Arroyomolinos de Leon - Huelva

The municipality of Arroyomolinos de Leon is located to the northeast of the province, along the border with Badajoz, in the Natural Park of Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche (Aroche Peaks) one of the most important protected areas of the Community.  Throughout the north of the province its meadows and small hills covered predominantly by forests of oaks, cork oaks, chestnut trees and undergrowth, through which run numerous streams, form a landscape of extraordinary beauty and attractiveness.

In the thirteenth century the Christian Reconquest reached this area and the Grand Master Pelayo Perez Correa, a member of the Order of Santiago, lead the Battle of La Calera, in Mount Tentudía.

Legend has it that the Master was winning the battle and saw that the night was falling and called on the Virgin for a miracle that would stop the day with the familiar phrase: "Holy Mary, stop your day," Legend tells us that the Virgin worked the miracle and stopped the day so the Christian knights could win the battle. Afterwards the Tentudía monastery was created.

Years later, the site was repopulated by Spaniards, especially Leon who came by the Ruta de la Plata (The Silver Route). The Commandery of León was formed with five towns on the frontier along with the Arabs and the Order of Santiago and became a major economic dominance in the area. The villages that were part of the Commandery were: Fuentes de León, Segura de Leon, Calera de León, Leon and Arroyomolinos Canaveral de Leon, the first three in the province of Badajoz and the last two in Huelva.

At first, Arroyomolinos belonged to the party of Llerena, although years later, in 1274 the village was awarded to the Jurisdiction of Segura de Leon. However, since its foundation, mention must be made of the ongoing litigation pertaining to territorial issues, usurping of land that ultimately revealed the absence of a clear demarcation between Arroyomolinos and other centres of population.

In 1485, the Order of Santiago Arroyomolinos disappeared and was taken over by the Spanish Crown, namely the unappropriated lands of Sevilla and dependent on the home of the Marquises de Aracena until the nineteenth century. The feudal system was abolished throughout the various divisions and houses; the village was the property of other demarcations.

The proposed division of 1809, which organized the territory into departments, was framed in the so-called Lower Guadalquivir. Later, in 1810, with the invasion of Napoleon, another division was ordered and is centred in Extremadura (then a province only), depending on the prefecture of Merida. In 1822, the Spanish Parliament again put it into Extremadura and in 1833, by Decree Law of 30 November, in the reign of Isabel II; Arroyomolinos de León is centred in the newly created province of Huelva. Nuebla joined Seville and Huelva province, and expressed their dissatisfaction because arroyencos sentiment and tradition of Extremadura was deeply rooted in the locality.
In a letter from the Town Hall in 1835, the mountain village complained about the supposed damage to the new unit, which involved a break with the traditional province of Badajoz. Their complaints were however neglected, saying only the administrative difficulties at that time were the cause of being unable to deal with their request at that time. Until that date, the municipality of Leon Arroyomolinos had no mountain tradition.

Monuments

Ermita de los Remedios.
Church of Santiago.

Old mills.

Gastronomy

Sausages (ham, sausages, salami) Migas.

Sweets: fritters.

Getting There.

Exit Huelva. Autopista del Quinto Centenario, A-49 - Seville - Punta Umbria - N-431 - Ayamonte. Follow signs to San Juan del Puerto - Trigueros and Fregenal de la Sierra. Around San Juan del Puerto, turn right: N-435 heading to Trigueros - Badajoz. Valverde del Camino Crossing and passing near El Pozuelo.  Around Zalamea la Real, turn right: A-461. Cross Campofrio and Aracena. Around Canaveral de Leon, turn right: A-4300 and continue until Arroyomolinos de Leon.

Distances

Huelva 136 km
Aracena 34 km
Huelva 49 km
Zalamea la Real 72 km
Monesterio 37 km
Cortegana 61 km
Zufre 41 km