Castil de Campos: History, Festivals and Sierra Panoramas

Castil de Campos originated in the Islamic Middle Ages, approximately from the 10th to the 13th century, as an alquería or village around today’s Fuente de los Chirimeros. In the Barrio de los Chirimeros, visitors can explore the village via steep streets with picturesque corners and characteristic houses. The history of the village and the appearance of the neighborhood stand side by side: the medieval period of its origins provides the historical context, while the narrow, steep streets and houses shape today’s tour through the barrio.

Culture

Castil de Campos has a permanent ethnographic exhibition. The church of Castil de Campos features a magnificent 18th-century altarpiece. A small, restored building is an example of local rural architecture and conveys the atmosphere of the village from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. From there, visitors can enjoy views of the surrounding sierras, including the Sierra Nevada, as well as panoramas of Castil de Campos and its surroundings. The cultural exploration thus leads from an ethnographic exhibition through sacred art to a restored example of rural architecture. The individual examples belong to different periods and forms of local life, but each remains connected to Castil de Campos.

The San Antón festivals take place in Castil de Campos in January. These festivities include the blessing of animals and the traditional “Rifa de Testuzos,” in which residents bid on donated household items and crockery to help finance the celebration. The festival therefore takes place in January, while the Rifa, as a separate component, links residents’ participation with the financing of the celebration. The donated household items and crockery are explicitly part of the bidding.

Cuisine

At the “Noche de las Gachas” in Castil de Campos, visitors can sample gachas on October 31 from 8:00 p.m. at the Salón de Usos Múltiples de Castil de Campos (La Peña) for a symbolic price. The event preserves a recipe passed down by grandfathers and grandmothers and contributes to its transmission. The culinary event therefore combines the tasting with a specifically named venue and a fixed time. At the same time, the inherited recipe remains part of the event and is preserved through its transmission between generations.

Nature

The “Ruta de las Ermitas y Miradores y Cueva de los Mármoles” circular hiking trail in Castil de Campos is 13 kilometers long and has a moderate to low difficulty level. Its full name already identifies the hermitages, viewpoints, and Cueva de los Mármoles as components of the route. Its length and stated difficulty provide the hike with a clearly defined framework.

Other places: Zagrilla Alta, Lagunillas Las, La Poyata

For the overview of the higher-level destination: Priego De Córdoba.