Calañas: Church, Mining History and Romería

Culture

In the old town of Calañas, the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Gracia stands at the highest point of the town and is visible from every part of the municipality. Its origins date back to the late 15th or early 16th century; overall, the church has more than five centuries of history. It features elements of Gothic Mudéjar, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture.

The Mercado Municipal de Abastos is an eclectic building that combines Andalusian regionalism with rationalist features. The market hall was built in 1927 by José María Pérez Carasa. It is considered a distinctive and unique example within its typology of market hall architecture.

Music and Festive Culture

The Fandangos de Calañas form part of the ethnological activity “El Fandango en la provincia de Huelva”, which is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC). The local tradition includes two forms: one is usually performed by a chorus and is more suitable for dancing, while the other is slower and intended for solo singing. Both forms are accompanied by the guitar.

The Romería de Ntra. Sra. de la Coronada is Calañas’s most important festival. Its celebrations begin on Easter Sunday and end two Sundays later, after 14 days of festivities. On Easter Monday, the romería follows a pilgrimage route from Calañas to the sanctuary in Sotiel Coronada, approximately eight kilometres away.

Hiking Trails and Mining

The Ruta de los Molinos del Río Odiel is a hiking trail that connects historic watermills with the geology of Calañas’s mining landscape. The Ruta de los Molinos follows the Río Odiel upstream from Sotiel Coronada to Revuelta de la Llave, passing grain mills belonging to the Villa de Calañas. These mills were powered by the river’s water for hundreds of years.

The Ruta Turística La Torera leads to the former mining settlement, its facilities and the natural landscape surrounding it. La Torerera preserves the remains of the facilities around the headframe, the offices, the director’s house, the managers’ homes, the chapel and casino, as well as the workshops and warehouses at the underground factory galleries.

Around 1911, a pyrite mine was explored in La Torerera. After a brief period of operation from 1925 to 1931, an underground explosives factory was later established there and remained in operation until 1973.

Other places in the province of Huelva include El Cerro De Andévalo, Higuera De La Sierra, Gibraleón, Minas De Riotinto, Corteconcepción, Villalba Del Alcor, Cortegana and Galaroza.

Ermita de los Santos Mártires

The grounds of the Ermita de los Santos Mártires have public toilets and have been made accessible to visitors. The hermitage has been restored as a centre for tourist interpretation and cultural exhibitions in Calañas.

Back to the overarching travel overview: Huelva.