This festival of pagan origin, celebrated before Lent in Bollullos, differs from the carnival in the cinema, where troupes, chirigotas and quartets perform for four days in the Casa de la Cultura, and the street carnival. The latter consists of several parts: the day of the procession or ‘day of the streets’, when the municipal corporation parades through the streets decorated for the occasion with street groups and brass bands; Children’s Day, or Carnavalito, when the little ones also take part in a parade in costume; and Parade Day, the big day of the carnival in Bollullos, when a parade, accompanied by chirigotas, comparsas and street groups, winds its way through the streets of the town until it reaches the municipal marquee, where games and competitions are organised.
The origins of this festival are lost in time, with the carnivals of the early 20th century being particularly noteworthy. Authors such as Acostita, El Porquino, El Chamarín and El Realista stand out from this period. There are also two lost traditions, such as the day of the tizne or tizná or the crossing of flags, which was celebrated in the Arenal (now Plaza de la Piña), and in which the most important comparsas competed before the public to see which one attracted the most support. The arrival of the Civil War and the subsequent Franco dictatorship led to the disappearance of this festival, of which only the piñatas that were broken on the Sunday before Lent and the songs that were sung semi-clandestinely on the feast of Saint Sebastian, the prelude to the festival, remained as a reminder, as it is on this day that the first songs are ‘unveiled’.
On the outskirts of the town, at the top of the hill bordering the ‘Los Almendrales’ residential area, stands this small early 20th-century colonial-style church, built by architect Juan de Talavera in 1919 on the site of an 18th-century chapel and on the remains of what is believed, according to various archaeological finds, to be an ancient Roman temple.
Inside, the floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross: in the central nave we find the entrance portico and the High Altar, and it is divided by semicircular arches on rectangular pillars with imposts. The two side naves join to form the perpendicular transept. The entire room is decorated with a mid-20th-century regionalist ceramic baseboard, which alludes to the different brotherhoods of the municipality. On the high altar, on the remains of a Visigothic capital, is the exquisite image of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes Coronada, patron saint of Bollullos Par del Condado. This is an anonymous carving dating from between the 16th and 17th centuries, which underwent a major remodelling by the sculptor Marcelino Roldán Serrallonga in 1760, who created the current Baby Jesus. As for the exterior of the temple, inspired by the Benedictine convent architectural style, its white façade is flanked by a bell tower on the right-hand side.
The chapel is surrounded by a parceled-out space on the outside that has a children’s playground, a wrought-iron cross monument from the late 19th century for pilgrimages, and a farmhouse where the hermit in charge of caring for the place resides. This is a place where activities are held on a regular basis, such as the ‘Todos con la Madre’ (All with the Mother) day, all of which are aimed at increasing, preserving and strengthening the care of one of the municipality’s most precious treasures: its patron saint.
The Santo de Remuñana is an iconic monument located in the area of the old Dehesa de Remuñana, about 10 km southeast of the town centre of Bollullos Par del Condado. This obelisk, crowned by an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was inaugurated in August 1927 by Francisco Pérez y Vacas as a symbol of the municipality’s gratitude for the agrarian reform that allowed land to be divided up and sold to those most in need.
The monument, made of exposed brick, stands on a square base and is approximately 13 metres high. Its structure includes four medallions with the mottos and symbols of the Catholic Agricultural Union, which promoted the agrarian reform in the region. The life-size bronze image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stands at the top of the obelisk.
The initiative to create this sculpture arose as an expression of faith and as a symbol of the social and economic transformation that the area underwent after the parcelling out of the Montañina and Remuñana pastures, a process that allowed many farmers to acquire their own land.
Located in the heart of the historic centre, this square is home to important buildings such as the Town Hall and the Church of Santiago Apóstol, making it a hub for both institutional life and religious activity in the municipality.
In the centre of the square stands an imposing statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, carved in white marble and erected in 1943. This image was the result of a public subscription promoted by the then mayor and the local parish priest, and was blessed on 24 October of that same year. The base of the sculpture, also made of marble, bears an inscription which, although worn by time, bears witness to the fervour and participation of the citizens in its erection.
La Placita de la Fuente, also known as Plaza Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, was built in the 1920s. This square reflects the Andalusian regionalist style, characterised by the use of exposed brick, decorative ceramics and architectural elements inspired by local tradition.
In the centre of the square is an ornamental fountain, which gives it its popular name. This fountain is crowned by a tile depicting the Virgin of Mercy, patron saint of the municipality. On the sides of the fountain are ceramic portraits of two prominent figures in local history: Don Francisco Pérez y Vacas, president of the Agricultural Union and illustrious mayor; and Don Luis Benjumea y Calderón, Minister of Development.
La Placita de la Fuente has undergone various modifications over time, but it retains its original essence and continues to be a meeting place and landmark for the inhabitants of Bollullos Par del Condado.
This parish church, inaugurated on 20 June 1967, was built as a result of the strong devotion to Mary Help of Christians in Bollullos. The building, designed by architect Jesús Gómez Millán, has a single nave with exposed brick walls and a concave front gable at an obtuse angle. The roof has a sawtooth profile. It is preceded by an atrium, which connects to the sacristy on the left and the parish office on the right.
