Ayuntamiento de Aracena

Castle Fortress
The current population of Aracena is dominated by the remains of a castle, the ancient fortress was part of the defensive line of Valle del Guadalquivir.

In 1251, the troops of Alfonso I of Portugal reconquistan Aracena, producing numerous disagreements between the Spanish and Portuguese crown for the ownership of this square. Later, around 1283, the Castilian King Sancho "El Bravo", rebuilt the walls of the earlier style Arabic. It consisted of a central hall with two tanks watchtower and surrounded by a wall of clear inspiration Almohad. Until the beginning of the fifteenth century, people lived inside the walled enclosure. The continued strength of the line winding rocks on which it is based. He had to hold barbican flanked by square towers, as can be seen from the remains in the east and west sides remain. Of the towers that surrounded him only remains of seven. Within the compound, in the extreme southwest appreciate some remains of buildings belonging, perhaps, Alcaide rooms. The loss of its defensive function and the expansion of urban Aracena to the valley from the fifteenth century led to the reuse of materials from their walls for the construction of new homes, a practice banned in 1917. Its ruins, declared of cultural interest, testify to its historic significance.

Priory church of Our Lady of Pain Mayor (ss. XII-XV)
On the top of the mountain that dominates the population stands the oldest church and emblematic Aracena. It consists of three ships to the same height with a choir and presbytery feet polygonal andalusia ados that the tower on the side of the Gospel. On the wall of a porch hastiar appears, while the apse shows are interrupted by a large dressing room baroque. In its interior vaults veined star schema resting on slender pillars.
 
The construction of the temple had started in the late thirteenth century, raised the presbytery and the first sections of ships, where there are archaic forms. The works were paralyzed throughout the fourteenth century to the early resumption of the fifteenth century, continuing throughout this century, which clearly shows the influence of the cathedral of Seville. The gallery of the choir, the cover of the feet and the north side are already a late Gothic.

Mudejar tower, located in the nave of the gospel, along with the header, is decorated only a front, which seems to have attached to an earlier building.

The decor is designed along the lines of the Giralda, but more poverty and coarseness. At the bottom are preparing poly lobed arches flying between a central column and pillars at the ends. Continuing work on prolonging their arches threads to form a network of sites separated by a starry central breakwater resting on a distinctly gothic bracket.

Work on this form geometric curvilinear occupy the right side of a further extension, the whole is finished with a floral cross, which is said to be the cross section of the Order of the Temple.

Inside the temple to emphasize the neo-Renaissance wrought iron gate that separates the presbytery of the ships, held in 1927 in the workshop in July Toledan Pascual. The altarpiece is neoclassical style of the early nineteenth century, is chaired by the Virgen del Mayor Dolor, patroness of the city, conducted in 1959 by Sebastian Santos Rojas.
  In the small chapel to the left of the sanctuary is the tomb of prior But Vazquez, recumbent sculpture in glazed pottery, by Miguel Florentín (s. XVI).

Cabildo

The construction of the XV century plant almost rectangular, with sturdy stone walls and a hip roof tiles with Arabic. Throughout history it was used as positive, jail and municipal government agencies, but over the centuries has given new functions. 

Highlights the main doorway, designed by Hernán Ruiz II, in 1563, according to registration. Besides the date is a phrase: "Veritas OF THE TERRA JUSTITIA ORTA EST COELA PROSPEXIT", ie: The truth came out of the earth and justice we have seen from the heights of heaven "Today is the Interpretation Center of the Natural Park and headquarters of the Environment Agency.

The Visitor Center of the "Old Town" Aracena shown in its First Chamber, through the geology, climate, soil and wildlife originals, how it could have formed serrano habitat that our ancestors knew more remote. The Second Board explains how these ancestors began to hit hard in that habitat, through the introduction of livestock and agricultural practices mainly gradually build up the mountain landscape we know today. The Third Chamber invites us to know the traditional uses, in essence, created and maintained, to some extent, today maintained that mountain landscape. The Fourth Chamber is dedicated to the park's cultural heritage and tourism in general. The exhibition is complemented by an interactive diverse additional information stored on the Park.

Churches Mudéjares
Inside the village are preserved medieval type plants churches cross bows and Mudejar style.

  • Chapel of St. Peter, built in the fifteenth century. His role at that time was to Christianize the Muslims who lived in the neighborhood. Hosted by the Brotherhood of St Peter Pan and Poor. Is in good condition. In his only surviving Mudejar apse and a small polygonal vestry.

• Church of Santo Domingo: The shrine was first hospital in San Sebastian and later in the mid-sixteenth century way to belong to the Dominican Order to change with the brothers of San Sebastian for a house in the street to use as Llana Hospital. The Gothic church is a fifteenth-century Mudejar and was a Dominican convent from 1570 until s. XIX. Gothic and Renaissance-influenced consists of three buildings with rectangular pillars that support alfiz with pointed arches and covered with a dome quadrangular apse ochava. Has recently been restored and will chamber concerts and exhibitions.

• Chapel of San Roque: Ermita Mudéjar type of cross-arms at the end of s. XVI and XVII of the principles is in good condition. It consists of a single ship and a quadrangular vault vaída. In the porch is a half-point arc. Today is the headquarters of the Brotherhood Canonical Branch of the Queen of the Angels in this locality.

  • Chapel of St. Lucia: Typical Ermita Mudéjar transverse arches of the fifteenth century, in which blocks of the buttresses of its cylindrical section header. It has recently been restored.

