Sierra Nevada The Name

Other names have been Mounted After the Sun,Air andSun,Snow, and Frost of the Sierra. Since the 18th century it has beencalled the way it is now: Sierra Nevada.

During the 16th century was the scene of the Rebellion ofthe Alpujarras. The 18th century later marks the beginning of variousexpeditions, which, influenced by the spirit of the Enlightenment, began tosystematically explore the mountains.

Marques de la Ensenada stands responsible for thisexploration, which was followed by other leading scientists, especiallybotanists, biologists, and geologists. They began to describe its mostimportant works in their natural heritage.

Sierra Nevada History and Origin of the Name

There are references to the Sierra Nevada since ancient times. In the first century Pliny the Eldermentioned of the existence of solarius mountain on the border between theprovinces of Roman Hispania and Betica Tarraconense.

During the Visigothic period, Isidore of Seville Soloriospoke of the mountain from Oriens mont, the mount where the sun shines before exiting. Subsequently, several authorsmention Islamics calling Sierra Nevada “Jbal Sulayra (Mount of the Sun or Air), Tay-al-Jabal (Mount Snow), and others simply Sulayr Mount.”

In 1986 Sierra Nevada was declared a UNESCO BiosphereReserve, and in 1989 Sierra Nevada was declared a Natural Parkby the Parliament of Andalusia due to the unique plants, animals,geomorphology, and landscape. The 24th World Championships in Alpine skiing washosted in Sierra Nevada in 1996.

Subsequently, the Parliament of Andalusia Autonomousproposed its declaration as a national park on January 3, 1999.

During the 19th century, writers such as Washington Irvingwere in the vicinity. At the end of the century, Angel Ganivet, then consul of Spain in Finland,said in one of his writings that Sierra Nevadacould become the Andalusian Finland due to the existence of snow for more thansix months per year.

In the 20th century the British writer Gerald Brenan andHispanics were also in the vicinity, dedicating work to the south of Granada to immortalize the most significant regions of the Sierra Nevada, Alpujarra