Purullena: Caves, Archaeology and Crafts

Culture

The La Inmaculada Cave Museum is a museum in Purullena. The museum is carved into the earth and houses an ethnographic exhibition.

Many families still live in cave houses today. These houses are considered bioclimatic homes. They combine tradition and modernity.

Anyone who would like to try carving out a cave themselves can do so, on request, in a cave under construction at the La Inmaculada Cave Museum.

The highest cave at the La Inmaculada Cave Museum offers a viewpoint. The sights visible from it include Purullena’s other cave houses. The view also extends to the Valle de Alhama-Fardes. The Sierra Nevada is also within sight.

Purullena therefore brings together different aspects of cave culture: the Cave Museum presents an ethnographic exhibition, while the cave houses continue to form part of the town’s residential environment. The cave under construction also makes the process of carving one out directly comprehensible.

The viewpoint is located in the highest cave in the museum. From there, visitors can see both the nearby townscape with its cave houses and the Valle de Alhama-Fardes and the Sierra Nevada.

Other places

Another destination article leads to El Bejarín. Other places include Galera, Pinos Genil, Jerez Del Marquesado, La Mamola, Iznalloz, Güevéjar and Durcal.

Nature

The first section of the Camino Mozárabe de Granada runs from Guadix to Purullena. It is 7.5 km long. Its elevation profile includes a 100 m ascent. It also includes a 100 m descent.

The route therefore connects the two towns of Guadix and Purullena along a 7.5-kilometre section. The equal ascent and descent of 100 metres each form part of this route’s stated elevation profile.

The third stage of the Camino Mozárabe de Granada runs from Guadix to La Peza. Its route passes through Raya Hita to Purullena.

The section of the Camino Mozárabe de Granada to Purullena passes through a landscape with cárcavas. The landscape along this section also includes a gorge.

On the way to Purullena, the named landforms of the cárcavas and the gorge therefore come together. The route via Raya Hita also identifies Purullena as part of the third stage between Guadix and La Peza.

History

The Cuevas de Almagruz in Purullena are man-made caves. They contain medieval remains.

Cuesta del Negro is a Bronze Age settlement in the municipality of Purullena. Its Argaric phase has been radiocarbon-dated to 1850–1600 BC.

The defensive area of Cuesta del Negro includes a fort. The fort was built on a hill 1,010 m high. The area also includes a masonry wall.

The archaeological information therefore ranges from man-made caves with medieval remains to a Bronze Age settlement. At Cuesta del Negro, the Argaric phase can be dated by radiocarbon dating to between 1850 and 1600 BC.

Church and Crafts

The parish church of San Martín was built in the 16th century. It preserves a coffered ceiling in the Mudéjar style.

Purullena’s pottery tradition includes ceramics. These ceramics are decorated with cobalt blue. The decoration is applied using polychrome lustreware technique.

The travel overview for Granada supplements the information about Purullena.