Monumento a la Feria Antigua

514

The monument to Mairena del Alcor’s Old Fair, made in 1982, is a sculpture located on the fairgrounds, made by the local artist brothers Antonio and Jesús Gavira Alba.

It was inspired by a passage from his book “La feria de Mairena”, in which the author, Serafín Estébanez Calderón (1799-1867), describes a scene from this Fair and its importance. This author is the epitome of Andalusian “costumbrismo”.

The central figure of the monument is a bronze equestrian sculpture of a couple, man and woman, riding together a horse, dressed in period costumes. The authors sought to pay tribute to the old Fair, a contrast with the modern one.

Behind the equestrian statue is part of an arch that symbolises the ancient mills that dotted Mairena’s plain, which were so vital in the heydays of the Fair. Above this partial arch is a relief representing the bargaining and haggling to sell livestock, known locally as “chalaneo”. Finally, the eight-spout fountain symbolises the confluence of the eight Andalusian provinces in Mairena during the Fair.

Labels

Sculpture

Antonio Gavira Alba

Jesús Gavira Alba

Serafín Estébanez Calderón

Bronze

Equestrian sculpture

Fountain