La Palma del Condado archivos - Page 2 of 4

Fiestas de la Vendimia

The La Palma del Condado Wine Harvest Festival is an iconic celebration that pays tribute to the wine-making tradition of the Huelva region. Declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest in Andalusia, this festival is held every September to coincide with the town’s Royal Fair, which has more than six centuries of history since King Henry III granted it the title of ‘Royal’ in 1398.

The main event of the festival is the ‘Birth of Wine’, a ceremony that takes place in the Plaza de España, the heart of the historic centre of La Palma del Condado. During this event, the Harvest Queen and her court of honour re-enact the transport of the grapes, their blessing before the local patron saint, Nuestra Señora de Guía, and the symbolic pressing that gives rise to the first must of the year.

The Harvest Festival combines tradition, art and culture in a festive atmosphere. In addition to the main event, there are activities such as the coronation of the Harvest Queen, the appointment of the Foreman of Honour and the speech by the Master of Ceremonies. Music, dance and local cuisine enrich the experience, making this festival a major tourist attraction.

The Harvest Festival in La Palma del Condado is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the wine culture of the Huelva region and enjoy a celebration that combines history, tradition and joy. An essential event for those who wish to discover the soul of this land and its people.

Festividad de la Cruz de la Calle Sevilla

La Palma del Condado is known for its deep devotion to its May Crosses, a tradition that dates back at least to the 19th century. At that time, neighbours and family members erected simple public crosses in the doorways and courtyards where they lived, decorating them with flowers and rosemary from the countryside. They celebrated this custom with music and folklore typical of the region, around 3 May, the date on which the Invention of the Holy Cross is commemorated.

The festival of the Cross of Calle Sevilla is celebrated during the first half of May. During these days, the preparations of brothers, supporters and devotees who dream all year long of the arrival of the big days intensify. These days are lived intensely in the streets, with the enthusiastic participation of family, friends, neighbours and visitors who join in the events and worship.

The festivities are led by the Queen and the Children’s Queen, accompanied by their ladies-in-waiting, who actively participate in all the organised events. The Cruz de la Calle Sevilla begins its celebrations on Wednesday with Holy Mass, which gives way on Thursday to the exaltation and ascent of the Holy Cross. On Friday, in the middle of the afternoon, the Band of Bugles and Drums and the squad of paratroopers arrive, followed by the Band of Bugles and Drums of the Santísimo Cristo de las Tres Caídas de Sevilla. At around midnight, both groups accompany the Flower Offering, in which women and girls carry bouquets for the patron saint of La Palma, the Santísima Virgen del Valle Coronada.

Saturday begins early with the reveille of the Parachute Brigade, which marches through the streets of La Palma, ending its route at the door of the Chapel of the Cross at around midday. In the afternoon, the traditional ‘romerito’ takes place, with elegant floats, cavalry and carriages full of people singing, eating and drinking during a lively urban parade.

Sunday is the most significant day. In the morning, the Holy Cross is transferred to the parish church of San Juan Bautista to celebrate the Main Function of the Institute. This is followed by the solemn procession, accompanied by a crowd that cheers and praises the Cross along the route, to the constant sound of flutes and drums, as well as marches performed by prominent bands invited for the occasion, thus putting the finishing touch to a few days full of fervour.

Festividad de la Cruz de la Calle Cabo

The festival of the Cross of Calle Cabo is celebrated during the second half of May. During these days, the preparations of brothers, supporters and devotees who dream all year long of the arrival of the big days intensify. These days are lived intensely in the streets, with the enthusiastic participation of family, friends, neighbours and visitors who join in the events and worship.

The festivities are led by the Queen of the Festivities, accompanied by her ladies-in-waiting, who actively participate and play a leading role in all the organised events. The Cross of Calle Cabo begins its celebration on Thursday with the coronation of the Queen of the Festivities, in an emotional ceremony held at the town’s Teatro España.

