Category: Paterna del Campo

The pilgrimage of San Isidro Labrador to the village of Tujena is the most popular of all the festivities celebrated in the town. It was in 1955 when the first pilgrimage began and the festivities were celebrated in that village. The members of the former Brotherhood of Farmers and Ranchers chose San Isidro as their patron saint and, to this day, they continue to celebrate the pilgrimage on the weekend closest to 15 May.

The main events are the departure of the Simpecado from the Parish Church of San Bartolomé Apóstol on Friday afternoon; the arrival of the pilgrims in the village of Tujena and the greeting to San Isidro three hours later; the pilgrims’ mass and the procession of the image through the village the following morning.
This weekend, there is a festive atmosphere throughout the municipality and the village is decked out for the occasion with dozens of stalls filling the esplanade of the Tujena meadow.

Since 1970, the Brotherhood of San Isidro Labrador has celebrated the traditional ‘Tostón de San Isidro’ in the village of Tujena, coinciding with the end of the green olive harvest in the mountains and after the extraction of the first oils, so highly prized throughout the world.

It is celebrated on the first weekend of February each year, in a festive and popular atmosphere around the square that bears his name. In this village in the Paterna region, the classic ‘tostón con sardinas’ (toasted bread with sardines) is served, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil from the local verdial olive groves.

On Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, two brotherhoods with deep roots in the local community hold processions in Paterna del Campo.

On Maundy Thursday, the Sacramental Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus of Great Power and Holy Mary of Great Sorrow and Saint John the Evangelist holds its Penitential Procession. This brotherhood was formed in the middle of the last century, following the unification of two former brotherhoods, Gran Poder and Veracruz. In 1985, they adopted the title ‘Sacramental’. The procession begins at nine o’clock in the evening and consists of two floats, which are not the originals because these were destroyed in the parish church fire in 1934. The float of Nuestro Padre Jesús del Gran Poder (an image created from the remodelling of an old Cristo Resucitado) is made of mahogany and silver, and that of the Santísima Virgen (the work of the renowned Sevillian sculptor Antonio Eslava Rubio, 1956) is made of red velvet embroidered in gold. The Virgin wears a blue skirt embroidered in gold in the Seville workshop of Elena Caro and a plain red velvet cloak.

The Nazarene brothers who perform the Station of Penance wear white tunics and capes with purple masks and cinctures. An important part of the procession is its arrival at the Plaza de Padres, the meeting between the main figures at the entrance to the brotherhood and the work of the foremen and costaleros.

On Good Friday, the Station of Penance is performed by the Illustrious, Venerable and Ancient Servite Brotherhood and Confraternity of Nazarenes of the Holy Burial of Christ in his Mercy and Mary Most Holy of Sorrows in her Solitude. The first record of this brotherhood dates back to 27 January 1584, when it was canonically established in ancient times in its hermitage-hospital of La Soledad. In 1763, the Third Order of the Servants of Mary was organised within it, becoming the oldest Servite Brotherhood in the province of Huelva. Its Penitential Procession on Good Friday night is particularly noteworthy, starting at 9 pm. The original images were also destroyed in the fire that ravaged the parish church in 1934. Currently, the procession features a float carrying the image of the Recumbent Christ (an anonymous 16th-century work), carved in cedar by Manuel Guzmán Bejarano (1989) and gilded in the Triana workshop of Manuel Verdugo Guerrero (2000). The Blessed Virgin (work by José Sanjuan Navarro, 1935) wears a black skirt (1876) and black cloak (1880) embroidered in gold by Antonia Janín Monferrín of Seville. The curtains of the canopy were embroidered in the convent of the Trinitarian Sisters of Seville (1947) and restored by Rosario Bernardino Díaz (2006), and the ceiling was embroidered in the convent of the Adoratrices Sisters of Huelva (1952).

An important part of this brotherhood are its costaleros, a team formed in 1967, which is one of the oldest in Andalusia and important for its work on the floats, especially when entering and leaving the parish church, due to the difficulty involved. Also important are its Nazarenos, who in large numbers take part in the Penitential Procession. They wear black robes and masks, with a train that is gathered over the esparto belt at the side.

Paterna del Campo and its affiliate Hermandad del Rocío, filled with excitement and hard work, prepare each spring for their pilgrimage to the village of Almonte, to meet with the Mother of God, the Santísima Virgen del Rocío.

