Paterna del Campo – Churches, Festivals and Landscapes

Paterna del Campo combines cultural history, festival traditions and diverse landscapes. When choosing a holiday apartment in Paterna del Campo, these focal points can be understood as different travel interests: sacred art, observing nature, and hiking and cycling routes.

Culture

The Iglesia de San Bartolomé was built on the site of an earlier mosque after the conquest of Paterna by Alfonso X. Its Puerta del Perdón preserves visible Mudéjar brickwork and has pointed arches. The reconstructed Roman aqueduct in the Colina Verde district conveyed water from the Fuente del Alpízar to Itálica. The Castillo del Alpízar is also part of the town’s historic setting: an ancient fortress with an 11th-century Almohad portal, a square layout, a central arms courtyard and four towers. The interior cannot be visited; only the exterior can be viewed.

At Tejada la Nueva, the Fuente de los Frailes comprises the remains of Roman baths connected to a spring of the same name. La Fontanilla is an artificial spring from the 11th century in the Almohad style. It includes a Persian-origin irrigation system called qanát, which conveys water from an underground well. La Fontanilla can be visited freely; visits in daylight are recommended.

The Ermita de San Isidro dates from 1955 and is considered an example of the region’s popular religious architecture. A popular Romería takes place in its surroundings in May. Holy Week in Paterna del Campo is considered one of the oldest and most established celebrations in the Condado. During the Corpus Christi celebration, an 18th-century silver monstrance is carried in the procession.

The Festividad del Carmen is celebrated on 16 July; its procession dates back to the presence of the Carmelites in Paterna in the 18th century. Handcrafted paper flowers are used during the celebration of the Santa Cruz de la Victoria; older local women make them throughout the year. The Capilla de la Santísima Vera Cruz de Abajo dates from 1980, and its façade is decorated with ornate tiles. The Santísima Cruz de Abajo inside is made of cedarwood, gilded with fine gold and polychromed; it was created in 1956 by the sculptor José Oliva Castilla.

Festivals and Religious Routes

The Romería de San Isidro Labrador takes place in the Aldea de Tujena on the Sunday closest to 15 May. During the Romería del Rocío, the brotherhood from Paterna sets out on the Thursday before Whit Monday and spends the night in El Cortijillo. Paterna del Campo’s festival calendar thus combines specific dates with processions and routes, while the churches and chapels reveal different historical periods.

Other Places

Other town pages: Jabuguillo, Galaroza, Moguer, Rosal de la Frontera, La Granada de Río-Tinto, Aljaraque, Encinasola and Lucena Del Puerto.

Nature

The Paraje de El Chorrito wetland is characterised by freshwater springs, dense vegetation and pronounced scenic beauty. The Río Corumbel crosses the area; its local geology also gives it small caves. Among other species, genet cats, polecats, wildcats, kestrels, goshawks and short-toed snake eagles can be observed in the Acebuchal del Alpízar. Most of the area is specially protected and is dominated by a well-preserved wild olive forest.

Las Lapas de San Salvador are caves and rock overhangs in an approximately 180-metre-high cliff formed by erosion on the left bank of the Río Corumbel. The habitat of these caves and rock overhangs dates back to prehistoric times. In the area of the Arroyo de Tejada and the Río Corumbel, there are routes that can be travelled on foot, by bicycle, on horseback or in off-road vehicles.

Routes

The Ruta BTT Gran Premio Villa de Paterna starts in Calle Ramón Carande and is 88.8 kilometres long. The associated BTT event takes place in October. The Ruta Paterna del Campo a Berrocal is 32 kilometres long and leads from Paterna towards Berrocal. It leads from the Condado into the millennia-old history of the mountains of the mining basin, which belong to the protected landscape area of the Río Tinto.

The route through the La Pata del Caballo woodland begins in the Campiña de Tejada near Paterna. It passes through olive groves and along forest tracks to viewpoints near the Casa de los Carneros and the Torre del Cejo. Another hiking route begins in the Aldea de Tujena and leads to historic lime kilns in the surrounding Serranía. This route requires the accompaniment of someone familiar with the area.

The old lime kilns in the Sierra de Paterna del Campo are associated with the production of quicklime and mortar, which formed part of a millennia-old craft tradition widespread throughout the Mediterranean region. The Vía Verde río Tinto runs along the abandoned former railway line between Huelva and the mines of Río Tinto. The Ruta Algarviana runs through Paterna del Campo from east to west and forms part of a route that includes Seville and Huelva, among other places. An approximately 11-kilometre hiking route between Villalba del Alcor and Paterna del Campo combines nature and historical heritage.

For the higher-level travel overview: Huelva.