Semana Santa Estepa

Seville enchants

Built in the 16th century, the Madre de Dios convent is now home to the Hermanas de la Doctrina Cristiana. It has a beautiful cloister with Mudejar and Renaissance features. It is worth mentioning that it suffered a major fire in 1722 and was looted during the civil war, being restored during the 1990s.

In Calle López de Ayala you can find the Hospital de los Milagros, also known as the Hospitalito.

This building has a main doorway from the early 16th century consisting of a basket arch with decorated archivolts and a niche on the alfiz that frames it. It is believed that it was founded in the late 15th century. It was still in use at the end of the 18th century.

The building has a single nave with no roof. The main chapel has a trapezoidal, eight-sided cross vault. There is a pointed triumphal arch and, on the Gospel side of the ante-chancel, a semicircular arch with a richly decorated archivolt. There is also an opening with a segmental arch.

On the old road from Villanueva de San Juan to El Saucejo, now in disuse, is the bridge across the River Corbones known as El Puente de los Seis Ojos (Six-Eyed Bridge), which owes its name to the number of arches that form it. This spot is now used to celebrate the pilgrimage in honour of the patron saint, the Virgen del Rosario.

This double, semi-circular, Mudejar-style brick door was likely one of the town’s old gates during the lower medieval period. Inside the arch is a small 18th-century altarpiece with the images of Jesus the Nazarene and Our Lady of the Sun. The picture-perfect arch has become the iconic symbol of Mairena del Alcor, reproduced in paintings, postcards and photographs.

The placement of some ashlars appears to indicate the tower was initially part of a building intended as housing. Today it is a free-standing tower.

The square dates back to the second half of the 16th century. It was initially located opposite the Ecija Gate. It was known as Plaza de la Feria in the early 17th century. Today, following several renovations, it has been named after one of Spain’s most prominent literary authors. The famous Arco de la Pastora, which lends charm to the plaza, is the focal point of Cervantes Square.