Flamenco

The feelings of a people. The way they express their roots. This is flamenco. Every nook, every street, every place testifies to its origins and shows why it is universal. Discover the venues that have been the cradle of its greatest figures, heart-rending feelings that are the seed of its styles and gatherings that have today become the most famous festivals. This art’s influence is inherent in the culture and tradition of the whole province and spreads its influence throughout it.   

1 day. Mairena del Alcor

For a short stay, a visit to Mairena del Alcor is a must. This town stands out for its traditions and fundamental contributions to the world of flamenco. This is the cradle of the cantaor (flamenco singer) Antonio Mairena. It has the privilege of organising one of the most important festivals on the Spanish flamenco panorama, the “Antonio Mairena Cante Jondo Contest and Festival”. This has over forty years of history behind it and has been declared an “Event of Tourist Interest”, becoming an essential point of reference for acclaimed artists, critics and fans of this art.

You will be warmly welcomed in Mairena del Alcor, entering the heart of its culture and traditions so that you can experience flamenco with the local passion. Enjoy its monuments, atmosphere, hidden gems and the numerous activities that are intimately related to this art, which you can find all year in the town.

Begin your visit in the Plaza de Antonio Mairena, which is presided over by the Town Hall and the sculpture “Allegory of Culture” (in reference to cante jondo). From here, you can go to any of the historical centre’s streets and you are very near the house where the emblematic cantaor Antonio Mairena was born.

Without moving from this spot, you can visit the Antonio Mairena House of Art, founded in 1968 and revered by lovers of this art. In this house you can relax with an aperitif and later continue to enjoy a pleasant stroll.

Enter the pretty old centre along the ancestral Calle Real street, a captivating route amid flowers and beautiful façades, until you can make out two of the gems of this heritage, the Iglesia Parroquial de Santa María de la Asunción (Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish Church) and the Castillo de Luna (Castle of the Moon). You will then come out and see the spectacular palatial home of the Dukes of Arco, a mudéjar style building from the 15^th century.

You can continue your route towards the central Calle Esclava street, walking on pedestrian streets typical of Muslim times, until you reach the remains of the entrance gate in the town’s wall, El Arco (The Arch), from the mudéjar period. Continuing on Calle Ancha street, you’ll find the entrance to the San José Cemetery where the mausoleum of Antonio Mairena is located. This is truly a work of art dedicated to the memory of the cantaor, and a tribute to Cante Jondo.

To round off the day, you cannot miss a short visit to the old premises of the Mairena Fair, the oldest in Andalusia, as well as to the Monumento al Cante Grande Gitano (Monument to the Gypsy Cante Grande) and the Plazoleta de Cervantes small square, where you can end to this tour by admiring the sculpture dedicated to the illustrious writer’s stay in the town.

2 days. La Puebla de Cazalla and Utrera