Since 1971, it has been the 39th affiliate brotherhood, making its pilgrimage ever since. It leaves on the morning of the Thursday before the feast of Pentecost, spending the night on the road at the ‘Raya del Agua’, to enter the village on Friday afternoon. It has a Brotherhood House in the Plaza Mayor, number 4, where it lives and coexists in a fraternal Rociero atmosphere.

Its festivities are held on 24 August, a holiday that the Catholic Church reserves for the patron saint Saint Bartholomew (work by Jerónimo Hernández from 1568). The Templar presence in the Campo de Tejada area in the early years of the Reconquista is well documented. The strong devotion of these ‘freires’ or ‘Knights Templar’ to the Apostle Saint Bartholomew makes us consider the origin of this devotion among our people.

It was these Knights Templar who first accompanied Ferdinand III the Saint and later his son Alfonso X the Wise in the conquest of these lands. The latter, after conquering Tejada in 1253 and its farmsteads, including Paterna, built the parish church in honour of the Holy Apostle of Jesus on the site of the old mosque that existed in this town, the Parish Church. This is how the devotion of the people of Paterna to this saint began. Later, he would be named patron saint of both the ecclesiastical jurisdiction and the Council, Justice and Regiment of the Town of Paterna del Campo.

Almost 800 years later, his festivities continue to be celebrated, always with the valued collaboration of the local council, which makes every effort to ensure that they are the most popular in the town, where children, young people and the elderly can enjoy themselves in a spirit of healthy coexistence. His Brotherhood no longer exists, but a large group of devotees and the parish priest work to ensure that his cult continues to be celebrated, carefully preparing the most important external act of worship, which is the procession on the night of 24 August, in which the local brotherhoods and the town’s leading civil authorities also participate. Then there are the festive celebrations in the main square, the Plaza de España and other areas of the municipality. Parades, dances, large performances and the release of heifers complement this festival, which lasts several days.

Another of the municipality’s most interesting and splendid festivals is the celebration of the liturgical feast of Corpus Christi, the procession of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of this town in the county of Paterna del Campo.

The processional monstrance consists of two sections on a high base. The first section is made of silver and dates from the mid-17th century. In the past, it had other sections made of the same metal, but these were stolen by Napoleon’s troops during their invasion of the peninsula in the early 19th century. These sections have now been replaced by the current ones, made in 1986 and 1988 from silver metal by Hijo de Juan Fernández Gómez de Sevilla.

The Eucharistic procession, organised by the Sacramental Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus of Great Power and Holy Mary of Great Sorrow, includes the participation of children who have celebrated their first Communion this year, representatives of the local brotherhoods and guilds with their corporate banners, and leading authorities. The procession is accompanied by the Paterna Municipal Band.

This ancient devotion to Our Lady of Virtues, patron saint of the town of Paterna del Campo, celebrates its festivities around 15 August, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The town has worshipped its Advocate and Patron Saint since 1448, which is the oldest record of its ecclesiastical constitution. The celebration centres on a Solemn Novena, which usually ends on the first weekend of August, with the last two days of the Solemn Novena coinciding with the Devout Kissing of the Hand of the Blessed Virgin. On the night of 14 August, the Holy Rosary is recited at the feet of Our Lady, culminating in the festivities on 15 August, when the Solemn Main Function of the Institute of the Ancient Brotherhood of Our Lady of Virtues, Patron Saint of the Town of Paterna del Campo, is celebrated. The festivities conclude with the Triumphal Procession of the Blessed Virgin on the night of 15 August.

Its history and tradition date back to the years following the Reconquest by Christian troops in these lands, when it appeared in a cave inside an old well in Pinguete, near the town. According to tradition, a girl fell into this place and was saved by this heavenly image of the Virgin Mary. Its ancient and primitive image was destroyed in the fire that ravaged the parish church in 1934. The current image is the work of local sculptor José Guzmán Vázquez, created between 1984 and 1985. From 1693 onwards, the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Virtues and its image were closely linked to the Discalced Carmelite friars, who founded a convent in the town on that date, until its secularisation in the 19th century.

Religious services are complemented by recreational and festive activities with parades and dances in the Plaza de España until the early hours of the morning, ending with the traditional ‘fire bull’.

These Cruces festivities are celebrated with great beauty and splendour in the first half of September, centred around the religious festival of the ‘Exaltation of the Holy Cross’. Two brotherhoods with their respective chapels host these festivities, which are so dear to devotees of the Holy Cross.

