Umbrete, the City of Mosto and an Archdiocesan town
In the heart of Aljarafe lies the beautiful town of Umbrete. It is known as the City of Mosto, a grape must produced locally that has become the town’s hallmark. Umbrete is also proud of being an Archdiocesan town. The Sevillian archbishops would spend their summer retreat here in the Archbishop’s Palace, the town’s most significant building.
The Arch that connects the palace with the Nuestra Señora de Consolación Church, popularly known as the Aljarafe Cathedral, is another local landmark. This Arch, which is the town’s most photographed spot, is quite picturesque. However, the one thing that defines the people of Umbrete is their devotion to Our Lady of El Rocío. The pilgrimage to the town of El Rocío has become a major local event and the most eagerly awaited festival.
Umbrete combines art and tradition to offer a unique tourist destination. The popular Fiesta del Mosto y de la Aceituna Fina, where you can sample the town’s delicious local produce, is held in February. You can taste the habitas a la cacería, a unique dish made with broad baby beans, an authentic treat for the palate.
Come to Umbrete and discover the appeal of this century-old Aljarafe town.
Getting to Umbrete
To get to Umbrete from Seville by car, take the A-49 motorway that connects the capital with Huelva and Portugal. Then take exit 11 until your destination.
By train, the closest station to Umbrete is in Benacazón, where the C5 Aljarafe commuter train from Santa Justa Station in Seville stops. From Benacazón you can take the M-168 bus to Umbrete.
You can also take the M-168 bus directly in Seville. The Aljarafe circular line, M-102, also goes to Umbrete with stops in nearby towns.
Getting around
Walk along its beautiful streets, immerse yourself in the warmth and hospitality of its people and stroll through its large squares. Only then will you be able to experience the atmosphere of this Aljarafe town.
Reasons to visit
- Enjoy the excellent food and local grape must during the Fiesta del Mosto y de la Aceituna Fina that takes place every February.
- Do not miss the departure of wagons to El Rocío in May. A major event in this town that wears its devotion to the Blanca Paloma on its skin.
- Take a guided tour of Salado Wine Cellars, where the famous Umbrete mosto that you can drink in all local restaurants is produced.
- Sample the habitas a la cacería, a unique Umbrete dish, that will have you come back for more.
- Visit Nuestra Señora de la Consolación Church and discover why it is known as the ‘Aljarafe Cathedral’.
- Visit the age-old olive-growing farms in Umbrete, characterised by their counterweight towers.
- Live the Corpus Christi festival in August. Umbrete is the only town that celebrates this feast in August thanks to an ad-hoc papal grant.
What to see
Start your visit at Plaza de la Constitución to admire the beauty of Umbrete’s most famous monument, the Nuestra Señora de Consolación Church. The most remarkable feature is the picturesque Arch that connects the church with the palace used by the Sevillian archbishops as their summer residence. This is the most photographed spot in town and its emblem. The clergy used the Arch to go to the church without having to go down onto the street.
Enter the church, and you will understand why it is known as the Aljarafe Cathedral. You will be impressed by its grandeur and the many baroque- works of art housed inside. Next door is the Archbishop’s Palace, a Site of Cultural Interest and one of the largest in Andalusia. It has been the summer residence of Sevillian archbishops since the fourteenth century. Today, it houses one of the largest private schools in the province. The adjacent square, which was once the palace’s gardens, is now open to the public.
Continue your tour and discover the places the locals cherish, including the Convent of the Sisters of the Cross and the Chapel of Saint Bartholomew. And, of course, the old haciendas or farms with olive trees and vineyards, amidst which the counterweight towers stand out. There used to be over twenty haciendas, but now only four remain. Another curious feature of this town is the welcoming cross, known as humilladero, that you will see in the entrances to the town entrances.
However, the most unexpected thing you can visit in Umbrete is the Cirklas Circus Museum. You can be part of the show and learn about the origins of this ancient art.
Finally, there is no better way to rest after your tour than in a local bar tasting the famous Umbrete mosto. Even better, if it is served with a tapa of local olives.
Places to visit
- Saint Bartholomew Chapel
- Convent of the Sisters of the Cross
- Ntra. Señora de Consolación Church
- Archbishop’s Palace and picnic area
- The Arch that connects the Archbishop’s Palace and Ntra. Señora de Consolación Church
- ‘Cirklas’ Circus Museum
- Salado Wine Cellars
Surroundings
Umbrete is 16 kilometres from Seville, to the west of the province in the heart of the Aljarafe region. The landscape is dominated by olive groves, cereal crops and vineyards that produce the mosto, the town’s hallmark.
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