Father of the field

Paterna del Campo is a Spanish municipality in the province of Huelva, Andalusia. In the year 2022 it had 3,478 inhabitants. Its surface extension is 132 km² and it has a density of 26.35 inhab/km². It is located at an altitude of 186 meters and 62 kilometers from the provincial capital, Huelva.

It does not have important water courses, although the Corumbel river and the Hardachón or Arroyo de Tejada flow through its municipal area, into which numerous smaller streams flow. It has a Mediterranean climate, with an average annual temperature of 17.2 °C and an average annual rainfall of approximately 600 l/m².

History

With the Romans, this region reached its maximum splendor, from this intense Romanization the city of Itucci flourishes (Tejada La Nueva located in Escacena del Campo). Later, after the abandonment by the Arabs of what was the capital of a large region, Talyata (Tejada), small Arab farmhouses on the outskirts were repopulated, such as Paterna Fabula, the name by which the town was originally known. Over time, in the year 1291, it achieved the title of villa from King Sancho IV "El Bravo". In the first third of the XVI century, when Tejada was definitively depopulated, it began to be called del Campo surname common to neighboring places such as Escacena and Castilleja, because the countryside and Sierra de Tejada were then divided between them.

In 1594 Paterna was part of the kingdom of Seville in Axarafe and had 470 pecheros residents.

At the end of the XIX century, the Riotinto railway came into service, which in the municipality of Paterna del Campo had with a station, Manantiales. This railway line came to move an important traffic of minerals coming from the Riotinto mines that had the port of Huelva as its destination. Although located quite a distance from the urban center of Paterna, the Manantiales station was considered one of the most important on the route due to its facilities for servicing locomotives. The Rio Tinto mining railway remained in service until its closure in 1984.

Heritage

The monuments and sites of greatest interest are:

• The castle of the Spirit

El Castillo del Alpízar corresponds to an old fortress, which presents a beautiful Almohad-style façade from the XI century. Its body is made up of a building with a square floor plan, with central parade ground and four flanked towers on its slopes. It is located near the village of Tujena, next to the so-called Acebuchal del Alpízar, in a typical environment of our countryside, surrounded by fields of cereal, sunflower and olive trees. From the farmhouse you can see the wild olive grove, a space included in the list of "Places of Community Interest", which undoubtedly stands out in this homogeneous landscape of the Huelva countryside.

• The Village of Tujena

Where is the Hermitage of San Isidro Labrador. This simple hermitage dates from 1955; It is a clear example of the popular religious architecture of the area. Its surroundings become the meeting point for a popular pilgrimage during the month of May, which is attended by the entire town. The village of Tujena is heir to an ancient pre-Roman settlement, and later a Roman one, dedicated to mining in the area of the Corumbel river, of which hardly any remains remain. Nearby is the settlement of Tejada la Nueva.

• Church of Saint Bartholomew

Built on an old mosque after the conquest of Paterna by Alfonso X, its Mudejar origin can still be guessed, especially in its façade-tower and in the so-called Puerta del Perdón.
Subsequent renovations, such as those carried out by Pedro Silva, have given it a baroque physiognomy. Inside you can admire two works of art of great value, the Cristo de la Misericordia, a Gothic crucified from the mid-XVI century span> that processions the Brotherhood of the Holy Burial of Christ in its penitential parade on Good Friday, and the image of San Bartolomé, carved by Jerónimo Hernández, Martínez Montañés' teacher, made in 1569.
You can also admire more images modern works by José Guzmán Vázquez, Antonio Castillo Lastrucci, José Sanjuán, Eslava and others.

• Former Church of the Convent of Ntra. Ms. From the Virtues of Carmelite Discalced Fathers

Dates from the year 1696. The "Convento de Ntra. Sra. de las Virtudes de Padres Carmelitas Descalzos" was built after being erected on November 22, 1693, to worship and venerate Our Lady. Of the Patron Virtues of the town, being confiscated in 1835. At present only part of its cover is preserved.

• Source of the Friars

Actually, it is an old Roman swimming pool located in Tejada la Nueva, an uninhabited city since the XVI century.

• La Fontanilla

Located less than 1 km from the town, it is an artificial water source of Arab origin built of brick, in the form of a small temple with a spherical vault. The water comes from a well located on an elevation a few hundred meters from the source, in such a way that when the water from the well reaches a certain level, it drains through an underground pipe at the source.

