Mairena del Aljarafe

MAIRENA DEL AJARAFE

by Saskia Mier

Mairena del Aljarafe derives from the Arabic translation of "Maharana" meaning, "shepherds herd", confirming its rich agricultural origins, unlike the thriving sub-urban town it has become today. It has about 45, 000 inhabitants.

HISTORY

Mairena del Aljarafe was founded by the Moors, although they were not the first to populate this area, as Romans also had settlements in this region due to the fertility of the land for cultivating olive groves and other agricultural exploitations.

The Moors occupied Mairena del Aljarafe until the middle of the thirteenth century, when King Fernando III, better known as 'King San Fernando', conquered the entire Aljarafe region, becoming Christian territory.

In 1639 Mairena del Aljarafe was already independent and its lands were sold to the Conde Duque de Olivares, later passed on to the Casa de Alba, after his death. During the eighteenth century, Mairena del Aljarafe belonged to several religious communities.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Mairena del Aljarafe called a commission to ask the Crown to grant villazgo in exchange for a donation of 1,500 ducats. It was not until 1840 that the town gained its own independent Town Hall.

THINGS TO SEE

Parroquia de San Ildefonso
The Mudéjar chapel dates to the sixteenth century and was originally owned by Palomares del Río according to data written after a visit by the Archbishopric in 1683, due to a dispute that arose between the priests of both towns during the year 1670. Around 1620, the chapel was rebuilt and underwent various reformations in 1725, 1781 and later in the eighteenth century. In May 1997 it was closed, later serving as offices and an asylum before being restored again to its original form and opened in March 1999. Located in Plaza Blas Infante.

Arco de la Prusiana
The monument is the only remaining architectural remains of the original Hacienda La Prusiana, an eighteenth-century building demolished years ago. The whole of the hacienda was characterized by a large courtyard around which the village was developed. After the demolition, the urbanization La Prusiana was built in its place. The only remaining feature was the entrance to the Hacienda that was restored with a lowered arch. Located on Calle Guadalquivir - Calle Zurraque.

Hacienda de Porzuna
The Hacienda housed many families of different cultures and civilizations. The main house is built around an irregular patio with gardens, orchard and oil mill. Preserved within the property are basements with Moorish interiors. It has been fully restored and today houses the Municipal Delegation of Employment of Mairena del Aljarafe. Located on Carretera San Juan Palomares.

Sevilla Mountain Bike Village Tour

SEVILLA MOUNTAIN BIKE VILLAGE TOUR
Sevilla Mountain Bike Village Tour

The 40 km. tour is not only an adventurous mountain bike tour but also a culinary experience. You start 11:00 in Sevilla Mairena del Aljarafe (subway station Ciudad Expo) and cycle from village to village stopping along to sample local food. The first stop after 30 minutes is in the Village Bollulos de la Mitación for a coffee Full of energy we will bike a forty five minutes to a hour to the village La Puebla del Río where we eat a tapa . We follow the river the Guadalquivir to Coria del Río where we eat a lunch and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Coria del rio. Tour is inclusive bike,helemt and lunch.

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NATURAL AREAS

Parque Porzuna
The Porzuna Park was declared a peri-urban park on 14 April 1999. This protected area has more than 20 hectares and has been planted with indigenous species and sustainable gardening technique. With these characteristics the park provides a privileged environment for many outdoor sport activities, as well as being equipped with playgrounds, botanical area, sports area, organic area, multipurpose hall, canine area and recreation area with barbecues. Located on the SE-655.

Parque de Cavaleri
The park measures about 26,000m² and was severely affected in more than 70% of its surface area by the works of the Seville metro. Due to the circumstances, a new design of the park was created giving it greater biodiversity and better possibilities of public use. It includes a collection of exotic species and the presence of information boards improves the didactic and ornamental capacity of the park. You will also find here playgrounds, basketball courts, ping-pong tables and a canine area. Located on Calle Calipso.

Other natural areas include; Parque de la Huerta, Parque El Jardinillo, Parque "Camino de Peralta", Parque "Mariana de Pineda", Parque "Las Tres Barras" and Parque Rosario Valpuesta.

GASTRONOMY

Mairena del Aljarafe has a very general gastronomic scene with most bars and restaurants serving a variety of traditional Andalusian food such as gazpacho, meat stews and even fish. Deserts will usually include homemade flans, cheesecakes, chocolate tarts, egg custards etc.

FESTIVALS

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

Festividad de San Ildefonso
Celebrated the 23 January.

Día de Andalucía
Celebrated the 28 Febuary.

Carnaval
Celebrated in February.

Semana Santa
Holy Week.

Fiesta Local
Celebrated the 5 June.

NEXT PLACES

The next villages to Mairena del Aljarafe are San Juan del Aznalfarache, Palomares del Río and Bormujos

 

Mairena del Aljarafe - Hotels 

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