Espartinas: Loreto, Wineries and Trails

Culture and Architecture

In Espartinas, the Conjunto Monumental Virgen de Loreto comprises a church, a monastery, a hacienda with a winery and the Torre Mocha. The Loreto complex is recognized as a Bien de Interés Cultural. The Iglesia de la Asunción has Mudéjar origins and a Baroque high altar; its walls are still clad in typical Sevillian tiles. The Hacienda de San Rafael, known as Casa de las Monjas, is now Espartinas’s main civic centre and houses, among other facilities, the municipal library and an exhibition hall.

The protected surroundings of the Loreto complex comprise an area of traditional agricultural use whose architectural values are closely linked, both physically and visually, to the cultivated land. The Arab alquería known as Mexina developed from a Roman villa called Messina.

History

The Keicho-Hasekura Route covers the stay of the Japanese samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga and his companions, known as the Keichō embassy, at the Monasterio de Loreto in 1616; the stay lasted 13 months. Domingo de Resurrección is considered the great day of Holy Week in Espartinas and has been recognized by the Andalusian Tourism Authority as a Fiesta de Interés Turístico de Andalucía. During the procession, the Virgen de los Dolores, without a canopy, is accompanied by the 17th-century processional monstrance.

The Simpecado of Espartinas was made in 1957 in the Sevillian Baroque style, using gold thread on green velvet, and bears a polychrome image of the Virgin carved from cypress wood at its centre.

Trails and Visits

The Vereda de la Carne connects Espartinas and Coria del Río and is now a greenway along the Río Pudio. The Keicho-Hasekura Route is a one-hour alternative route that can be combined with Espartinas’s main municipal route. Espartinas can be reached from Seville’s Plaza de Armas bus station on lines 166, 167, 168 and 102A.

The Hacienda Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, known as Guardiola, is open together with the study hall; visitors can see the outdoor areas, the work yard, the machinery and the gardens. The former lagar of Hacienda Guardiola retains its original appearance and allows visitors to learn about the region’s traditional agricultural process and buildings of this kind.

Family and Leisure

The Museo Didáctico de la Imaginería has a permanent exhibition recreating a workshop of religious sculpture from Spain’s Golden Age. In the practical workshop, student groups apply polychrome sculpture techniques.

The Centro Hípico Riopudio offers riding lessons that begin with children learning how to handle ponies and perform basic exercises. From the age of seven, the programme includes riding with a focus on classical dressage and progresses to advanced riding, with possible professional ambitions.

Local Highlights

Mostos and wines are produced at the Fragata, Loreto and Patacabra wineries. Andrés Gaviño’s speciality is handmade tortas, each individually shaped by hand. A visit to Tortas Andrés Gaviño includes a tour of the production facilities and a tasting of various products. Tortas Andrés Gaviño is a family business with a century-old tradition of producing traditional confectionery from Seville.

Other Places

Find more places here: Martín De La Jara, Coria Del Río, Palomares Del Rio, Gines, Villanueva Del Ariscal, La Puebla De Los Infantes, Aguadulce, Castilleja De La Cuesta.

To the higher-level travel overview: Seville.