Presiding over the presbytery is a crucified Christ (1.95 m), Cristo del Amor, created by José Lemus García in 1967. On the right is a serial work depicting Saint Joseph with the Child, and in the centre is the image of the parish’s patron saint, María Auxiliadora (1.68 m), by Joaquín Moreno Barb. On the Gospel side is an interesting Way of the Cross signed by J. Lemus and carved in 1967 in white artificial stone. On the Epistle side, there is a canvas of the Virgin of Mercy by Fernando Carrasco Ferreira.
The Parish Church of Santiago Apóstol is undoubtedly the most representative religious building and beloved by the residents of Bollullos Par del Condado. Declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) in 2007, this church is a true witness to the history of the municipality, as its origins date back to the 14th century.
There are documents that refer to its existence as early as 1361, which shows its age and historical relevance.
The current temple was built during the Late Middle Ages and, since then, has undergone numerous transformations and improvements that have contributed to its architectural and heritage value. It has a three-nave floor plan, separated by arches and columns, with wooden ceilings in the central part and a vaulted main chapel, which stands out for its beauty and solemnity.
During the 18th century, following the serious damage caused by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, the church underwent a major restoration led by the architect Antonio Matías de Figueroa, a leading figure in Andalusian Baroque. Thanks to his intervention, the temple acquired its current appearance, in which elements of Mudejar art are fused with those of the so-called ‘triumphal Baroque’, typical of Andalusian architecture of the period.
One of the most unique elements of the building is its tower, composed of a main body (shaft), bell tower and spire. The shaft has a very characteristic ascending rhythm, highlighted by panels and projections in the form of pilasters. In its central part there are three small openings and, higher up, a balcony with a wrought iron parapet, which adds an elegant and stately touch.
The tower houses four bells, each with its own name and date of casting, which tell part of the history of the town.
Casa Vallejo is a historicist-style mansion dating from the middle of the last century, combining influences from different architectural styles, with a predominance of neo-Mudejar elements. It features highly characteristic elements, such as the gallery with finely and profusely decorated horseshoe arches, as well as those found at the entrance to the different rooms, tiled with early 20th-century mensaque tiles, wooden coffered ceilings, exposed brickwork in the form of decorations, cornices, pilasters and bulges on the façades, and wrought iron skylights and windows overlooking the courtyard.
This chapel venerates the images of Our Father Jesus Nazarene, Holy Mary of Pasmo, Saint John the Evangelist, Our Lady of Socorro and Our Father Jesus in his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. There is evidence of its existence since the 18th century.
It has two naves. The main nave, with Mudejar coffered ceiling with braces, connects to the main chapel. The side nave is covered with a suspended ceiling. The floor of the entire chapel is made of white and grey marble from Cártama, crafted by Francisco Jiménez Bocanegra in 1886.
Inside, there are two Baroque altarpieces and several paintings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. The altarpiece presiding over the main chapel is a remarkable Sevillian work from the last quarter of the 18th century, from the circle of Mr. Bernardo Simón de Pineda. The central niche is occupied by the patron saint of the chapel, Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (1.70 m), a work by Mr. Antonio Castillo Lastrucci from 1938.
The side shelves feature Saint Joseph with the Child, according to 18th-century Roldanesca iconography, and the Virgin of Socorro (0.86 m), a candlestick image from around 1600.
On the wall on the Epistle side, there is an altarpiece with 18th-century pictorial floral decoration. The central niche is occupied by the image of the Virgin of Pasmo, the work of Antonio Castillo Lastrucci.
At the foot of the main nave stands a recomposed altarpiece with 18th-century foliage and rocaille elements.
The existence of a Hospital of Mercy in the 16th century led to the creation of a brotherhood centred on devotion to the Holy Christ Bound to the Column and Mary Most Holy of Mercy, a very popular brotherhood due to the figure of the executioners (Roman executioners who whipped Christ), who were subjected to all kinds of insults. An interesting Sevillian ceramic Via Crucis was displayed on the walls. The chapel, destroyed in 1976, forced its owners to ‘take refuge’ for a few years in the chapel of Nuestro Padre Jesús, until they were able to enjoy their own chapel in 1990, located on Calle Linos, where it was welcomed with great enthusiasm by the entire neighbourhood.
The new chapel, blessed on 1 April 1990, was built by Juan Acosta Faraco.
It is a rectangular building, covered with a ceiling, preceded by an atrium. In 1993, the architect José Manuel Ramos Olivares designed the façade as a linteled door crowned by a belfry with two superimposed openings. It is home to the ancient Brotherhood of Mercy, founded in the 16th century, which had its own hospital and chapel in what is now the Plaza del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús.
The Christ Bound to the Column (1.64 m), by an anonymous artist, was carved by Rafael Barbero Medina in 1950 and restored in 1991 by Francisco Berlanga de Ávila. The image of the Virgin of Mercy (1.65 m) was created by Manuel Vergara Herrera in 1953.
An interesting Sevillian ceramic Via Crucis is displayed on the walls. It also has a small image of the Virgin of Carmen, from a 19th-century Valencian workshop. The image of Saint Dominic of Guzmán, from the 18th century, comes from the Corpus Christi convent in Córdoba. In addition, there is a canvas from the same century depicting the Virgin giving the rosary to Saint Dominic.