• Church of Santa Catalina: Gothic-Mudejar. It began its construction in the s. XIV. Since 1536 belongs to the Carmelite Monastery of Mothers. His provision is forming cross bows three ships, with a flat head covered with vault. The ships are distributed through binoculars basic pillars rectangular section polygonal, pointed arches that apean. His cover is modern alfarje. What is more interesting or main entrance, around the year of 1500. It is built in brick red, contrasting with the white facade of canvas and has a pointed arch and abocinado with cylindrical baquetón in the three archivolts edge. It seems that he was a former synagogue.

• Church of Our Lady of Mount Caramel (s. XVI). Construction of plant Mudéjar basilica style, which consists of three rectangular buildings with pillars and pointed arches. Has in its central nave an interesting pair of wooden roofs and knuckles for a time hosted the Chair of America, founded in 1597 by Arias Montano. Hosted a Friars Monastery of the Carmelite Order.

• Chapel of St. Jerome: Today unfortunately turned into stables, is situated a few hundred meters of the people on the road to Campofrío. Is only a nave with buttresses, two circulars and four rectangular arches has cross-square apse and vault.

Parish Church of Our Lady of the Assumption
   The unfinished Parish Aracena is one of the most remarkable examples of Renaissance architecture in the province.

It is a temple hall subdivided across three buildings in five tranches, of which only two were completed, and an apse of testero pentagonal that attach to various units.

  The roof is beautiful vaults vaídas on slender pillars with semicolumns on their foreheads. The vault has a central circular medallion representing the Assumption. In the second body of the nave was closed the half with dome anagram of Jesus rests on Pechina that appears in the registration RIA-MA-AVE-1603.

The story of its construction is long and complex. The work began in early header s. XV (1478), continuing into the early next century. Statements prominent architects like Diego de Riaño or Hernán Ruiz II.

Although there have been many initiatives since the seventeenth century to complete the building, none of them manage to achieve this goal. The works were carried out around 1970 one of the attempts, and the latest work by the end of the 90 completed so frustrated project, which is not complete without the temple, which could well have served as a cathedral for the whole mountain range.

Convent of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (S. XVII)
Built upon the mystical Mother Trinidad, in the seventeenth century. Nunnery was the Dominican Order. Noted for its ornamental, being the only example of Baroque architecture in Aracena. During the last 70 s. XX, passed into private ownership, a situation in which it remains today, so it is not visited.

Architecture 
Have been preserved in the historical center of Aracena numerous architectural elements of the XVI, XVII and XVIII in homes today. Of medieval origin, there are a series of mullioned windows with arches conopiales, which stresses the corner of Francis Street, at number 18. Renaissance style is the home of an ancient palace, located in Calle Blas Infante, the street corner Constitution. But the most prominent of this style is reflected in a window bífora corner of the former House of the Inquisition, by Hernán Ruiz II. Another example is the home of Bishop Moya de la Torre on the street corner Francisco.

Washhouses the source of the rabbit
Civil engineering, 1923, by Aníbal González. Takes one of the springs in the Cave of Wonders.

Town Hall
Andalusian regionalist work style of the early twentieth century. Funded by the brothers Miguel and Francisco Javier Sanchez-Dalp Calonge, as project architect Sevillan Anibal Gonzalez Alvarez-Ossorio. It is building a plant with triangular stone and brick factory, has three main floor, basement and attic, and in which the absence of differential treatment of corners, adintelado the viewpoint that overlooks the square and towels in sebka Instead of windows, a feature of neo-Mudejar style architect Seville. Its use was that of City Hall, commander of the Guardia Civil and Institute of Agriculture job. As City Council remains up in November 1985. In 1989 he started rehabilitation works on the part of Andalusia, which once completed in 2001, the City of Aracena is located, again, in this landmark building Aracena.

Arias Montano Casino 
  Work by Aníbal González, held in 1910. Regionalistic Andalusian style. Inspired by the Austrian Art Nouveau and rich classical elements, Excel geometric design, especially straight, their facades, symmetrical composition with the central axis in the corner and the feeling that surround this occurs, the design of cast iron that garlands of railings. The architect made numerous works Sevillan Aracena as Abastos Square (1915), Cortijo "San Miguel" (1915), Villa's Aracenilla (1915) or the reception building of the Cave of Wonders (1923).



Museum of Outdoor Sculpture "Andalusia"
Aracena is the first town in Andalusia trying to expand their cultural heritage, situated in the streets Museum Outdoor Sculpture, to be the largest number of works in our country and the pioneer in this mode.

  Sculpture Museum Outdoor According to the original idea of the promoter, each of the sculptures will fulfill the role of memory and a milestone event. In this exhibition of sculptures, which opened in 1986, there is great disparity in processes and forms, materials and artists. Thus, some have been shaped sculptures from stone, bronze or other aluminum, iron and even pottery.

The techniques employed have been many and varied, since according to the developer of the Museum, the sculptor Pepe Noja, the more diverse, more meaningful

As for the expressive form of the sculptures has always sought to make this compatible with the abstract significance.

The total number of sculptors who have participated in it is 18.

With this Open Air Museum Aracena has tried to combine nature and art in one aspect: culture. Was an attempt to bring art to the man, get a cultural attraction and beautify an area of the village is as important as the entrance to the Cave of Wonders (first stage) and its surroundings (de Huelva and Gran Via street los Infantes Carlos and Ms. Luisa).

In the museum there are a total of 34 sculptures.