Santaella

Santaella is located to the southeast of the province of Córdoba, in the region of the Campiña. It is to 43 kilometres from the capital and has an altitude of 243 metres above sea level. The area of the municipality is 271.2 km2 and within the same is erected Guijarrosa and the town of La Montiela. The total population amount is 5,728 in 1991. It belongs to the jurisdiction of Montilla.

Its name comes from Senticella, diminutive of sentix "hawthorn", "thorn bush." Thus, Santaells would come from Senticella (Mozarabic), place where the hawthorn bushes abound.

In its municipal area there was found remains from the Neolithic, Bronze, Iberian, Roman cultures, etc.

In 1240 it was reconquered by Fernando III passing to the Castilian-Leonese crown.
The town will become an independent municipality in 1569.

Since 1649 the villa passed to aristocratic power through the purchase of the jurisdiction by the noble Diego de Aguayo y Godoy, who will receive from Felipe IV the title of Marquis de Santaella.

In the fall of 1733, the population gets rid of the feudal regime and achieve the independence.

Monuments

Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, "with its imposing tower that daggered the sky", with 13 bodies and octagonal base, chapel and plateresque front.

Chapel of El Santo Cristo (XVI century).

Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora del Valle (1699).

Altarpiece of the parish church La Asunción, XVI century by Juan de Espinosa.

Renaissance Processional Monstrance from the XVII century.

Baroque Pulpit, in pink jasper.

Archaeological Sites

Cero de la Mitra, Iberian.
La Camorra de los Cabezuelos, hill inhabited from the Chalcolithic to Roman times.

Cerro de los Castillejos; Olivar del Pósito, Iberian remains.
Almohad wall and medieval tower, late XII century.

Town Planning

Plaza Mayor de Santaella, with its old medieval tower, with windows "tipo galleta".

Doña Aldonza windows.

Stately Houses, "Casa de las Columnas". 

Village of La Guijarrosa.

Baroque home, old Town Hall, with artistic continuous balcony. 

Archs de la cancela de San Cristóbal.

Museums
Museo Municipal de la Villa, with Iberian zoomorphic sculptures (La Leona de Santaella).

Gastronomy

Among the typical dishes we can emphasize the stew with white beans, breadcrumbs fried in garlic, the salmorejo and gazpacho blanco. From the slaughter we keep legs, the abomasum and tongue to prepare the feet and pigs' trotters pork stew. As this is a town with a farmhouse tradition, there are also traditional dishes like rabbit in white wine or sherry goat.

As for the confectionery you can also taste the tortillas made for Christmas, chocolate polvorones (dry, floury sweet made with almonds), brandy donuts, pestiños, fried donuts, puff pastries and cakes of butter. For Easter are made muffins, doñas pepitas, donuts wine, borrachuelos, flores, roscos duros and meringues. But the main receipt is the roscos de gachas and the pastelitos de sidra.

How to get there

You have to exit Córdoba, continue along: Avenida de Cádiz towards: E-5, A-4, Sevilla - Málaga. At the roundabout, take the salida 3 and continue in: E-5 / A-4 towards: Sevilla - Málaga. Take the exit towards: Salida 424 - Aldea Quintana - La Victoria. Turn left towards: Aldea Quintana - La Victoria - E-5, A-4, Córdoba. Cross Aldea Quintana and La Guijarrosa. Follow signs until you get Santaella.

Distances