Benacazón between Mudéjar Culture and the Guadiamar

Mudéjar Architecture in Benacazón

Benacazón combines impressive Mudéjar architecture with a regional connection to Mosto and a landscape along the Guadiamar. The parish church of Santa María de las Nieves is a Mudéjar building with a single nave, a wooden ceiling and a main chapel. Its main altar houses the patron saint of Benacazón, the Virgen de las Nieves. In the Capilla Sacramental, the altarpiece was commissioned from the workshop of Juan Martínez Montañés in 1618 and redesigned in 1632.

Opposite the parish church stands the Casa-Palacio, with a Baroque arcade surrounding the courtyard. Thus, this location brings together a sacred Mudéjar building and a palace with Baroque courtyard architecture facing each other. The two building styles mark different chapters in the local architectural history and complement the church details mentioned above with another architectural motif.

The ruins of the Ermita de Castilleja de Talhara also provide a glimpse into the region's architectural history. They are the remains of a 15th-century Mudéjar hermitage built of brick and rammed earth. The building's windows feature glazed ceramic elements. The Ermita de Castilleja de Talhara has a basilica-style floor plan with three naves, pointed arches and a square main chapel.

Hermitages and Routes along the Guadiamar

The Ermita de Gelo dates from the 15th century and is of Mudéjar origin. A slender 17th-century bell gable rises above it. Inside, it has a rectangular layout and is divided into three naves by two rows of rectangular pillars. The hermitage is located three kilometres from Benacazón on the Seville–Villamanrique road, next to the Hacienda de Gelo.

The Corredor Verde del Guadiamar crosses the western part of the municipality of Benacazón and was declared a protected landscape in 2003. One route begins at the bridge near the Cercanías station in Benacazón and descends to the Corredor Verde del Guadiamar. For planning this route, its starting point at the bridge near the station and its downhill course to the Corredor Verde are therefore clearly specified.

Transport Links and Regional Cuisine

For travelling to Benacazón, the town is connected to the Renfe Cercanías C5 line between Seville and Benacazón. The M-168 intercity bus route connects Seville and Benacazón via Espartinas. Both connections name Seville as the starting or destination point and complement the route that begins at the Cercanías station.

The local cuisine includes the traditional dish chícharos y tronchos, made with beans and Swiss chard. Pobre hombre is prepared from the leftovers of this previously mentioned dish. Local Mosto from Benacazón is available for tasting; seasoned olives are served as a tapa alongside it in Benacazón. In the regional context, Benacazón is one of the towns on the Ruta del Mosto aljarafeño. The festivals in Benacazón also include the Fiestas Patronales de Las Nieves during the first week of August.

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