visitors), followed by April (10,777 visitors), September (9,228 visitors), August (9,054 visitors), May (8,972 visitors), June (7,440 visitors), Novembre 7,212 visitors), March (6,934 visitors), January (4,155 visitors), December (5,845 visitors), July (5,795 visitors), and February (5,421 visitors).^[14]

Entrance to the Centro Culturel Baños Árabes
The changing room (bayt al-maslaj) with octagram-shaped skylights
The cold room (bayt al-barid)
The warm room (bayt al-wasti)
The hot room (bayt al-sajun)

Notes

^ According to 14th century chronicler al-Himyari [fr], in Jaén there were up to five baths: Hamman al-Walad, Hamman al-Tawr, Hamman ibn al-Salim, Hamman ibn Tarafa and Hamman ibn Ishaq. See Cañada 2024.
Baños Árabes del Naranjo are on Plaza de los Caños, at the corner with Calle Arroyo de San Pedro, adjoining the historic judería. They are the only other Arab baths open to visits in Jaén. These large baths (about 300 m) were built around the 11th century and were active until Jaén was reconquered by the Castillans in 1246. In the 14th century the building was divided into a bakery - in the area closest to the square - and a dwelling. In the fifteenth century, the place was bought by the City of Jaén and the town’s fish market was built on it; some time later, a butcher was installed there. In the eighteenth century this was reformed, a new facade was built and the old facade was modified; this is the present facade, which faces the square. In 1929 the inside of the building is emptied, and a school group is built. Parts of some classrooms remain, as well as the courtyard and the entrance that currently stands in Calle Los Caños. After restoration, the Baño del Naranjo was inaugurated as a visiting place for tourists on 29 September 2021.
See "Baños Árabes del Naranjo". jaenparaisointerior.es. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.
See "Baños del Naranjo". aytojaen.es (in Spanish). Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Cañada, Antonio (July 21, 2024). "El legado árabe y los cinco baños que permanecen ocultos bajo el subsuelo de Jaén". Jaén Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.
^ Ortega Melero, María del Carmen (July 2015). Promoción de Jaén y provincia para los turistas franceses (PDF). University of Jaén, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas. p. 19.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Barrucand, Marianne; Bednorz, Achim (1992). Moorish architecture in Andalusia. Taschen. p. 103. ISBN 3822896322.
^ ^a ^b Fournier, Caroline (2016). "Le modèle de Jaén (XIe siècle)". Les bains d'al-Andalus: VIIIe-XVe siècle. Presses universitaires de Rennes.
^ ^a ^b "Baños Árabes". bañosarabesjaen.es (in Spanish). Centro Culturel Baños Árabes - Palacio Villardompardo de Jaén. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
^ Cañada López, Elena (2020). De la coexistencia de las tres culturas en la Edad Media a la convivencia de la diversidad cultural de nuestras aulas (PDF). University of Jaén, Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación. p. 13.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ "Baños Árabes Cultural Centre, Villardompardo Palace. Tradition and future in the heart of Andalucía" (PDF). Jaén Journal on Approximation. Vol. 6, no. 1. Universidad de Jaén. 2014. ISSN 1889-3066. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.
^ Rivera Blanco, Javier. "Una historia de la restauración de nuestro patrimonio". Hispania Nostre. 40 Aniversario. pp. 37-47 (see p. 39).
^ Berges Roldán, Luis (2007). "La iglesia de La Magdalena (Jaén). De mezquita islámica a templo cristiano". Arqueología y territorio Medieval. 14: 69-101 (see p. 75). doi:10.17561/aytm (inactive 20 January 2025). Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2025 (link)
^ "Baños árabes de la Magdalena. Programa de rehabilitación arquitectónica. Obras de rehabilitación de la Baños Árabes (Palacio de Villardompardo)". publicaciones.transportes.gob.es (in Spanish). 21 July 2010. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.
^ "Aparecen nuevos frescos almohades en los baños árabes de Jaén". CanalSur (in Spanish). 3 March 2019. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.
^ Díaz García, María José; Entrambasaguas Jiménez, Nuria; Olmo Arriaza, Inmaculada (January–June 2013). "La diputación a través de la fotografía" (PDF). Boletín del Instituto de Estudios Giennenses (in Spanish) (207): 367-436 (see p. 426). ISSN 0561-3590. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.
^ "Palacio de Villardompardo | Jaén, Spain Attractions". lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
^ "Acinipo y los Baños Árabes de Ronda suman más de 109.000 visitantes en 2023". andaluciainformacion.es (in Spanish). April 1, 2024. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.

