Huércal Overa

Huércal Overa © Michelle Chaplow
Huércal Overa

HUÉRCAL OVERA

The area surrounding Huércal Overa is a haven for lovers of hiking. Visitors should especially look out for the walking program organized every year by the Town Hall. The town has around 18,800 inhabitants.

HISTORY

It is said the origin of Huércal-Overa can be pinpointed to the Moorish period, with two castles forming, together with other fortresses, a secure defense for this part of the Kingdom of Granada. After the Christian conquest, it was annexed and donated to the town of Lorca for services rendered in the year 1488. More>

THINGS TO SEE

Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
A definite population increase between the end of the sixteenth century and the beginning of the seventeenth necessitated a new parish church, work on which began in 1709 and finished in 1739. The building remains today, featuring a double tower, which frames it in the Baroque style inspired by Murcia, and a magnificent main altarpiece finished by José Ganga in 1748, containing one of the first works made for Holy Week by the eighteenth-century Murcian sculptor, Francisco Salzillo. The church is located in Plaza Cura Valera.

Edificio 4 Torres
The ‘Building of the Four Towers’ dates from the late nineteenth century, and is characterized by the towers that give it the air of a modernist palace. At the decision of its private owners, it is now closed, but it can still be spotted from Avenida Guillermo Reyna.

Pósito Municipal
Now closed to the public, this building was originally erected using a donation from local farmers in 1710. The building has been a warehouse for goods and wholesaling for years, and has been kept in good condition. It is situated on Plaza de la Constitución.

Museo del Agua
The Water Museum invites visitors to discover why water is essential for life. It is a walk through the history of water and its applications to technology; from the shoring, water wheels and cisterns built by Romans and Arabs, through to traditional irrigation and contemporary systems of hydroponics. The museum occupies the building that once housed the elevation pumps to the upper channel of the Tajo-Segura transfer to the community’s regulatory dam. It is located in Comunidad de Regantes del Saltador.

Museo Etnográfico
The Cultural and Sports Association “Locos x Andar” , in collaboration with Ezequiel Parra, created this centre for Ethnographic Antiques. The centre was inaugurated in 2013 and is divided into departments showcasing various objects from historical everyday contexts and activities, such as the grocery store, slaughterhouse, bakery, postcards and pennants, library, kitchen, school, children’s ice creams, music, farm implements, telephones, charcoal irons, typewriters, bedroom, barber shop, tobacconist, games of childhood, electricity, etc. The collection is located in Pedanía de Urcal. Tel: 606 13 27 76.

Plaza de Toros
The bullring was built in 1901. For its inauguration, two bullfights were held in which the matadors “Relampaguito” and “Borincueño” fought. The Sunday during the Feria is known as Domingo de Toros, where a bullfight is still held. Located on Calle Córdoba.

THINGS TO SEE OUTISDE THE VILLAGE

Castillo Fortaleza
Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, the Nazarí watch tower is known by all as “El Castillo” . Built in the second half of the fourteenth century, the defensive tower was used to alert locals of the presence of enemies. After excavations were carried out, it was observed that, in fact, the tower was formerly attached to a line of exterior wall to form a complete fortification. It would have had further towers and intramural spaces, probably designed to house the garrison that occupied it. The remaining tower can be seen south east of the town.

Opening Times:
1 July – 14 September: Monday - Thursday, 19:00-21:30hrs
15 September – 30 June: Saturday and Sunday, 10:30-13:30hrs and 16:00-18:30hrs
Tel: 678 79 86 88

Árbol de la Vida
One of the most important discoveries of the archaeological excavation of the watchtower was a decorative element called Hom or “tree of life” . This motif, made of geometric lines in stucco, is one of the iconographic representations of the universe attributed to Islamic philosophy, where the centre is Allah, the point from which all life stems, expanding and twisting in vain to return to him. This tree of life is one of the few examples documented in the Iberian Peninsula. However, it must have been a recurrent image in Islamic art which left a strong imprint on the Christian decorative tradition, since it was used in numerous ceramic productions in the late Middle Ages. The rare find can be seen in the Castillo Fortaleza.

Trincheras Guerra Civil
The route between the eight trenches located near the Castillo Fortaleza will show visitors the tough terrain tackled by soldiers during the Spanish Civil War, but ironically today it can also be appreciated as a natural beauty spot.

COUNTRYSIDE WALKS

Walking is one of the best ways to explore the area surrounding the town, with routes such as Paraje Alto de la Rábita, Paraje La Sierrecica, Via Verde and Sendero Huércal La Vieja PR-A-323.

HANDICRAFTS

Traditional crafts still produced today in Huércal Overa include crochet and weaving.

GASTRONOMY

Local dishes include ajo colorao (potatoes with red peppers), gurullos (dumplings usually served with rabbit or fish), ensalada de suflí (roast pepper salad), empedraos (chickpea-based stew), puchera de arroz (rice with meat), buñelos de bacalao (cod dumplings) and perdiz estofada (stewed partridge). Sweet treats consist of empanados de almendras (almond pasties), pan sobao (sweet dumplings usually eaten with chocolate), bollos de miel (honey buns) and tortas de manteca (lard cakes).

FESITVALS

Popular Festivals are the Three Kings, Día de las Lumbres, Día del Cura Valera, the Carnival, Día del Villazgo, Semana Santa and the Summer Feria, one of the latest in Andalucia celebrated in October. More>

NEARBY PLACES

The neighbouring villages to Huércal Overa are Antas, Albox and Vélez Rubio.