Santisteban del Puerto

Santisteban del Puerto

by Saskia Mier

Santisteban del Puerto has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by the numerous and interesting archaeological remains found in the area, among which the cave paintings of Apolinario and treasures such as Perotito and Alameda, which are kept in the National and Provincial Archaeological Museums, stand out. It has about 4800 inhabitants.

History

The first living creatures known to have inhabited these lands date back some time. The footprints left by a group of dinosaurs 230 million years ago have been identified in Icnitas de la Erillas Blancas. These have been declared a Natural Monument. The first human settlers left a large number of cave paintings, among which those of La Cueva del Apolinario, dating from the middle of the sixth century BC, stand out.

Things to see

Iglesia de Santa María del Collado
The church was built between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries on top of another Visigothic church from the seventh century. It has three naves, the central one being larger, separated by columns with unique Visigothic capitals from the early church. The central apse, accessed through a pointed masonry arch, contains a Plateresque altarpiece that communicates with the Baroque cloakroom in an adjoining medieval tower. The cloakroom is decorated with polychrome plasterwork and is topped by a half orange with a lantern, where an image carved by Jacinto Higueras, restored after the Spanish Civil War, is venerated. Also of interest is the museum, which houses documents, coats and a flag from the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. It was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1978. Located in Santa Maria street.

Iglesia de San Esteban
The construction of the church began in the fifteenth century and continued in the following century. The medieval work has a basilica plan, and only the apse and two lateral chapels of the head remain from the fifteenth century. It preserves the pointed arch of the presbytery and the baquetones with Gothic capitals and a tierceron vault. Located in Tercia Street.

Museo de Escultura Jacinto Higueras
The museum is housed in a building dating from 1868, where the city's life developed for over a century. It is the result of a donation of original works and documents made by the family of Jacinto Higueras Fuentes in 1963, as well as prizes from the International Sculpture Competition held in his memory. The exhibition spaces are arranged around the two floors of the building. On the ground floor, there is a single room with well-defined spaces, where religious sculptures, the sculptor's family and monuments are exhibited. On the upper floor there are two rooms, one with portraits of the sculptor and the other with prizes from the International Sculpture Contest. Located in the Plaza Mayor.

Ermita del Egido
The chapel was rebuilt in 1624, although little remains of its original Romanesque layout. It has a rectangular floor plan with a side entrance and a bell tower, all the result of reconstructions from different periods. One of its sides has a wide portico with a semicircular arcade on whitewashed columns. Inside, its magnificent wooden roof stands out, with a traditional Mudejar frame with two water fountains in a row. Among the various altarpieces, there is one with a canvas depicting the discovery of the image of the Virgin and the bell. Located in Mariano Sanjuan street.

Ayuntamiento
The Town Hall, with its eclectic style, is a fine example of contemporary architecture from the second half of the 19th century. Formed by a base, body and chamber, its segmental openings and borders are arranged in five alignments. Located in the Plaza Mayor.

Things to see outside the village

Huellas de Dinosaurio
At this palaeontological site, 24 dinosaur footprints from the group known as the Arcosaurus were found, dating back more than 230 million years. These fossilised tracks, known in Spanish as "icnitas", do not form easily. Certain environmental conditions must be present for them to form, one of which is that the material on which the animals walked must have been different from that which was later deposited. These prints were almost certainly pressed into sediment on the bed of a river or lake, and later covered by another material that allowed them to be preserved.

These pre-human traces provide valuable information about the animals that made them and the environment in which they lived. The shape of the prints tells us that these dinosaurs walked on two legs, with movements similar to those of a kangaroo. You can even deduce information such as their approximate size and weight, age and social habits. The way the 24 prints are arranged, facing in the same direction, suggests a group of animals moving to a specific location. Traces of fossilised pollen and vegetation also reveal environmental conditions that were very different from today's. The vegetation consisted of conifers, palms and ferns, the result of a hotter and wetter climate than today. Located to the west of the village, just off the A-312.

The prints are registered as a Natural Monument of Andalucia

Hotels in Santisteban del Puerto

Book Hotels in Santisteban del Puerto

Santisteban del Puerto