Logbook · 14 places

What to see and do in Torrenueva

What to see and do in Torrenueva (Sierra Morena, Ciudad Real): 14 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 5 Monuments · 1 Nature · 3 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 2 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

When to go to Torrenueva: festival calendar

January: Festival of San Antón (January 17)
September: Festivities of la Virgen de la Cabeza (September 8)

How far each place is from the centre of Torrenueva

Parish Church of Santiago el Mayor 50 m

Towns near Torrenueva

Spain › Castilla-La Mancha › Ciudad Real › Sierra Morena › Torrenueva

What to see and do in Torrenueva

Torrenueva
Village
Municipality of the comarca of Sierra Morena, in the province of Ciudad Real, which belonged from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century to the Order of Santiago, within the Greater Commandery of Castile created in 1275: it received a settlement charter in 1440 and Charles I confirmed its founding privileges in 1527. On the Plaza de España stands the church of Santiago el Mayor, built between 1525 and 1535 in Plateresque style and with a southern doorway of ornamental arcading, angels' heads and scallop shells held to be one of the most beautiful in the Campo de Montiel; the Castellón hill and Las Cumbres are a traditional destination for outings at Easter.
Parish Church of Santiago el Mayor
Monument
A church built between 1525 and 1535 in Plateresque style, on the Plaza de España. Its south doorway, with ornamental arcading, angels' heads and scallop shells, is considered one of the finest in the Campo de Montiel.
Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza
Monument
The sanctuary of the patron saint, north of the built-up area, among vineyards and olive groves and separated from the village by the River Jabalón. It is the most monumental hermitage in the municipal district.
Hermitage of San Juan
Monument
The hermitage of San Juan, in Torrenueva, in the Sierra Morena region, began construction in 1526. In 1575 it still stood outside the town walls, and the settlement later grew until it absorbed the hermitage into the urban centre. A visitation record of 1719 describes it as a single-nave church, built of brick and masonry blocks, with roofing of rubble and pine wood and a gabled roof. It is one of the historic churches that mark out the old town of the villa.
Hermitage of la Veracruz
Monument
A 16th- and 17th-century hermitage linked to the Vera Cruz brotherhood, with a prominent role in the Semana Santa processions.
Church of el Santo Cristo del Consuelo
Monument
A church that keeps the old painted image of the Cristo del Consuelo, greatly venerated locally and the focus of the town's September festival.
Cerro del Castellón and las Cumbres
Nature
Heights in the municipal district which, along with Cerro Lobo and Cabeza del Buey, are the traditional destination for local excursions during Semana Santa. The area stands out for its abundance of aromatic and medicinal plants.
The town of the Encomienda Mayor de Castilla
Curiosity
Torrenueva belonged to the Order of Santiago from the Middle Ages until the 19th century, within the Encomienda Mayor de Castilla created in 1275. It received its charter of settlement in 1440 and Carlos I confirmed its founding privileges in 1527.
La Borricá
Activity
Carnival parade of Torrenueva (Ciudad Real) held on Shrove Tuesday, one of the most distinctive traditions of the municipality and possibly unique in Spain. Residents ride on horseback through the streets of the town, although in former times the parade was made on donkeys or mules. It is declared a fiesta de interés turístico regional (a regional festival of tourist interest).
Festivities of la Virgen de la Cabeza
Activity
Patron saint festivities in honour of the Virgen de la Cabeza, patron saint of Torrenueva, whose feast day is celebrated on 8 September. They are preceded by the bringing of the image from its sanctuary to the parish church on the second-to-last Saturday of August. The hermitage, located north of the town among vineyards and olive groves beside the río Jabalón, is the most important monument in the town after the parish church, and rogations have historically been directed there in times of drought.
Festival of San Antón
Activity
Winter celebration in Torrenueva (Ciudad Real) in honour of San Antón, held on 17 January with bonfires and the blessing of animals, followed days later by the feast of San Sebastián. The town preserves a carved statue of San Antonio Abad among its artistic heritage.
The 1440 settlement charter
Historical milestone
Torrenueva received a carta puebla in 1440, within the domains of the Encomienda Mayor de Castilla created in 1275. The document fixed the boundaries and the conditions under which a then almost depopulated site was called to be resettled.
Juan Ruiz de Villamanrique, bound for the Indies
Historical milestone
In 1513 this resident of Torrenueva embarked for the New World, in the first wave of Manchegans to cross the Atlantic. His name figures among the passengers to the Indies registered at the Casa de la Contratación in Seville.
Wedding chocolate
Food and drink
In Torrenueva the wedding morning is settled with a breakfast of thick chocolate accompanied by pastries, served to the guests before the ceremony. It is a custom that the town keeps as part of the nuptial ritual.