• Birth of the Roman Aqueduct

Juan Casado found some remains of pressure pipes in the area known as "Cabeza Rodrigo", within the municipality of Paterna. It is possible that in Roman times, they carried water from the Alpizarejo Fountains to Tejada la Nueva or even to the Grande Fountain (Peñaloza, Escacena del Campo), from where the aqueduct started to Itálica.

• Casa Cilla

As in other towns in the County, in Paterna the small house is still preserved, used in other times to collect the tithe that the neighbors gave to the Church. The Baroque-style house dates from the 18th century and was bought by the Seville Cathedral to use it as a tithe house, as evidenced by the presence on its façade of the coat of arms of the cathedral chapter, made up of a Giralda and two jugs of lilies. It is currently used as a rectory.

• Chapel of Great Power

Neoclassical style.

• Crossing Caps

Referred to as the Santísima Cruz de Abajo and the Santa Cruz de la Victoria de Cristo, they were built in the XX.

• Ntra Chapel. Sra. de las Virtudes

It is a Chapel-Monument inaugurated on June 13, 2010. Square in shape and with three semicircular arches, it houses an image of Our Lady of Virtues, made by the sculptor Martín presses It is topped by a fountain with three jets, a symbol of the virgin's theological virtues. It is located on the so-called Cuesta de Pinguete, next to a well, the place where the primitive patron image of the town was found and where, in 1448, a Sanctuary, which is now destroyed, was carved for it.

Gastronomy

Paterna's gastronomy is based on products from its fertile fields and pastures: migas, stew, gazpacho, tostones and especially chickpea stews. As for the confectionery, the wine and egg donuts, bread and butter cakes, French toast, pestiños, pine nuts and flasks stand out.

Economy

Eminently agricultural, the main crops are cotton, wheat, sunflower, beetroot and olive groves. Likewise, within the term there are wide forest areas dominated by eucalyptus, the forest and the Mediterranean scrub of holm oaks and cork oaks.
The agricultural possibilities of the environment have led to the appearance of an important cooperative movement of agricultural producers.
Livestock, with a relative importance within the economic context of the municipality, is constituted mainly by sheep and pigs and, to a lesser extent, by cattle, goats and horses.

Demographics

Number of inhabitants in recent years. Since the beginning of the XXI century, Paterna has faced a process of demographic stagnation, just like other municipalities in the interior (far from the Coast, which is where the highest concentration of population is found), as reflected in the demographic evolution of the municipalities of the province.

Local festivals

The main festivals that are celebrated throughout the year are:

• Holy Week

On Holy Thursday the Sacramental Brotherhood of Nuestro Padre Jesús del Gran Poder, the Lord of Paterna and María Santísima del Mayor Dolor perform their penance station. In the early hours of Good Friday, the Illustrious, Venerable and Ancient Servite Brotherhood and Brotherhood of Nazarenes of the Holy Burial of Christ in His Mercy and Holy Mary of Sorrows in her Solitude procession.

• San Isidro Labrador

Although the saint's festival is on May 15, the celebration takes place on the weekend closest to that day. The party begins on Friday, with the popularly called "Pescaíto". On Saturday the pilgrimage takes place that begins with a tour of the town and continues towards the village of Tujena, where the saint's hermitage is located. All the inhabitants of the town participate in it. On Sunday the procession is celebrated whose route takes place through the streets of the village. During Saturday and Sunday, the paterninos enjoy the party in the village booths and wear short and gypsy dresses.

• Corpus Christi

Fiesta of variable dates, it is celebrated between May and June and the streets and balconies are decorated for the procession with a magnificent silver monstrance from the century XVIII.

• Feast of the Virgin of Carmen

It is celebrated around the 16th of July. The Virgin leaves with a solemn procession that has its origins in the Carmelite presence in Paterna. In the town square, festive events are held in which the whole town participates.

• Feast of the Virtues

The town of Paterna del Campo has worshiped its Lawyer and Patroness since August 15, 1448, the year of its appearance. At present, the festivities of the Patron Saint of Paterna focus on the celebration of the Solemn Novena that normally ends on the first weekend of August, coinciding with the last two days of the Solemn Novena with the Hand-Kissing Devotee of the Blessed Virgin. On the night of August 14, the prayer of the Holy Rosary to the plants of Our Lady takes place to have the culmination of the festivities on August 15 when the Solemn Main Function of the Institute is celebrated by the Old Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Patron Virtues of the Villa de Paterna del Campo; everything to end with the Triumphal Procession of the Blessed Virgin on the night of August 15. Celebrate, from November 22, 2020, Solemn Function in thanksgiving for your patronage of the Villa de Paterna del Campo, whose oldest data found so far dates back to 1693, as reflected in the book of & #34;Foundation of the Convent of Discalced Carmelites of Our Lady of the Virtues".Virgin of the Virtues

• Patrons of San Bartolomé

They are celebrated on August 24 with the procession of the patron saint. As festive acts, various performances are carried out in the town square. Among others have attended: the famous singer "La Húngara", the chirigota from Cádiz "Los enteraos" or local singers. There are also activities for children and parties for young people, including the traditional release of heifers in the Plaza de Toros, the burning of fireworks bulls and a fabulous fireworks display.

