District Mayor Jacinta López Martínez
Ubeda is the furthest district from the town center. Located 7.8 km from Pinoso, it was once one of the most populated areas of the municipality, although currently, barely fifty residents live there.
Many of the houses remain empty for most of the year.
Reaching Ubeda is quite simple, whether via El Culebrón, El Paredón, or Ruta. Despite its location, it is well-connected.
The main nucleus of the district is well-organized by streets, some of which have very curious names, arranged between the Paredón road and the ravines that cross the vicinity of the hamlet. In a prominent place is the hermitage, dedicated to Saint Barbara (Santa Bárbera), patron saint against storms, and opposite is a recently built garden where the festival, which is celebrated in the second week of July, is concentrated Regarding the festivities, the inhabitants of Ubeda celebrate them in honor of Saint Barbara, although the neighborhood asks for divine favor from all the saints present on the altars of their hermitage, whom they carry in the procession.
However, in addition to the main nucleus of houses, the district also includes several scattered hamlets. As in other cases, they are usually near the lands they cultivate, from which good wine, abundant almonds—when the weather is favorable—or good fruit is obtained.
Surrounding Ubeda, we find other landscapes and population entities, such as Casas del Hospital, Casa de Oliveros, Casilla de Sierra, Casas del Corralet, Casa de los Muts, Casa del Albaricoque, Casas del Mancebo, Venta del Terrós, and others
Along with Lel and El Paredón, it shares the passage of important Roman communication routes through its territory, making it rich in vestiges from ancient times With these districts, it also shares beautiful views of the foothills of the southern area of the Sierra de Salinas, the green lung of the region.
A few years ago, the arrival of the automobile and the need to find a better future caused the depopulation of rural centers, a trend that appears to be changing, although it did not prevent the closure of the small school that existed in Ubeda, which many students from the surrounding areas attended
In recent years, some houses are opening their doors again. One of them was bought a few years ago by an English family, who have integrated perfectly with the residents of Ubeda and who dedicate themselves to restoring and decorating old furniture, giving them a renewed look. They are called “House Gallery.”
Over the years, Ubeda has seen the arrival of water, public lighting, rural roads have been paved, and they have a sewage treatment plant…The construction of a landscaped roundabout in front of the hermitage brought a change in the image of the district’s main area, and now the space where the festivities are held has improved sufficiently. The children from the surrounding areas used to go to the district’s small school.
Perhaps due to its location, Ubeda was once a very lively district. Two dance halls, run by the two shops that were in the district, organized very busy sessions, as the best musicians were hired. This meant that many neighbors from the surrounding areas, knowing how things were done in Ubeda, did not think twice about visiting the district. And if one did not want to wait until night, the streets hosted games of tanganilla, esparcida, or pelota valenciana, in their largas or lonjas modalities, in the old trinquete (pelota court) that no longer exists.
As if that were not enough, fans of board games could also win some pocket money. The residents of Ubeda are known for their love of playing games, and it is not strange to see them playing in the street if the weather is good.
