Discover Marchena: Culture and Holiday Apartment in Andalusia

Marchena combines a significant historic ensemble with churches, works of art and festival traditions that give the town its distinctive character. The historic ensemble of Marchena is classified as a Bien de Interés Cultural and listed in the Catálogo General del Patrimonio Histórico Andaluz. At the same time, Marchena can be reached from Seville via the A-92 and the Seville–Málaga–Granada–Almería railway line.

Culture

A central historic site is Santa María de la Mota, the oldest church in Marchena. It was built within the ducal palace as the dukes’ private chapel and displays a Mudéjar style. Its construction dates from the 14th century, around 1356, following the type of Seville’s Gothic-Mudéjar churches. The tower is crowned by several bell stages from the 16th century with Mannerist features.

The Iglesia de San Agustín also combines several historical layers. It was built in the last third of the 17th century as a convent church and is a Baroque temple with transitional elements towards the Neoclassical style. Its interior furnishings show parallels with Mexican and Peruvian art. In the Convento de San Andrés, the choir has two sections covered by false groin vaults, which are entirely decorated with tempera paintings created in 1714.

The former Convento de Santa Clara was demolished in 1975; the chapel was preserved. The Capilla de Santa Clara contains a gilded work from the 17th century: the main altarpiece has five sections and a transitional style between the Renaissance and Baroque. The Parroquia de San Juan Bautista is designed in the Gothic-Mudéjar style and was altered through renovations and additions in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Iglesia de San Juan Bautista preserves two of the six organs still remaining in Marchena; the town’s historic organ collection includes instruments from the 17th to the 19th century.

The Iglesia de San Juan, a temple dedicated to the Beheading of John the Baptist, was protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in 1931. As early as 1634, the parish of San Juan Bautista commissioned nine paintings by Francisco de Zurbarán for the decoration of the sacristy. Since 1990, the Museo Lorenzo Coullaut Valera has been a permanent exhibition featuring originals, designs and replicas of the artist’s sculptures. The museum is located in a 12th-century Almohad tower.

The historic topography also includes the Puerta de Sevilla, popularly known as the Arco de la Rosa, which is associated with a legend based on medieval events. The Montemolín archaeological site in Marchena dates from the Bronze Age.

Festivals

The Plaza Ducal was formerly the castle’s parade ground. Today, it is associated with a central tradition of Semana Santa: on Good Friday, it hosts the scenic representation of the Passion of Jesus known as the “Mandato”. “El Mandato” is one of the few scenic representations of sacred drama in Andalusia. Semana Santa de Marchena was awarded the title “Fiesta de Interés Turístico Nacional de Andalucía” in 2001.

The religious year is also reflected in the townscape during Corpus Christi: balconies and façades are decorated with hangings, garlands, flags and flowers. The musical tradition includes the Escuela de Saetas “Señor de la Humildad”, described as the first Saeta school founded in Andalusia. The Feria de Marchena has a different character and is now focused on leisure and entertainment. Its fairground is located near the road from Paradas.

Other places

You can also visit the following places: Caserío Santopétar, Fuente Victoria, La Cañada, Gérgal, Adra, Fuente Amarga, Vera, Líjar.

For the higher-level travel overview: Almeria.