In Villalba del Alcor, there are five chapels dedicated to the May Crosses.
The current chapel of the Holy Trinity was built in 1977, although there was another one before it. The chapel, which is large, has a rectangular floor plan, ceramic decoration inside and, for the last few years, an emblematic altarpiece by Guzmán Bejarano. An interesting fact is that this altarpiece has a 17th-century painting of great artistic quality dedicated to the Holy Trinity and belonging to the old chapel. The façade is wide with a small iron cross, a stained-glass window dedicated to the Holy Trinity and, on its left side, a tile dedicated to the Holy Cross.
This cross is said to be the oldest in the town. Its origins date back to the 17th century, when the old Chapel of the Holy Trinity was located in this square. After the demolitions of the 19th century, a pedestal with a cross was built to remind people that this was sacred ground. Festivals began to proliferate around this cross, which later had its own chapel and a wooden cross.
The chapel of the Cruz del Cerrillo, which was built in the 20th century, has a simple façade and is topped by a belfry presided over by a cross. Inside, it houses the image of Santa Elena, patron saint of this brotherhood, which dates from 1977 and is attributed to Joaquín Moreno Daza. Its festivities are celebrated in August.
The ceiling of the chapel contains valuable contemporary paintings by Manuel Travado, which were recently restored by Antonio Hermosilla. These paintings, together with those on the baseboard, represent the Stations of the Cross.
The origins of the Cerrillo chapel are unknown, as there is no record of a ruined chapel or subsequent devotion to the Holy Cross. It is one of the most popular crosses in this town. This cross has the peculiarity of being made of glass and is also carried in procession with an arch of flowers on a throne donated by a brotherhood from Seville dating from the 19th century. The cross dates from 1880 and is by an unknown artist.
The chapel on Calle Niche is small, with a salon-style floor plan, and the exterior consists of a door decorated with a chalice above it and topped by a small iron cross. The festivities are held in May and the cross is carried in procession on a float and framed by an arch of flowers.
The origins of this May Cross date back to a cross on a pedestal that stood near the chapel. This was later removed and a wooden cross with its own chapel was made. The old cross on a pedestal was made after the old Reliquias chapel was demolished following the confiscations of the 19th century. This is why these festivities take place in Llano de la Fuente, also dedicated to Nuestra Señora de las Reliquias, of which it has a small replica.
The Calle Real chapel has a simple floor plan and is topped by a small iron cross. On its façade, there is a ceramic tile depicting the miraculous event. This cross is the first to be carried in procession in May, and it is the only one that does so without a floral arch.
Its origins date back to a cross on a pedestal that stood on this site and around which the May Festivals were held. In 1942, an accident caused by a horse in Romerito de la Cruz, from which the victims were miraculously saved, led to the construction of this chapel.
It can be reached via a small square at the entrance to the village, or from Calle Carmen or Calle Real. The view is exceptional because there is enough space in the centre where it is located to contemplate it.
Finally, the chapel of La Cruz on Calle Paterna was built in the last third of the 20th century. It is a small chapel with a simple façade and a bell gable.
Inside is the Holy Cross, created by the sculptor Joaquín Moreno Daza. This brotherhood has a rich collection of furnishings, including the carving of Our Lady of the Angels.