37°46′15.8″N 03°47′38.7″W / 37.771056°N 3.794083°W / 37.771056; -3.794083

This article about a building or structure in the Province of Jaén is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

External link

"Centro Culturel Baños Árabes - Palacio Villardompardo de Jaén". bañosarabesjaen.es (in Spanish). Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.

[2] According to 14th century chronicler al-Himyari [fr], in Jaén there were up to five baths: Hamman al-Walad, Hamman al-Tawr, Hamman ibn al-Salim, Hamman ibn Tarafa and Hamman ibn Ishaq. See Cañada 2024.
Baños Árabes del Naranjo are on Plaza de los Caños, at the corner with Calle Arroyo de San Pedro, adjoining the historic judería. They are the only other Arab baths open to visits in Jaén. These large baths (about 300 m) were built around the 11th century and were active until Jaén was reconquered by the Castillans in 1246. In the 14th century the building was divided into a bakery - in the area closest to the square - and a dwelling. In the fifteenth century, the place was bought by the City of Jaén and the town’s fish market was built on it; some time later, a butcher was installed there. In the eighteenth century this was reformed, a new facade was built and the old facade was modified; this is the present facade, which faces the square. In 1929 the inside of the building is emptied, and a school group is built. Parts of some classrooms remain, as well as the courtyard and the entrance that currently stands in Calle Los Caños. After restoration, the Baño del Naranjo was inaugurated as a visiting place for tourists on 29 September 2021.
See "Baños Árabes del Naranjo". jaenparaisointerior.es. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.
See "Baños del Naranjo". aytojaen.es (in Spanish). Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.

[canada-1] Cañada, Antonio (July 21, 2024). "El legado árabe y los cinco baños que permanecen ocultos bajo el subsuelo de Jaén". Jaén Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.

[3] Ortega Melero, María del Carmen (July 2015). Promoción de Jaén y provincia para los turistas franceses (PDF). University of Jaén, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas. p. 19.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[4] Barrucand, Marianne; Bednorz, Achim (1992). Moorish architecture in Andalusia. Taschen. p. 103. ISBN 3822896322.

[fournier-5] Fournier, Caroline (2016). "Le modèle de Jaén (XIe siècle)". Les bains d'al-Andalus: VIIIe-XVe siècle. Presses universitaires de Rennes.

[bañosarabesjaen-6] "Baños Árabes". bañosarabesjaen.es (in Spanish). Centro Culturel Baños Árabes - Palacio Villardompardo de Jaén. Retrieved 2025-01-20.

[7] Cañada López, Elena (2020). De la coexistencia de las tres culturas en la Edad Media a la convivencia de la diversidad cultural de nuestras aulas (PDF). University of Jaén, Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación. p. 13.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[8] "Baños Árabes Cultural Centre, Villardompardo Palace. Tradition and future in the heart of Andalucía" (PDF). Jaén Journal on Approximation. Vol. 6, no. 1. Universidad de Jaén. 2014. ISSN 1889-3066. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.

[9] Rivera Blanco, Javier. "Una historia de la restauración de nuestro patrimonio". Hispania Nostre. 40 Aniversario. pp. 37-47 (see p. 39).

[10] Berges Roldán, Luis (2007). "La iglesia de La Magdalena (Jaén). De mezquita islámica a templo cristiano". Arqueología y territorio Medieval. 14: 69-101 (see p. 75). doi:10.17561/aytm (inactive 20 January 2025). Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2025 (link)

[11] "Baños árabes de la Magdalena. Programa de rehabilitación arquitectónica. Obras de rehabilitación de la Baños Árabes (Palacio de Villardompardo)". publicaciones.transportes.gob.es (in Spanish). 21 July 2010. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.

[12] "Aparecen nuevos frescos almohades en los baños árabes de Jaén". CanalSur (in Spanish). 3 March 2019. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.

[13] Díaz García, María José; Entrambasaguas Jiménez, Nuria; Olmo Arriaza, Inmaculada (January–June 2013). "La diputación a través de la fotografía" (PDF). Boletín del Instituto de Estudios Giennenses (in Spanish) (207): 367-436 (see p. 426). ISSN 0561-3590. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.

[14] "Palacio de Villardompardo | Jaén, Spain Attractions". lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 2020-10-05.

[15] "Acinipo y los Baños Árabes de Ronda suman más de 109.000 visitantes en 2023". andaluciainformacion.es (in Spanish). April 1, 2024. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.

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