La Rambla

The home and Museum of Alfonso Ariza © Michelle Chaplow
The home and Museum of Alfonso Ariza

LA RAMBLA

The ceramics of La Rambla are one of the village's main attractions. Even in prehistoric times, residents used mud to make glasses and bowls, some of which are now on display in the local Museum. The village has around 7500 inhabitants.

HISTORY

La Rambla was built over a previous settlement known as La Minilla, where recent archaeological digs uncovered bell-shaped vessels believed to be more than 4,000 years old. Later, a Roman city was settled here, where the population began to develop. This was subsequently occupied by the Moors who founded their city of Al-Ramla (meaning sand).

In 1480, the Castle was granted to Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba. On February 6, 1521, La Rambla played host to the most important historical event of the reign of Carlos I, when the anti-monarch cities of Andalusia met to ratify the King. La Rambla was under the jurisdiction of Córdoba and in 1647, Felipe IV appointed himself as Mayor, but five years later handed the village over to Count Duque de Olivares, whose heir, the Marquis of El Carpio, sold it to the Marquises of Almodóvar in 1677.

THINGS TO SEE

Castillo
The tower of the castle was the homage tower of the town's former Arab fortress. The castle and its walls probably constituted the first nucleus of the population, waging war against the King during the Christian era. The tower now belongs to the Town Hall and is expected to be conserved and used for cultural purposes. The castle is located in Calle Iglesia.

Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
Although the origins of this church date back to the Middle Ages, the structure of the current church dates to the sixteenth century. This is also when the magnificent plateresque portal, the work of the famous Hernán Ruiz I, was constructed. It was reformed at the end of the eighteenth century by Juan Hidalgo Palomero. The result was a construction of neoclassical character, with some vestiges of previous artistic styles. The impressive church can be found on Calle la Iglesia.

Antiguo Convento e Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad
The construction of the former Convent and Church began in 1527. The Convent became one of the most important of this Order in Andalusia, holding most of the General Chapters. Exclaustrated in 1835, the Convent relied on the support of the Church and the Brotherhood of the Santísimo Cristo. Later, in 1893, the Trinitarios Redentores Calzados returned to the Convent, granting it the Bishopric of Córdoba until 1960. It is located on Plaza del Convento.

Iglesia Espíritu Santo
This neoclassical-style church was built in 1819 around what used to be the Convent of the Antonianos. It is home to the image of Jesus Nazareno, the 1621 work of the sculptor Juan de Mesa. The picture underwent its first - very unsuccessful - restoration in the first half of the nineteenth century; parts of the original painting were scraped and replaced with new work, affecting primarily the face. The second restoration, in 1958, was carried out by Castillo Lastrucci, and the most recent restoration in 1994 was by the Junta de Andalucía. The painting and church which houses it are located on Castillo Espíritu Santo.

Casa Museo Alfonso Ariza

Local artist Alfonso Ariza dedicated his home and workshop to La Rambla, and in July 1995 the site was turned into a Museum. A group of young artists, poets and painters, under the name of the Cultural Group "Alfonso Ariza", drove this project after the death of the artist in 1989. This led to the construction of additional rooms, the cataloging of his works between 1990 and 1995, and the eventual opening of the Museum. Today, a great number of activities are available at the site, ranging from training workshops to literary meetings, poetic readings, pictorial exhibitions and sculpture and ceramic installations, all of which have proven to be highly popular. In August 2002, the Ministry of Culture of the Junta de Andalucía included the Museum in its official Network of the Museums of Andalusia. The museum is situated on Calle Santaella.

Opening Times:
1 May-30 September, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays, 20:00-22:00hrs
1 October-30 April, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays, 16:00-18:00hrs
Price: Free Entrance
Tel: 957 68 27 55

Museo de la Cerámica
La Rambla is traditionally known for its pottery, the practice of which dates back more than 4,000 years, to the Bronze Age. Over the years, the craft has developed, and many inhabitants have formed their own ceramic workshops, currently totaling over a hundred. In 1926, the production of ceramics in La Rambla changed after a contest and exhibition which displayed the winning works. This exhibition remains today, and is the oldest exhibition in Spain, with an international reputation making it a popular tourist attraction. From the opening of this exhibition, La Rambla began to acquire an important collection of ceramic pieces, leading to the inauguration of the Museum which can be seen today. It is part of a network of museums associated with the Montilla Moriles wine route, made up of nine municipalities in the region. The museum also includes other, more didactic, audiovisual and interactive aspects and aims to teach the visitor about the magic and creativity associated with the ceramic industry. The museum is located on Calle Torre del Castillo.

Opening Times:
Monday-Friday, 09:00-14:00hrs
Saturday, 11:30-13:00hrs
Tel: 957 68 33 28

THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE

Long shadows of the late afternoon sun in Cirdoba province, Andalucia
Long shadows of the late afternoon sun in Cordoba province, Andalucia.

Ermita del Calvario
King Pedro I of Castile placed a monolith on this site in order to preserve the memory of the surrender of Aguilar to the uprising of Fernandez Coronel in 1353. His brother, successor to the Crown, decided to remove the monument and replace it with a chapel under the name of Nuestra Señora del Calvario. The chapel has undergone many modifications and was completely rebuilt in a neoclassical style in 1843. It can be seen today on Cerro del Mentidero.

COUNTRYSIDE WALKS

La Rambla offers more walking routes than you could ever fit into your trip. There are over 60 routes intertwining with each other in the surrounding area, so you are sure to find something that suits you.

HANDICRAFTS

The most important craft of La Rambla is pottery, with a huge number of workshops scattered around the town. One of the most visible examples of ceramics in the village is the hand-painted tiles used to create large landscapes on buildings.

GASTRONOMY

When visiting La Rambla, try some of their traditional dishes such as salmorejo (tomato and garlic soup), gazpacho, migas (fried bread with chorizo or sardines), arroz con bacalao (cod with rice), bacalao encebollao (cod with onion), fritos de habas (fried beans) and naranja picá (orange and tuna salad). Sweet treats include pestiños (sweet honey pastries), borrachuelos (liqueur cakes), gañotes (fried sugared pastry), magdalenas (muffins) and roscos (aniseed biscuits).

FESTIVALS

Cabalgata Reyes Magos
Three Kings procession celebrated on the evening of 5 January.

La Candelaria
Celebrated the 2 February.

Carnaval
Celebrated in February.

Día de Andalucía
Celebrated the 28 February.

Día de San José
Celebrated the 19 March.

Semana Santa
Holy Week (dates vary each year).

Cruces de Mayo
Celebrated in May.

Romería de San Isidro
Celebrated the 15 May.

Fiesta de Santa Justa y Santa Rufina
Celebrated the 19 July.

Verbena de Santa Ana
Celebrated the 26 July.

Feria y Fiestas de San Lorenzo
Celebrated the 10-12 August.

NEARBY VILLAGES

The neighbouring villages to La Rambla are Montemayor, Montalbán de Córdoba and San Sebastián de los Ballesteros

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