On Friday, in the mid-afternoon, the award-winning Banda de Guerra de la Gloriosa Legión Española (War Band of the Glorious Spanish Legion) makes its entrance. Around midnight, this band accompanies the Holy Rosary, during which women and girls pray until they reach the feet of the patron saint, the Santísima Virgen del Valle Coronada (Holy Virgin of the Crowned Valley).

On Saturday, early in the morning, with the sounding of reveille, the Legion marches through the streets of La Palma, ending its route at midday at the door of the Chapel of the Cross. In the afternoon, the traditional ‘Romerito’ is celebrated, with elegant floats, numerous horses and carriages full of people singing, eating and drinking during a lively urban parade.

Sunday is the most significant day of the festivities. In the morning, the Holy Cross is transferred to the parish church of San Juan Bautista to celebrate the Main Function of the Institute. In the afternoon, the solemn procession of the Holy Cross takes place, accompanied by a crowd that, throughout the route, never stops showering it with compliments and cheers, all to the constant rhythm of the flute and drum, as well as the marches performed by prominent bands invited for the occasion. The big days for this brotherhood conclude on Monday with the celebration of the Mass of Thanksgiving, which takes place at the door of the chapel, thus putting the finishing touch to a few days full of fervour.

Encuentro Vitivinícola

The Huelva Wine Fair is an annual event held in La Palma del Condado and organised by the Friends of Huelva Wine Association. Since its inception in 2019, it has established itself as one of the province’s leading wine events, promoting wine culture and wine tourism in the region.

The event takes place in the Plaza de España in La Palma, the historic centre of Condado wines. An exhibition space of more than 3,500 m2 is set up with 11 marquees for wine tasting, both from local wineries and from other invited regions.

In addition to tastings, the event includes talks, round tables and screenings of documentaries related to viticulture and oenology. These activities take place in venues such as the Teatro España and the Casino de La Palma del Condado, enriching the cultural experience of those attending.

The aim of this event is to promote knowledge and appreciation of the wines of the Condado de Huelva, as well as to strengthen the local wine industry. It also facilitates cultural and commercial exchange between different wine-producing areas.

Corpus Christi

La Palma decorates its streets to welcome the Blessed Sacrament on one of the most memorable and unforgettable days for all Palmerinos, especially for the children who have made their First Communion this year.

The Corpus Christi procession includes representatives from all the local brotherhoods and fraternities (both penitential and glorifying), the municipal corporation, senior citizens, First Communion children, and the beautiful float carrying the Blessed Sacrament, carried by a team of bearers under the command of their foremen.

One of the great attractions of the procession is the delightful presence of the beautifully decorated altars prepared by some of the brotherhoods, together with the townspeople, in doorways, hallways and balconies.

Ermita de San Sebastián

The construction of this chapel dates back to the 16th century. It was built with the aim of sheltering the population from the waves of epidemics that severely affected this area. Although it was originally located at the entrance to the town, it is now fully integrated into the urban fabric. Built in the Mudejar style, it has some notable features, such as its octagonal pillars that support the pointed arches separating the three naves of the chapel. Externally, it stands out for its great decorative sobriety. Over the years since its construction, the chapel has suffered various vicissitudes, including abandonment and use as a hospital, soup kitchen and even a mechanical workshop. It has now been fully restored, both in terms of its structure and its use, and is a place of worship for María Santísima de la Soledad, Santísimo Cristo del Perdón and Nuestra Señora de la Amargura.

Centro de arte Miguel Tenorio Tirado

Located in Plaza de España, the Miguel Tenorio Tirado Art Centre was inaugurated in 2023 as an exhibition space that seeks to showcase the artistic expression of creators from La Palma del Condado, although it also hosts exhibitions of interest outside the local area.

The space was created with the intention of being a starting point for future artists from La Palma who want to grow and make themselves known, so that their works have the visibility they deserve.

100 Years of Art in La Palma del Condado was the inaugural exhibition, and it has been joined by others such as the Birth of the El Templo Association of Nativity Scene Makers and the exhibition on the figure and work of Manuel Summers, among others.

