Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Baeza

{larger|BAEZA}} (ancient Beatia), a city of Spain, in the province of Jaen. It stands on a considerable elevation, about 3 miles from the right bank of the Guadalquivir. Lat. 37 59 N., long. 3 28 W. It is well built, and has a cathedral and several fine public buildings, among which the most worthy of notice are the university (founded in 1533, and for some time defunct), the oratorio of the order of St Philip Neri, and the marble fountain with Caryatides in the Plaza de la Constitucion. The Cordova and Ubeda gates, and the arch of Baeza, are among the remains of its old fortifications, which were of great strength. There is little trade or manufacture here. The principal productions of the neighbourhood are grain and oil. The red dye made from the native cochineal was formerly celebrated. In the time of the Moors Baeza was a flourishing city of 50,000 inhabitants, and the capital of a separate kingdom, but it never recovered from the sack of 1239. It is the birthplace of Caspar Becerra, the celebrated sculptor and painter. Present population, about 11,000.