Logbook · 9 places

What to see and do in La Solana

What to see and do in La Solana (La Mancha, Ciudad Real): 9 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 3 Monuments · 3 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones

When to go to La Solana: festival calendar

April: San Marcos and the hornazo (April 25)
July: Fair of Santiago y Santa Ana (24 al 30 de julio)
September: Pilgrimage of la Virgen de Peñarroya (second weekend of September)

How far each place is from the centre of La Solana

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Spain › Castilla-La Mancha › Ciudad Real › La Mancha › La Solana

What to see and do in La Solana

La Solana
Village
Municipality of the comarca of La Mancha, in the province of Ciudad Real, which obtained the title of town in 1463 and was already resting its economy on vineyards a century later, although in the twentieth century it was known as the sickle capital for its farm-tool industry, an activity that coexisted with saffron and pottery. Its church of Santa Catalina, built between 1420 and 1524 between late Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque, has the tallest tower in the province, and on the second weekend of September it exchanges with Argamasilla de Alba the custody of the image of the Virgen de Peñarroya.
Church of Santa Catalina de La Solana
Monument
A church built between 1420 and 1524, combining late Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles; its Baroque tower is the tallest in the province of Ciudad Real. Dedicated to Santa Catalina, its construction dates back to the first half of the 15th century and is recorded in Pascual Madoz's Diccionario geográfico-estadístico-histórico. It was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection), with the category of monument, on July 27, 1993.
Hermitage of San Sebastián de La Solana
Monument
Hermitage of La Solana (Ciudad Real, La Mancha), from the 14th century and in primitive Gothic style, considered the oldest surviving building in the town and its oldest church. In a chapel on the Epistle side it preserves a notable Mudejar rafter-and-purlin roof, decorated with polychrome wood marquetry and mother-of-pearl inlays on an ebony background. Next to the main door, grindstones are preserved where reapers sharpened sickles and knives at harvest time. During a 1984 restoration, two deteriorated frescoes with cursive Gothic inscriptions appeared on the nave walls. The ensemble is an outstanding example of medieval religious architecture combining Gothic and Mudejar elements.
Church of San Juan Bautista de La Solana
Monument
Former Trinitarian convent converted into a parish church, which preserves underground chambers beneath the building. Of that convent only the church survives, as the monks' quarters were lost over time. Beneath the church there are caves that served as a refuge during the wars of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Pilgrimage of la Virgen de Peñarroya
Activity
A pilgrimage held on the second weekend of September in which La Solana and Argamasilla de Alba exchange, at the Peñarroya castle, custody of the image of the Virgen de Peñarroya, patron saint of La Solana. After the exchange, the image remains in La Solana until the third weekend of January, when it is moved back to the castle.
Fair of Santiago y Santa Ana
Activity
The Feria de Santiago y Santa Ana is the main festival of La Solana, in the region of La Mancha, and is held every year from July 24 to 30 in honor of the patron Santiago Apóstol and the co-patron Santa Ana. During that week the program includes bullfighting events, open-air dances and cultural events that bring together a large part of the population.
San Marcos and the hornazo
Activity
On April 25, the feast of San Marcos, the families of La Solana go out to the countryside to eat the traditional hornazo, one of the town's most deeply rooted customs. It is a sweet cake with boiled eggs embedded in the dough, to which anise balls or other sweets are sometimes added, made by local bakeries especially for this day. Another custom associated with the day is "tying the devil's balls," which consists of making a loop with stalks from the field crops.
The century of the sickles
Curiosity
La Solana was known in the 20th century as the sickle capital for its industry making farm tools, an activity that coexisted with saffron growing and traditional pottery.
The town charter of La Solana
Historical milestone
La Solana obtained the title of villa in 1463, with its own jurisdiction over its district. A century later it came to around 750 inhabitants and its economy was already based on the vineyard, according to the household returns of the time of Felipe II.