In addition, the Municipal Tourist Information Office is located here, serving as a meeting point for the tourist routes designed by the Palmerino council.

Silo

La Palma del Condado is a municipality that continues to maintain significant agricultural activity, largely dependent on the cultivation of grapes, sunflowers, wheat, cotton and olives. Currently, the most representative crop is cereal, with a Cereal Growers’ Cooperative. This crop has always been very important both in the municipality and the surrounding area, as demonstrated by the construction of the cereal silo building in 1949.

This silo was the first to be built in the province, forming part of the first National Silo Network, published by the National Wheat Service under the Ministry of Agriculture in 1947. It was expanded in 1979. The building was constructed by the company Compañía de Construcciones Hidráulicas y Civiles S.A., known by its famous abbreviated name, “Hidrocivil S.A.”.

The silo building is a clear example of industrial agri-food architecture, designed for the vertical storage of grain, thus facilitating the tasks of filling, emptying or moving the grain from one cell to another, to prevent fermentation and even the selection of grains as seed. To fulfil their function, all silos have a number of common features. In this case, they are as follows: the 20 storage cells are configured as large vertical tanks attached to each other, forming rows. They are not visible to the naked eye, except for the protruding openings on the ground floor and the entrances on the 6th floor. The side walls are made of reinforced brick with concrete beams. The elevator tower houses the machinery needed to lift the grain from the pit or hopper, where the trucks unloaded the grain, to the upper horizontal distribution gallery.

There, the machinery distributed the grain to the different cells. To remove the grain from the cells, there was a lower gallery where it was located.

Iglesia El Salvador

The Church of El Salvador, also known as the Salesian Church, is a prominent contemporary temple in La Palma del Condado, built in 1973 by architect Alfonso Aramburu. Its design is characterised by a simple structure with a single nave and a gabled roof, reflecting a sober and functional aesthetic.

In 2005, sculptor Juan Moreno Flores built an elegant high altar to house the image of María Auxiliadora, a work by Carlos Bravo created in 1940. This image is the object of special devotion in the town, and the church celebrates Masses in its honour on the 24th of each month. In addition, the church has the Archconfraternity’s Treasure Room, which houses various objects of historical and religious value.

This temple is not only a place of worship, but also a centre of cultural and spiritual activity, especially during the festivities in honour of María Auxiliadora, which are celebrated with great fervour in the town.

Iglesia de San Juan Bautista

Located in the heart of La Palma del Condado, the Parish Church of San Juan Bautista stands as one of the municipality’s main heritage landmarks and a jewel of late 18th-century Sevillian Baroque.

The current temple was built in 1768 on the remains of an old Mudejar church, destroyed by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. The work was directed by the architect Pedro de Silva, with the collaboration of the local master builder Francisco Díaz Pinto. The reconstruction not only restored the municipality’s main place of worship, but also provided La Palma with one of the most representative churches of the Andalusian Baroque.

The church stands out for its monumental main façade, presided over by a Baroque doorway of great ornamental richness, considered one of the most beautiful in the province of Huelva. Its elegant tower, covered with a chequered pattern of tiles, has become a symbol of the municipality. The interior of the church has a central nave and side chapels, decorated with stucco and foliage, characteristic elements of Sevillian Baroque.

Also noteworthy is the lions’ corner, which was part of the parish house courtyard. Between 1925 and 1928, this space was restored by order of the mayor, Don Ignacio de Cepeda, with the intention of giving it a new monumental function. Recently restored, inside there is a large wrought iron cross on a pedestal with ceramic decoration.

The Church of San Juan Bautista is listed as a Site of Cultural Interest and forms part of Andalusia’s Historical Heritage, which underlines its importance both locally and regionally. Although part of its original artistic heritage was lost during the Civil War, the church retains its architectural value and continues to be a central space in the religious and cultural life of La Palma del Condado.

Visiting the Parish Church of San Juan Bautista is to delve into the history and art of La Palma del Condado, discovering a monument that has witnessed the evolution of the municipality over the centuries.