Subbetica
Valenzuela and Llanadas
The village of Valenzuela y Llanadas consists of a group of scattered hamlets situated to the south of the municipality of Iznájar.
Although the landscape is largely dominated by olive groves, it features a wide variety of tree species typical of the Mediterranean forest, such as holm oaks, gall oaks, almond trees, pomegranate trees, fig trees, irises, rosemary, saffron, orchids, daisies, gorse and others.
A notable feature of the traditional and vernacular architecture is the ‘Las Pilas’ Fountain and Washhouse. This public fountain and washhouse, situated on either side of the access road to the neighbouring village of Arroyo del Cerezo, are a reminder of not-too-distant times when places like this were frequented by livestock farmers, serving as a watering hole, but also as a secluded spot and a regular meeting place for the women who came to wash their clothes.
In the vicinity of the fountain and washhouse, some ceramic remains of great archaeological value have been found, dating from the Iberian, Roman and Arab periods; this demonstrates the importance of the settlement for the local population, linked to the presence of water.
Memories of human activities, which are fading from our collective memory today because they have fallen into disuse, resurface with this fountain and washing place, which bear witness to farming, livestock-rearing and social activities of great importance from an ethnographic perspective.