It is located in the middle of the Genil fertile plain, in the shore of the river by its right margin, near of where the Cacín flow its waters to him by the left. One of main the attractions of the town are the tree-lined avenues and strolls that border the fluvial along the town centre. Not always it has been, like now, communicated with the opposite border by a bridge, being necessary to cross the river on a boat, reason why the town was also called Villanueva De la Barca.
The stamp of its white architecture next to the green one of its natural surroundings, the cosy character of its people and the fame of its excellent sausages make advisable the visit to this calm corner of the fertile plain.
After the distributions made to the fall of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, the territories of Villanueva corresponded to a lieutenant of the count of Tendilla named Lazaro de Peralta. The urban core began to develop next to the Genil river. They called Talancos the growing town Talancos, derivative of “talanquera”, some king of defensive dig built against the sporadic floods of the stream that comes here to stop at the Genil river and that for the same reason was named like stream of Talancos. Later, the estate belonged to the Simancas family during good part of the XVI century, changing the name to Villanueva de Tájara. In 1577, Juan de Simancas II sold it to the marriage formed by Don Alonso Messía de Alarcón and Doña Francisca Arias de Mansilla Perez de Herrasti. Don Alonso and his wife constituted the Mayorazgo of Messía in the person of their first-born son Francisco. This one changed the double “s” of the surname of his father by the “x” of his and he bought the jurisdictional Señorío de Villanueva to the king Felipe III in 1614. The historical personage to whom the villa owes its present name lived in a magnificent stately building, that later would be transformed by him and his descendants into the so call house-palace that until decades ago constituted the architectonic pride of the town. It was demolished in the decade of 1990 because of its state.
In Villanueva good sausages and oils of quality are produced. Its cultivated field provides the citizens with flavourful vegetables that give way to dishes like remojón of potatoes and orange, the pipirrana, the malena club and the seasoning of asparagus.
© Patronato Provincial de Turismo de Granada I Diputación de Granada
