What are you looking for?

La Merced Convent was founded in 1509. The church’s pièce de résistance is the shrine dedicated to the title sculpture, Our Lady of Mercy, which was commenced in 1739 and is considered a fine example of Écija’s Baroque.

The ‘Casino’ or ‘Círculo de la Amistad’ is a former convent-hospital that belonged to the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God Order and is annexed to the still functioning San Juan de Dios Baroque chapel. Many of Juan Valera’s characters would sit around debating the subject of the hour in its patio. We can find a fantastic description of it in his work Pepita Jiménez: “The centre of the concurrence was the patio, paved with marble, with a fountain in the centre, and many plant pots.” A painted tile in the patio commemorates the writer and while touring the house, we can admire paintings of his family. There is also a small museum on Costumbrismo, the artistic movement present in Valera’s works.  

Cabra’s Aguilar y Eslava foundation originates from 1679 when it founded an educational centre through testamentary clause. It was called the Royal College of the Immaculate Conception, which became one of the first high schools in Spain in 1847. Throughout its 300-year existence, it has gained an estimable historical, artistic, documental and sentimental legacy, which has allowed the institution to survive and create a museum that forms part of the Andalusian ministry of culture’s network of museums. Within its grounds (a 17th century palace) you can visit: 1-. Natural history museum The museum underwent evolved greatly in 1917 with the arrival of professor Juan Carandell y Pericay. It then became an important research centre and entered into the Royal Spanish Natural History Society. The museum houses whale jaws, elephant tusks, eagles, a varied collection of mammals, birds, reptiles and dissected fish, plant collections, a two-headed sheep, as well as extensive studies on mineralogy, agriculture, entomology, zoology and botanicals. It is therefore an interesting place to visit given its historical and scientific value. 2.- Artistic and documentary room An interesting sample of religious artwork and academic transcripts from historical public figures *”Aguilar y Esclava” school* Visit the school’s 17th century installations […]

The parish church is an artistic and historic monument, which lies in close proximity to Utrera’s castle and fortress. It is an edifice of staggering proportions and displays proof of the change in architectural styles over time. The current church is Gothic, pertaining to the late 18th century. Its model is very similar to the first churches built following the Conquest. It is clearly defensive in character, as observed through the arrow slits featured on the tower-façade and the thickness of its walls. It is a hall church, known artistically by the German name “Hallenkirche”. It has a uniform, rectangular floor plan, separated into three naves by vaulting shafts and covered with an extremely beautiful sexpartite vault or tiercerons of uniform elevations. The ribs of the vault rise from pillars in the centre and corbels at sides of the church. The naves were later completed with a Renaissance dome and Baroque and neoclassical chapels. The main façade, depressed and sheltered within a basket-handle arch, is on the west end of the church, from which the three-sectioned stone and brick tower sprouts.

This church is located in the centre of the Plaza de la Villa Vieja. It is of medieval origin and was built by the brothers of Calatrava over an ancient mosque. It was dedicated to Santa María de los Ángeles in 1241, when the town was conquered by Ferdinand III. The interior has five naves organised by two rows of semi-circular arches atop 44 red marble columns, covered by a vaulted ceiling. The main altarpiece, the work of Melchor de Aguirre, consists of red and black marble, and followed the project design by the revered architect, José Granados de la Barrera, from Cabra. The central niche houses the image of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, a Granadan piece, created in 1693. The carved wooden choir and the organ found within it are also impressive. 

A fortified wall once surrounded Utrera, which had several gateways into the citadel. Many of them did not survive until the present day, while others are now small archaeological remains. The best preserved is undoubtedly the Arco de la Villa arch, which continues to represent the end of Utrera’s historic centre and the start of the town’s surrounding neighbourhoods.

Habla la tradición de un Calvario viejo situado cerca de la Tiñosa y del que apenas se tienen referencias documentales. Su existencia debió de ser anterior a 1593, pues este año ya había en la meseta que ocupa el actual un humilladero que servía a los mismos fines: era un lugar de devoción con cruz o imagen para que los peregrinos orasen antes de entrar a la población o al salir de ella. También se destinaba para rogativas y prácticas piadosas. Hasta éste llegaba la procesión que los nazarenos efectuaban el Viernes Santo, según se refleja en sus estatutos fundacionales. Se sabe que existían dos cruces primitivas y que en el siglo XVIII se colocaron otras que están bien documentadas. En 1707 se terminó de construir la ermita del Calvario con las limosnas de los fieles y la contribución de la Orden Tercera franciscana, que ya en el siglo XVII hacía la Vía Sacra por la calle de las Cruces (el Caminillo), encargándose de reparar aquellas que se encontraban derruidas o en mal estado. En 1708, el Municipio hizo donación de las tierras que circundaban la ermita. En 1938, la Hermandad hizo las gestiones necesarias para hacer las obras que […]

The fountain has been Declared a National Monument. It was built by Francisco del Castillo in the 16th century and consists of a series of bas-reliefs with a mythological theme.

The Association of Easter Week brotherhoods from Baena has created a permanent exhibition on the local Easter Week traditions, declared as being of national touristic interest. The exhibition can be found in the Casa de la Condesa, the association’s headquarters, in calle Mesones.The town’s Easter Week groups display different items related to their Easter Week celebrations in this beautiful manor house, in the heart of the historic town centre. This display is a good example for visitors to the town as it explains the unique role of the Judío de Baena (Jew of Baena). This figure’s attire attracts special attention and consists of a red embroidered jacket, black trousers, white shirt, a neckerchief and a metal helmet with impressive imprinted patterns and a brightly coloured plumage coming from the top.Horse hair is also attached to the back of the helmet, which is black (Judío Colinegro) or white (Judío Coliblanco) depending on the brotherhood.

This beautiful Renaissance fountain, called the Pilar de los Álamos, is located directly in front of Los Álamos park. It was built in 1552 and was designed by Jacobo Florentino ‘el florentín’, although he did not complete its construction. He was the predecessor of Diego de Siloé in Los Jerónimos church in Granada and both artists were considered the pioneers of Andalusian Renaissance. Historical accounts recall that this fountain once collected water from ‘La Mina’ spring, located close to the natural site Los Llanos. The fountain’s façade is made of sandstone and displays two warriors holding Alcalá’s coat of arms, protected by two griffins, mythological creatures with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, which guard treasures. These figures can also be found on other buildings in the town, as in heraldry, these imaginary beings are always related to protecting and guarding the town, a role that Alcalá la Real played for more than a century before the conquest of Granada. To this end, the inscription present on the emblem’s orle reads “key, guard and defence for the Castillian kingdoms”, the title granted to the town by the Catholic Monarchs.