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1. Torreparedones Enrique Osuna Daniel Ortega Josepe Serrano Iván Ruíz

3. It is situated in the countryside of Cordoba, at the northern limit of the municipalities of Castro del Rio and Baena, being a settlement that had human occupation since the time of the Bronze Age and in the oriental stage (sixth century BC) acquired a solid wall at some points reached nine feet thick and reinforced with buttresses and towers delimiting an interior space of about 10 hectares. The city of Baena in 2004 acquired two thirds of the 18 hectares which occupies the site for recovery, value and museological. Outside the walls of Torreparedones, at the southern end of town, have been detected traces of what had to be an important Iberian shrine dating from the times recorded here since the Roman presence (II-I centuries BC) . We found many small votive offerings made of local limestone, characterized by its roughness and schematic.These small statues are interpreted as votive offerings offered in what was a sanctuary Iberian, to acknowledge gifts received, keeping promises, ask for healing of diseases, etc.

4. The sanctuary should take advantage of the special quality of the nearby mineral springs of El Pilar, whose waters are recommended for conditions like arthritis, rheumatism, gout, etc.In this enclave was found a votive offering stone sculpture, represented by a female figure in his forehead has the Latin inscription Dea-Dea Cael <S> Caelestis-tis, (which we interpret as a syncretism of the Mother Goddess Roman-Celestic IVNO_VENUS deity of fertility, life and death and especially the version curótrofa and nourishing-with a local Goddess Iberian) as the very representation of the goddess. Baena City Council wants to restore public and private support and to be visited in two years Torreparedones Baena (Córdoba), 17 (EUROPA PRESS) The City of Baena (Córdoba), which acquired the land in its district which houses the Iberian settlement of reference in Spain, Torreparedones, declared of Cultural Interest (BIC), and where he has made new excavations, like now, support of the Junta de Andalucía and private, in value and put it visited in two years.

5. Speaking to reporters, the mayor of Baena, Luis Moreno (PSOE), who today visited the settlement along with the municipal archaeologist, José Antonio Morena, said that given the importance of the site and the investment that would require the development of the Plan Director baenense prepared by the Consistory, with the idea of creating Torreparedones Archaeological Park, it is necessary to economic participation of the regional government and private sponsors. It seeks to enable a project that the City has already invested about 1.5 billion euros, including the purchase of land above, the fencing, improved access and the aforementioned excavations in the past year. The immediate goal, according to Mayor Baena said, is to build an interpretive center and visitor reception and open to the public on site, which, according to Moreno, "may be made simultaneously with the enhancement of the three sites so far have been the subject of archaeological excavation in Torreparedones.

6. These, as detailed baenense Mayor will be the next steps, after having completed on behalf of the City excavations of monumental eastern gate and huge towers that flanked the sanctuary and first Roman Iberian and then, which was located outskirts of the city was outstanding between VI and III century BC during the Iberian period, what size indoor attests, more than ten hectares, but had even greater splendor in the later Roman period, for the Republic and under the Empire. These two sites, along with the medieval castle (XIV century) which was built in which is the highest point of the Countryside Cordoba (580 meters), which has been the subject of archaeological excavations by the Board, are what the City Council Baena is now trying to value through consolidation, restoration and archaeological reconstruction to make them understandable to visitors and through the center of interpretation and reception, as embryo Torreparedones Archaeological Park. In fact, the municipal project is more ambitious because, explained the City Council archaeologist, José Antonio Morena, the idea is that, as the Board authorized the excavation of the eastern gate and the sanctuary, the Consistory expected license and also financial support to continue the excavation within the ancient city, especially its necropolis of important public buildings that housed.

7. DISCOVERIES As far as yet discovered in local excavations, Morena said of the east gate, which was one of the main entrances and the same has been discovered its entire plant, which has an exterior door, estimated it had four feet , and one indoor, with quicialeras to turn the heavy sheets of wood, guarded by two gigantic towers. The entrance passage was paved with flagstones, and both sides are kept raised for steely paths pedestrians. In the sanctuary have found two places of worship of the goddess 'Dea Caelestis', dated respectively in the Republican period and the period altoimperial during Roman rule, although in the first case, the original temple dates from Iberian times. Along with the architectural remains and ceremonial ceramic utensils, have appeared more than 200 votive stone, that represent human figures or body parts left by the faithful for centuries, in gratitude for the divine healings.

8. Both the sanctuary, as the eastern gate and were excavated between 1987 and 1993 by a group of archaeologists from the universities of Oxford (United Kingdom), Cordoba and the Complutense (1987-1983), consecrating Torreparedones as "a concerning of the archeology of the Iberian culture. " Torreparedones settlement is located in the countryside Cordoba, between the towns of Baena and Castro del Rio, "one of the richest archaeological areas in Spain", because there are located more than 200 sites listed and five fortified cities ('oppida'). Was occupied from about 2500 BCE until the fifteenth century. Reached its peak in the Iberian period, then, from the sixth century BC, the village was protected by a thick wall. The inscriptions found show that later became a Roman colony, perhaps the 'Virtus Itucci Julia' which refers to Pliny and his entourage escaped major episodes of civil war between the Roman legions of Caesar and Pompey. After the Reconquista, is owned by the Council of Córdoba, and after the seizure was privately owned until, in recent years, the city of Baena was purchased, the valley and began excavations.