El Viso: Culture, History and Nature

Culture and History

In El Viso, the Auto Sacramental de los Reyes Magos was declared a Fiesta de Interés Turístico Nacional de Andalucía. The Auto Sacramental de los Reyes Magos is currently performed every four years. The Fiestas de Santa Ana take place every year from 24 to 29 July. Traditionally, the central event is the encierros featuring young bulls. Older residents trace the festival back to 1835 or even earlier. The ensemble usually comprises more than 100 residents of El Viso, including a choir and a dance group.

The Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación dates from the late 15th century and is architecturally classified among the so-called Mesta churches. Its tower consists of four sections: the belfry is located in the second, while the fourth houses the bell. An exhibition centre dedicated to the works of Aurelio Teno is located on Avenida Parque, above the Bar del Parque. The Centro de Artesanía de Los Pedroches currently serves as the headquarters of Ofiarpe, the Asociación de Artesanos de Los Pedroches. On the ground floor, it displays works by craftspeople from the comarca.

Under the present-day Plaza de la Constitución lies the main air-raid shelter from the Spanish Civil War, much of which was excavated by local residents. Its accessible gallery is 78.5 metres long and follows a zigzag course beneath the square.

Nature and Landscape

The Aula de la Naturaleza «El Pocito» is an environmental education centre that provides an overview of the natural environment of the Los Pedroches comarca. The facility is primarily intended for school visits; visitors can learn about the comarca’s most common fauna and flora there. The Aula de la Naturaleza comprises exhibition rooms, a conference room, an agricultural-themed area, and rest and recreation areas.

Routes and Visiting

The main road access to El Viso is via the N-502, which directly connects several nearby towns in the comarca. A route of approximately 11 km begins at the Ermita de Santa Rosalía and ends at the La Colada recreation area. It can be completed on foot, by mountain bike, or on horseback. A route of approximately 2 km can be explored on foot or by bicycle and allows visitors to see the municipality’s individual hermitages.

A celebration takes place on Easter Monday in the Huerta de los Frailes nature area next to the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Vallehermoso. The hermitage that exists today is located in the landscape known as Huerta de los Frailes. A few metres away are the ruins of the former San Alberto del Monte monastery, which was destroyed after its dissolution and confiscation in 1836. The hermitage itself has a circular floor plan and a slate roof.

Some of the municipality’s tourist attractions have visiting hours, while others require an appointment to be arranged in advance.

Other destinations at this level: Dos Torres, Nueva Carteya, Priego De Córdoba, Hornachuelos, El Cerezo, Rute, Villanueva De Córdoba, La Carlota

To the higher-level travel overview: Cordoba.