Bollullos de la Mitación, amidst vines and olive groves
Bollullos de la Mitación is famous for its good mosto, its table olives and the age-old Cuatrovitas Pilgrimage. Located in the heart of Aljarafe, this charming town nestled amidst vines and olive groves is an ideal place to enjoy the essence of Andalusia. The olive-growing haciendas around which the town developed have survived, as have the artisan traditions of pottery, carpentry and goldsmithing.
This town has a strong El Rocío tradition and great enthusiasm for equestrian activities. These deep-rooted traditions are shared with neighbouring towns. The local cuisine is typical to the area, sopeao being the most popular dish. Come and explore its fascinating heritage while strolling through the streets lined with beautiful stately homes. Visit the wineries, where traditional methods are still used to produce mosto. Last but not least, experience the town’s main festival in honour of the patron saint, Our Lady of Cuatrovitas, at the end of October.
Would you like to discover Bollullos de la Mitación?
Getting to Bollullos de la Mitación
If you are travelling from Seville by car, take the A-49 motorway until exit 11 and enter the A-8059 until Bollullos de la Mitación.
The town does not have a train station, but you can take the M-159 bus from Plaza de Armas Bus Station in Seville.
Getting around
The easiest way to visit and enjoy the town centre is on foot.
Reasons to visit
- One of its gems is the San Martín de Tours Church, home to four works by Francisco de Zurbarán, the great baroque painter.
- Enjoy a culinary tour that will take you to taverns where you can sample mosto, table olives and tapas typical of Bollullos.
- If you are a thrill-seeker, you can parachute or fly a plane at Juliana Aerodrome.
- Spend an unforgettable day at La Juliana Nature Centre, and explore the Suspended Forest, the first adventure park in the Andalusian forest.
- Would you like to see authentic works embroidered in gold? Go to the Benjamin Pérez workshop, an artist like few others.
- Enjoy nature on horse thanks to the equestrian centres in Bollullos.
- One festival not be missed is the Pilgrimage of Cuatrovitas, one of the oldest in Spain, at the end of October.
- Visit the Andalusian School of Floral Art and admire the beautiful flower work produced by the students.
- If you want to experience a different festival, come on 25 July when the locals follow Our Lady of Cuatrovitas from her shrine to the town. The patron saint is borne by women bearers.
- Did you know Bollullos de la Mitación has the second-largest pencil collection in the world? Ask the collector, Rafael Parra, who has a 7,000-plus collection of pencils in his home.
What to see
Start your visit to San Martín de Tours Church, the town’s most important monument, at Plaza de Nuestra Señora de Cuatrovitas where it stands. It Is home to four works by the baroque painter Francisco de Zurbarán, as well as other notable religious statues. Continue through the streets lined with beautiful stately homes, with their large tiled hallways and flower-filled patios.
If you continue along Calle Larga, the main street, you will come across another remarkable building, the Shrine to Nuestra Señora de Roncesvalles. This 19th-century temple houses an extraordinary alabaster statue for which it is named. The statue was brought from Navarre after the conquest by Fernando III.
You will have to leave the town to visit the most important monument for the residents of Bollullos. There are four well-signposted routes for hiking, cycling and horse riding. All of them will take you to the Shrine to Nuestra Señora de Cuatrovitas, declared a Site of Cultural Interest. It was built over an old Almohad mosque and still preserves its minaret tower. The statue of the Virgin of Cuatrovitas, whose pilgrimage is one of the oldest in Spain, is inside the tower. The Cuatrovitas Route is about 6 kilometres long. However, if you wish to discover the surroundings of Bollullos better, take the Haciendas Route, which is about 29.5 kilometres long. Along this route, you will see beautiful farms and olive-growing haciendas, as well as the Shrine to Nuestra Señora de Cuatrovitas and the ruins of a Roman bridge.
To wrap up your visit, the best thing you can do is visit a local winery, where mosto is still traditionally produced.
Places to visit
- Shrine to Nuestra Señora de Cuatrovitas and Almohad minaret
- Shrine to Nuestra Señora de Roncesvalles
- San Martín de Tours Parish Church
- Walk along Calle Larga and admire the stately homes
Surroundings
Bollullos de la Mitación is 17 kilometres from Seville in the Aljarafe region. Located in the Guadalquivir Valley, it borders Las Marismas on the south, the Guadiamar River on the east, Sierra Moreno on the north and the province of Huelva on the west. The town preserves the olive-growing haciendas from the Roman period, as well as Arab remains, such as the Shrine to Nuestra Señora de Cuatrovitas.
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