Tag: Heritage

The Church of San Vicente Mártir is the main Catholic church in Villarrasa. Originally built in the 14th century in the Mudejar style, it has undergone various transformations over the centuries, especially after the damage suffered during the Spanish Civil War. The current structure, in the Neo-Mudejar style, was reopened for worship in 1954.

The original church dates back to the 14th century, with a Mudejar construction reflected in its simple stone façade and the bull’s-eye window above it. Over the centuries, it has undergone several renovations, the most significant being between 1785 and 1798, when the structure was enlarged and reinforced, including the replacement of the wooden bell tower with a stone one. After the damage suffered in 1936, it was rebuilt and reopened for worship in 1954.

The building has a three-nave floor plan, with the central nave being higher and wider than the side naves. The main nave is covered by a truss roof, while the side naves have a single-sloped roof. The transept, delimited by four stilted arches, is covered with a half-orange dome. The bell tower stands next to the chancel of the church, with a bell tower topped by a tiled spire.

The main altarpiece features gilded plasterwork on a marbled background. On the altar table is a small crucifix from the first half of the 16th century. Two silver lamps hang from the base of the transverse arches, one from the 18th century and the other from the 19th century. The paintings decorating the presbytery are by Juan Montes.

The Gospel nave is presided over by the niche of Jesús Nazareno, a dressed image by Antonio Castillo Lastrucci dating from 1940. Further along the nave, the altarpiece of Las Ánimas, made by Joaquín Moreno Daza in 1954, contains a painting of the Virgen del Carmen by Juan Montes, also from 1954. The Virgen de los Dolores, an anonymous 19th-century work from Seville, is worshipped on a simple altar.

The chapel of the Tabernacle is accessed through an iron gate dating from 1951. The gilded and marbled wooden altarpiece was carved by Joaquín Moreno Daza in 1956. The vault and side walls are decorated with paintings by Juan Montes.

Finally, you can also visit the Mudejar-style door at the foot of the chapel, although it is currently blocked. On the lintel of the entrance door is a ceramic panel allegorical to Saint Vincent Martyr, made in Seville in the mid-18th century, depicting the saint with the palm of martyrdom, a raven and a pitchfork.

The Patron Saint’s Day of Villarrasa is celebrated every 18 December in honour of Our Lady of Los Remedios, a festival deeply rooted in the tradition and devotion of the municipality. This day commemorates the apparition of the Virgin in 1503, when, according to tradition, a local resident named Pedro de la Cruz found the image with the message: ‘Here is your remedy’.

The celebration begins the night before with the transfer of the image from its chapel to the parish church of San Vicente Mártir, where a mass is celebrated. The next day, the Virgin is carried in procession through the streets of Villarrasa, accompanied by numerous faithful who express their faith and devotion.

The image of Our Lady of Remedies is a 16th-century polychrome carving, designed as a high relief, combining Renaissance and Gothic elements. It is venerated in the Chapel of Our Lady of Remedies, a Baroque building notable for its bell gable and dome.

Built in 1981 on land donated in 1889 by Doña Gertrudis Rivera y Pérez, this chapel replaced an earlier building and was designed by architect Joaquín Gómez Alberca in a regionalist style that incorporates historical elements typical of the area. The interior features artistic tiles depicting the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, created by Sevillian ceramist Juan Aragón.

The chapel houses the image of the Holy Cross of the Field, a wooden work covered in red velvet embroidered in gold and decorated with motifs from the Passion of Christ. This image, which dates back approximately two centuries, has been venerated by generations of the faithful. In 1960, elements of gilded silverwork were added, including an 18th-century gold viril and embossed rays, works by renowned Sevillian silversmiths.

The chapel is the seat of the Primitive and Fervent Brotherhood of the Holy Cross of the Field, Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Rosary, which organises a series of annual services and festivities in honour of its patron saint. Among the most notable events are the Solemn Novena, which is celebrated from 29 April to 7 May, and the Procession of the Holy Cross, which winds its way through the streets of Villarrasa accompanied by music and popular devotion.

The chapel stands out for its harmonious façade with neo-baroque lines and its bright and sober interior. On its main altar is the venerated image of the Holy Cross of Arriba, whose ancient wood is covered in silver and gilded silver. The altarpiece, carved in cedar wood, presides over the altar and shelters the Holy Cross. In addition, the chapel houses a valuable collection of gold and silverwork, such as the float and the banner, and embroidery of great value.

The chapel is the headquarters of the Royal and Ancient Brotherhood of the Holy Cross Above, which organises monthly services on the first Friday of each month in honour of the Holy Cross. During the month of May, the traditional Festivities of the Holy Cross Above are celebrated, including masses, processions, parades and cultural activities, making it one of the most important celebrations in Villarrasa.

The Villarrasa Town Hall, inaugurated in 1999, is located on one side of the Plaza de España.
It is a traditional-style building that blends in perfectly with its surroundings and highlights the most typical elements of the county’s architecture.

It has two sections and can be subdivided into three streets: the central section, in its lower part, has an entrance portico formed by three semicircular arches resting on pillars which, like a portico, embellish the enclosure. The upper part consists of a large balcony flanked by two windows embellished with light mouldings. The side sections are identical to each other and consist of two traditional windows in the lower section and two balconies in the upper section, all with old-fashioned esparto curtains. The building is topped by a neoclassical façade with a clock.

The large square where it is located is also of recent construction and has a fountain in the centre. It features a monument dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, which was inaugurated in 2003 to mark the 50th anniversary of her appearance in the village of Villarrasa.

Traditionally, it was a leather tanning workshop, and according to local tradition, it was here that the Virgin of Los Remedios, patron saint of the town, appeared in 1503.

This event is commemorated every 18th of December, during the Patron Saint’s Day. The day begins with a religious service and continues with a procession carrying the image of the Virgin to La Tenería, where the Salve is prayed and the rosemary gathered in the fields is blessed.

The Church of Nuestra Señora de las Angustias is one of the main religious monuments in Villarrasa. Built in the 16th century on top of previous buildings, it has undergone several renovations that have incorporated Renaissance and Baroque elements, mainly in the façade, cornices, dome and niche.

The church has a rectangular floor plan, with an almost square presbytery and a rectangular chapel, both covered with domes decorated with plasterwork reproductions of foliage and symbols of the Passion. The main façade has a two-part doorway, the lower part being of classical composition with an architrave, frieze and cornice, and the upper part a central pediment with a contemporary tile depicting the original image of the Virgin of Sorrows. Above the high cornice stands a single-part belfry with a semicircular arch and Tuscan pilasters.

Inside the church, the image of Our Lady of Sorrows is venerated, a carving of great devotion for the inhabitants of Villarrasa. The church has witnessed numerous historical and religious events throughout its history, becoming a place of great importance for the community.