Fregenal de la Sierra (originally Frexnal or Frexenal)In the Spanish of the 16th and 17th centuries, the consonant x transitioned from a voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/ to the current velar sound corresponding to j /x/. In the 18th and 19th centuries, orthographic reforms occurred, with x being replaced by j in most cases (e.g., from Don Quixote to Don Quijote). In the specific instance of the word "Fregenal," instead of the letter j, the letter g was employed, as it was more common in the presence of the vowel e. is a municipality and town in Spain, located in the Province of Badajoz, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. It is situated in the northwestern quadrant of Sierra Morena, at an elevation of approximately 572 meters above sea level.
Due to its geographical position, the town occupies a historically significant crossroads. Its founding is tied to a conflict between the Council of Seville, which received the territory through a Royal Privilege from Alfonso X in 1253, and the knights of the Order of the Temple, who are credited with constructing the Castle of Fregenal, donated to the order in 1283 by the same monarch. From 1312, the town of Frexenal was reintegrated into the territories of the Kingdom of Seville, while also forming part of the Diocese of Badajoz. In 1833, after 585 years, the Royal Decree of 30 November abolished the Kingdom of Seville, creating the modern provinces of Seville, Huelva, and Cádiz, and incorporating Fregenal into the Province of Badajoz.
On 5 February 1873, Amadeo I of Spain granted Fregenal the honorary title of city, at the proposal of the Minister of the Interior, Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla, in agreement with the Council of Ministers. Given its rich heritage, as evidenced by its historical and artistic ensemble declared a Cultural Interest Asset in 1991, the archaeological site of Nertobriga Concordia Iulia similarly designated in 2013, the designation in 2020 of the menhirs of the Ardila River basin, and the Chile Nitrate billboard located near its train station in 2023, as well as the inclusion in 2023 of the Medieval hermitage of San Miguel de los Fresnos in the Inventory of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Extremadura, it is regarded as one of the most significant emerging cultural and tourist destinations in the Province of Badajoz.
Reflecting its popular traditions, a blend of Baetic, Andalusian, and Extremaduran folklore, Fregenal is a major cultural hub in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula. Notable among the heritage of the Frexnenses is the Dance and Festival of the Virgin of Health, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in the category of Intangible Heritage in 2017 by the Government of Extremadura. This folklore, combined with works created in honor of the town's patroness, Virgin of Los Remedios, is preserved by cultural institutions such as the Coral Frexnense or the Los Jateros Folk Group, which showcase them annually alongside traditions from around the world at the International Sierra Festival, declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest in 2018.
Among its most illustrious figures are Benito Arias Montano, a humanist, Hebraist, biologist, and polyglot writer who participated in the Council of Trent, contributed to the compilation of the Plantin Polyglot, and was responsible for cataloging and organizing the works in the Library of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, one of the largest in Christendom; Juan Bravo Murillo, President of the Council of Ministers during the reign of Isabella II of Spain, who served in various moderate governments, oversaw the construction of the Canal de Isabel II, introduced the metric system in Spain, approved the Canary Islands Free Ports Law, and reformed and established the foundations of the Spanish treasury; Rodrigo Sánchez-Arjona y Sánchez-Arjona, who established the first rural private telephone line in Spain, between his home in Fregenal and a property called Las Mimbres; and Eugenio Hermoso, a painter of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, who won the Medal of Honor at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1948 with his paintings Altar and Las Siembras, considered one of the most important painters of Extremadura.
Symbols Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Fregenal de la Sierra consists, in its basic form, of a single circular quarter. A red field is typically added around it. It is crowned with a royal crown, though modifications have occurred over time (during the Second Spanish Republic, a mural crown was used).
Within the quarter, two ash trees, the city's emblematic tree, are depicted. As can be inferred, the town's name refers to this tree, considered sacred by the Order of the Temple, which repopulated the area.
Flanking the ash trees is a book crossed by a sword. Inside the book, written in Latin, is the town's motto: Litteris Armata et Armis Decorata ('Armed by letters and adorned by arms').
Flag
The Town Hall of Fregenal de la Sierra has never officially issued a regulation establishing the design of a flag for the town. However, the banner of the town's patroness, the Virgin of Los Remedios, has been adopted by the Frexnenses as a symbol and flag representing them.
The patroness's banner is permanently hoisted on the keep of the Templar Castle of Fregenal de la Sierra. It is periodically replaced, usually coinciding with the patronal festivals in honor of the Virgin of Los Remedios.
The flag consists of two horizontal stripes. The upper stripe is blue, and the lower stripe is white.