On the one hand, the Brotherhood of the Holy Cross of the Victory of Christ celebrates its festivities on the first weekend of September, notable for its beauty and colour. The current ‘Chapel of the Cross’, dating from 1985, is located on Calle Andalucía and is exuberantly decorated, with spectacular murals decorating its vaulted ceiling from 1987, the work of Malaga painter Antonio Segovia Fernández. In the wonderful surroundings, the Cruz de la Victoria de Cristo stands out, made in sterling silver by the Seville goldsmith Manolo de los Ríos, a source of worship for its faithful devotees.

During this festival, there are several highlights, such as the early hours of Friday morning, when Calle Andalucía is decorated with handmade paper flowers made throughout the year by the older sisters. On Friday night, the Holy Rosary is celebrated with the corporate banner, where the young men dress in their finest attire. On Saturday afternoon, the traditional ‘Romerito’ takes place, accompanied by a parade of colourful floats, as well as the procession of the Holy Cross, which is held on Sunday afternoon through the main streets of the town.

Also on Sunday afternoon, the traditional transfer of the Holy Cross of Victory from its chapel to the Parish Church of St. Bartholomew the Apostle takes place to celebrate its Main Function of the Institute. It is a splendidly colourful event due to the beauty of the Cross and the women in mantillas who prepare themselves for this event, where the young men, young women and Queen wear their finest attire.

Of particular note is the entrance of renowned musical groups with large parades, especially the entrance of the Legion’s drum and bugle band on Sunday morning. In the early hours of the morning, there are performances and dances in the Brotherhood’s marquee.

On the other hand, around the weekend closest to 14th September, the religious festival of the Royal and Fervent Brotherhood of the Holy Vera Cruz de Abajo and Saint Helena Empress is celebrated. Its chapel dates back to 1980 and is located on the street that now bears its name, with its interior decoration last carried out in 2023. Inside, the ‘Santísima Cruz’ (Holy Cross) is enthroned, made of cedar wood, gilded in fine gold and polychromed, created in 1956 by the Huelva sculptor José Oliva Castilla.

One of the highlights of the festivities is the Holy Rosary on Friday night at the doors of the chapel. On Saturday morning, there is a parade and subsequent offering of flowers to the Holy Virgin of Carmen in the Parish Church of San Bartolomé Apóstol, where the Mozos, Moza and Reina de las Fiestas ride in splendid horse-drawn carriages, accompanied by music, to the parish church, ending with the singing of the Salve Marinera at the doors of the church, and their subsequent return to their chapel. In the afternoon, the traditional ‘Romerito’ takes place, which is very colourful, with a parade of horsemen, carriages, beautiful floats (some with movement) and musical accompaniment.

On Sunday morning, the procession of the Santísima Vera Cruz de Abajo is held, leaving from its chapel to the parish church to celebrate its Main Function of the Institute. It is a splendidly colourful event due to the beauty of the Cross and the attendance of the women in mantillas and the Mozos, the Moza and the Queen, who are dressed in their finest attire.

Throughout these festivities, it is worth highlighting the participation of renowned musical groups with large parades. At dawn, there are performances and dances in the Brotherhood’s marquee.

The Brotherhood celebrates its festivities on 15 and 16 July, on the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the liturgical calendar. Prior to this, a solemn novena is held in preparation for the festivities, which consist of the Holy Rosary on the eve of the feast day, a solemn Main Function in the morning and the Procession of the Blessed Virgin of Carmen (work of D. Antonio Castillo Lastrucci, 1954) in the afternoon-evening of its day, which has its origins in the influence of the Carmelite presence in Paterna del Campo.

The Brotherhood of the Blessed Virgin of Carmen, Holy Scapular and Blessed Souls in Purgatory was established in the former Carmelite Friars’ Convent in the first third of the 18th century. The Carmelite tradition began very early in this municipality as a result of the founding of a convent of ‘shod Carmelite’ nuns in 1537 and the convent of ‘discalced Carmelite’ friars, founded later in 1693. In 2008, the current Brotherhood added the title ‘Blessed Souls in Purgatory’ in memory of an old Brotherhood that existed since 1630.

In the Marian Year of 1954, the Town Council of Paterna del Campo granted the Blessed Virgin of Carmen the title of ‘Perpetual Mayor of the Town’. In 2004, the same Town Council awarded the ‘Gold Medal of the Town’ to Our Lady of Carmen, due to the great devotion that this municipality has towards the Virgin. In 2010, the Town Council presented her with a new ‘Staff of Mayor for Life’.

The religious services are complemented by recreational and festive activities, with parades and dances in the Plaza de España until the early hours of the morning, ending with the traditional ‘fire bull’.