Aracena Huelva andalucia spain

ARACENA


The town of Aracena is known to be the largest town in the Parque Natural Sierra De Aracena Y Picos De Aroche. Aracena is the capital of the region and it shares its name to the mountain chains and the Natural Park, one of the most significant and guarded areas of the town. The town of Aracena inhabits the entire northern province of Huelva along with the town’s serene meadows and small rises in the ground, particularly covered in holm oak woods, cork oaks, chestnut trees and scrub through which countless of streams flow, eventually building a remarkably exquisite and picturesque landscape, which is really perfect for livestock particularly pigs.


The town’s current population reaches nearly 7.468 and their natives are referred to as Aracenenses. Recently, the population of Aracena has grown rapidly, but it has still managed to maintain a dignified refinement regarding its streets.


During the year 1251, the Moors were driven out of Spain by the Portuguese prior to handling over the towns to the Castilians in the year 1267. When the order was dissolved, the Knights Templar ruled over the town up until 1312. During the early 20th century, Aracena was the favorite holiday resort of the employees of Rio Tinto mining company, who decided to build houses in Aracenilla, an area of the town past the piscina (swimming pool) on the Alájar road.


In addition, Aracena was often a traditional holiday spot for the natives of Sevilla as well as Huelva. The town itself which is full of fascinating monuments and recognized as a “Property of Cultural Interest”, is situated at the base of the old castle and of the church of the Nuestra Señora del Mayor Dolor which still maintains the minaret of the mosque that presided it.


The first noticeable landmark upon reaching the town of Aracena is an Almohad tower which housed the Templar Knights or nearly two hundred years. The town has a lot of fascinating monuments to offer, some of these includes the castle and church of the Templar Knights, which came from the 13th to 14th centuries; the Renaissance church of Asunción, from the 16th century; the former City Hall, a medieval building that features a 16th century main front; and the Gothic church of Nuestra Señora Del Mayor Dolor, from the 13th and 15th centuries, which is the oldest in the town of Aracena. However, apart from all of those monuments is the Grotto of Maravillas, with spectacular stalactites and stalagmites, which at 1,500 meters is one of the longest caves in Spain. Located inside the grotto, are twelve halls and six lakes, which makes this Grotto a true site that depicts the calmness and the tranquility not only of the Grotto itself, but of the entire town.


One of the many remarkable places to view due to its spectacular panoramic views over the town and surrounding landscape is the Castillo (castle). The castle now consists of the defensive walls’ ruins, however, there is also a large church here. The Gothic-Mudejar Nuestra Señora del Mayor Dolor was constructed on the land of a 12th century Moorish fortress in the Knights Templars during the 14th century. The 16th century Church has the similar Almohad sebka brickwork decoration as that on the Giralda in Sevilla.