By
Jo Williams
Sixty
kilometres south of Seville, in the undulating cereal fields and
olive groves of La Campiña of the Guadalquivir valley is
Marchena. This pretty town liberally sprinkled with well-preserved
monuments was in its heyday presided over by the dukes of Arcos,
who built the elegant colannaded square, the Plaza Ducal, in front
of what used to be the dukes' majestic mansion, which was sadly
demolished in the early 20th century. Marchena is worth a visit
for its collection of paintings by one of Spain's finest 17th-century
artists, Francisco de Zubarán from Extremadura, along with
other religious art.
The
town has a long history, whose settlers left their mark most notably
with the town walls, first constructed by the Romans, revamped by
the Moors and largely rebuilt by the Christians under Ferdinand
III, who captured the town in 1240. Today, the restored Torre de
Oro is the most impressive tower along this wall, while the Puerta
de Sevilla, also known as the Arco de la Rosa, is the best gate.
In the mid-14th century the town became a seigneury of Ponce de
León and in the next century, the dukes of Arcos.
Don't
miss the Mudéjar parish church of San Juan Bautista, which
houses the Museo Zubarán in its sacristy, with nine magnificent
religious paintings by the renowned artist, of which the best is
undoubtedly the canvas of La Inmaculada. Also part of the museum
is a collection of intricately worked silver and gold liturgical
objects, many dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The museum
is open on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 2pm.
In
the church are two 17th-century sculptures by Alonso Cano and Pedro
de Mena. The church itself is built in the Gothic-Mudéjar
style and dates from the 14th century.
Built
on the former site of a mosque, the Gothic-Mudéjar church
of Santa María de la Mota has a fine Renaissance tower and
belfry.
From Marchena you can walk, cycle or ride on horseback
along the Vía Verde
of the Countryside, a greenway that follows the course of an
old railway line for 91km to Valchillón just outside Cordoba.
The
tourist office (turismo) is at Calle Las Torres, 955 846 167.
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