Villalón – Historic Squares, Springs and Trails

The urban ensembles of Villalón, which also include the squares, follow the design of D. Simón Desnaux and preserve houses and the style of the colonial New Settlements of Andalusia; the squares of Villalón and Los Silillos have an angled layout. This layout distinguishes the two squares from a regular, rectilinear design and is one of the defining architectural details of the settlement's appearance. Villalón emerged as the first settlement nucleus in the former landscape of “Desierto de La Parrilla”, before the Carolingian colonisation. This historical classification thus links the present-day structure of the village with the earlier settlement history of this landscape.

Culture and History

The Fuente de Villalón consists of a masonry hut topped by a four-sided roof, a rectangular basin, and a large and a smaller livestock trough attached to it. The structural elements form a clearly organised complex: the covered hut is followed by the basin and the two differently sized troughs. The restored historic Fuente de Villalón is associated with Charles III and remains in use. It is located about 200 metres from the village centre beside the road connecting Villalón with Ochavillo del Río. The Ruta de las Fuentes Históricas, developed by the municipality, includes the Fuente de Villalón. The spring therefore appears both as an independent historic structure and as part of the locally developed route.

The Plaza Real is a square planted with orange trees, where the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles is located. The church was built in 1968. Between the districts of Villalón and La Herrería lies the Cortijo San José, which, despite its ruined condition, retains its original layout as a traditional olive mill building arranged around a courtyard. Thus, in different parts of the village, the square design, a church building and the former layout of an agriculturally oriented building remain visible.

Trails and Landscape

The Ruta del Molino de San Roque begins in a village centre. The linear route is 8.64 km long and follows municipal roads connecting farms with the settlements of Villalón and La Herrería. The route length defines a clearly delineated scope for planning the trail. It passes through a mosaic-like agricultural landscape in which the crops of the Campiña extend towards the fertile river lowlands of the Guadalquivir. The alternation of the village centre, farms, settlements and cultivated areas shapes the route described here.

Festivals and Events

The Feria de Villalón is the most important local festival and takes place on the weekend closest to 2 August. A local Rociero choir takes part in its celebrations, its name honouring the patron saint. The festival's Velailla in honour of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles takes place at night in the Plaza de Carlos III., with dancing and an orchestra. The Feria therefore includes both the fixed date in the annual calendar and a local musical contribution, as well as the nighttime programme in the square.

At a Candelaria festival in Villalón, traditional games for children and a refreshment stall were scheduled on the football pitch esplanade from 4 p.m.; after nightfall, a fire was to be lit. Parque del Emigrante is designed to entertain young children.

For the overarching travel overview: Fuente Palmera.