• Celebrations in honor of the Holy Cross of Down

It is the oldest brotherhood of Cruz in the town, the first data appear in the church books in 1670. It has its origins in the brotherhood of Vera Cruz, it had its own chapel on Humilladeros street, place where it was celebrated Every year the May Cross under the name of Cruz de Abajo de los Humilladeros. The Santísima Cruz de Abajo is a double-sided carving in the Baroque style, covered with sterling gold, the work of the famous Huelva carver José Oliva Castilla in 1954. Its chapel is located on Calle Santísima Cruz de Abajo, better known as Calle Nueva by all the locals. The Chapel of the Holy Cross dates from 1880 and has been subsequently renovated in 2003, being known for the different and magnificent designs that it has worn throughout its history.

Its festivities are celebrated in September, exactly, on the weekend closest to the 14th, the day of the Exaltation of the Cross. The festivities in honor of the holder begin on Thursday, with a magnificent exhibition of horse harnesses taking place in the Plaza de Toros de Paterna del Campo.

On Friday night the Holy Rosary is prayed with the decorated young men and queens, accompanied by the brothers and sympathizers of the brotherhood. On Saturday morning the floral offering to the Virgen del Carmen takes place, where the cruisers offer their bouquets to the Virgin and at the end, the salve sailor is sung, accompanied by the cruise brothers decked out in beautiful flamenco costumes.

On Saturday afternoon the pilgrimage is celebrated. The cruisers tour the town on horseback and in wonderful carriages singing sevillanas in honor of the Cross followed by the spectacular floats made by hand by the brothers of the brotherhood.

On Sunday the Santísima Cruz de Abajo makes its processional exit, it is the only Cross that has the privilege of going out and gathering with the sun. The Cross is adorned with precious flowers, leaves from its chapel on Calle Nueva and makes its processional route through the main streets of the town accompanied by devout brothers dressed in finery and women dressed in mantillas for the occasion. When she finishes her church function, the holder returns to her chapel. Starting with "Los humilladeros", the cruise brothers sing entre vivas to the Santísima Cruz de Abajo sevillanas and songs with reference to the cross.

During the festivities, the queen, the pages, the waiters and the companions wear different designer costumes made exclusively for the festivities and the street of the Santísima Cruz de Abajo has magnificent lighting. The acts are accompanied by different music bands, such as the Virgen de los Reyes Musical Group, the Santa María Magdalena del Arahal Musical Group, the Band of Bugles and Drums of the Stmo. Christ of the Three Falls of Triana, Tears of Dolores Musical Group of San Fernando.

• Celebrations in honor of the Holy Cross of the Victory of Christ

They are held the first weekend of September. Throughout this festivity, various moments can be highlighted, such as Thursday morning when Andalucía street is adorned with handmade flowers made of paper by the older sisters throughout the year. The chapel of the Holy Cross is located on this street, dating from 1985, made of silver and gold jewelry.

On Friday the Rosary takes place, where devotees process through the streets of the town wearing flamenco dresses.

On Saturday morning, the Legion entrance stands out, known for gathering a crowd of young and not-so-young. In the afternoon the traditional romerito takes place accompanied by floats made by the coach builders brothers and like the procession of the Holy Cross, which is celebrated on Sunday afternoon through the main streets of the town. It is necessary to emphasize, the entrance of the band of drums and bugles of the Legion also on Sunday morning.

During all the festivities, the waiters, the queen, the pages and the older brother, as well as their respective companions, wear suits that add elegance.

Three very specific moments in the procession of the Holy Cross of Victory are also known: the arrival at "the four corners", where the brothers who carry the paso on their shoulders raise it to the highest; the arrival at calle Andalucía, where the chapel of the Holy Cross is located; and the departure of the Cross from the function of the church and arrival at the square, where a fireworks display awaits you.

It is also worth highlighting the bands and musical groups that these festivities bring together in the town, as well as the music performances in the booth. Lately, the proclamation on Wednesday night has been common, thus opening the festivities.