Geography
Located within the Sierra Suroeste comarca, Fregenal de la Sierra is 94 kilometers from the provincial capital. The municipal territory is traversed by the following roads:
National Road N-435, between km 89 and 95, connecting Badajoz with Huelva Regional Road EX-101, leading to Valverde de Burguillos and Zafra Regional Road EX-201, leading to Segura de León Local Road BA-160, connecting Valencia del Ventoso and Bodonal de la Sierra
The municipal terrain is characterized by the transition between the Extremaduran plain and the initial elevations of Sierra Morena, with numerous meadows standing out. The Ardila River marks the northern and northeastern boundary with Burguillos del Cerro and Valencia del Ventoso, while the Parrilla stream defines the western boundary with Jerez de los Caballeros. Other small streams and ravines wind through the hills and sierras. The altitude ranges from 700 meters in the west, at the border with Higuera la Real, to 300 meters along the banks of the Ardila River. The town itself is situated at 572 meters above sea level.
History Ancient age
Archaeological sites within the current municipal boundaries of Fregenal de la Sierra date back to the Chalcolithic. Among the menhirs of the Ardila River basin, which forms a natural border with the municipality of Valencia del Ventoso, notable examples include La Pepina, La Palanca del Moro, and Los Tres Términos. All were declared Assets of Cultural Interest in March 2020.
The origins of the settlement of Fregenal de la Sierra are linked to the vicinity of the current urban center, where the ruins of the Celtic castrum of Nertobriga or Nerkobrika are located, currently under ongoing excavation and research. Founded during the Second Iron Age, it was part of the Baeturia Céltica and is considered the capital of the Celtic Baeturics. The primary historical reference to Nerkobrika is provided by Polybius, who describes its conquest by assault in 152 BC by the praetor Marcus. Following the Roman conquest, the Celtic oppidum was replaced by a Roman city, named Nertobriga Concordia Iulia. Its foundation, likely as a foederata, dates back to the 2nd century BC. Later, at the end of the 1st century BC, it was granted the status of municipium, a deductio shared with most Celtic cities of the Baeturia and the southwestern Iberian Peninsula. The city was part of the Hispania Ulterior province during the first two centuries BC and was later administratively integrated into the Baetica, where it remained for over seven centuries until the beginning of the Andalusian period.
Its strategic importance was also tied to the establishment of an episcopal see in the city with the spread of Christianity. According to tradition, Saint Theopompus and Saint Eutropius were bishops of Nertóbriga. Theopompus was one of the first bishops to occupy the episcopal see of Nertóbriga during the 3rd century. He was martyred under the reign of Diocletian, with Dacian as governor, being beheaded after baptizing the magician Theonas as Synesius. The Roman Martyrology states that the saint's martyrdom occurred in the Nertóbriga of the Tarraconensis: "thus God chose to honor both Roman Nertóbrigas, Fregenal having an illustrious Prelate and Almuña or Ricla of Aragon as the place of his martyrdom." Eutropius held the see of Nertóbriga in the 5th century, his tenure marked by his strong opposition to the heresy of the Aviti. To resolve his doubts about the Aviti, he corresponded with Augustine of Hippo and Saint Jerome, who supported his thesis of heresy, leading to the condemnation of the monks practicing it. His death is dated 17 February 420. The see of Nertóbriga was suppressed before the reign of Wamba, so there were no further bishops of Nertóbriga after the 7th century. Recent excavations shed light on the possible Visigothic past of the site. The discovery of remains that may have been a Visigothic watchtower, as well as a significant Muslim necropolis, leads researchers to assert that the site was forcibly taken with the arrival of the new religion. The only references made by Christians to this city are to the name Castillo de Valera, which was donated by Alfonso X to the Knights Templar.
Equally noteworthy are the Visigothic remains of the Monastery of San Miguel de los Fresnos, located east of Fregenal. The construction of its apse, clearly of Visigothic tradition, indicates the site's antiquity. Tradition holds that the monastery was founded by the saints Honorius and Exuperantius, who healed the sick with water from a nearby spring. Specifically, Saint Exuperantius was a Benedictine monk of Italian origin, born around 490. At the request of Sanctina, wife of the Ostrogothic king Theodoric, he was sent to found monasteries in Spain with companions Euiemio, Venancio, and Adelfio. He first stayed in Pamplona and later moved to the Baetica, specifically to Nertóbriga, around 572, as stated by Marco Máximo in 612. His veneration is based on his evangelizing work in Spain during the 6th century, particularly the founding of this monastery alongside his disciple Honorius. His death is dated 26 May 578.
Regarding the vanished monastery, the preserved remains include the 7th-century apse, framed by a horseshoe arch leading to a quarter-sphere vault that housed the altar dedicated to Saint Michael, whose image is preserved in the National Art Museum of Catalonia. The nave with pointed arches dates to the 14th and 15th centuries, and the walls and pointed arch serving as the entrance remain. Due to its high historical and architectural value, the hermitage has been included in the Inventory of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Extremadura.
Middle Ages
The conquest of Fregenal from the Hispano-Muslims by Ferdinand III of Castile, with the aid of the Order of the Temple, lies between legend and history. The first historical mention of Fregenal appears in 1253, when the town was incorporated into the domains of the Kingdom of Seville through a Royal Privilege from Alfonso X "The Wise". Regarding this point, there is a conflict in historical sources, with some asserting that Fregenal was one of the main castles in the defensive line of Seville's northern sierra, while others claim the castle did not exist until its construction by the Templars.