Visiting Jaen

A Spanish City in Andalucia

Jaen is the capital city of the province of Jaen, in the autonomous southern Spanish community of Andalusia. Although not as well known as some other Spanish cities, it has an interesting history dating back four centuries.

This town first came to my attention when I broke my leg walking down the street in Mengibar, a town north of Jaen. There was a steep step where I expected none and I wound up on my back facing the sky and wondering what happened. My femur had broken in two places so it wasn’t a pretty sight. Shades of battlefield injuries, with my knee facing the wrong direction.

An ambulance was called and it took me to Jaen, which had a big public teaching hospital. From the window of my hospital room, where I spent the next five days, I could see a castle up on the hill. I discovered later it was called Castle Santa Catalina.

It…