Puente Genil is a town located in the geographical center of Andalusia. It is famous for its quince jam, for the river Genil which passes under its feet and gives its name to the town and for the site of Fuente Álamo. If you want to know what to see in Puente Genil, keep reading …
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The history of Puente Genil
This town was renamed Puente Genil when in 1834 the regent María Cristina united the two parts of the existing settlements on both sides of the river. The first settlers began to settle in the area after the construction of a mound that crossed the Genil River. Later, in 1561 a viaduct was built to replace the pontoon. At this point the commercial traffic increased notably, as a curiosity, the right side of the river belonged to Cordoba while the left side belonged to Seville.
Stone Bridge
The Stone Bridge is one of the most significant monuments of Puente Genil, since it gives its name to the city. With this bridge the two banks were united in 1834. Although its first construction was made in 1589 by Hernán Ruiz II, the current image is due to a reform made by the engineer Leopoldo Lemoniez Renault in 1874.
Fuente Álamo Site
The site of Fuente Álamo, with remains of the Roman civilization in the area, is of vital importance. It is known as the Villa de Puente Genil and although it has been known for many years, it has recently been put in value to show the quality of its baths, its mosaics and other remains found.
As with other sites in the area, it is a roofed facility to preserve not found in the Inter perié. In that sense it reminds us of the Roman settlement of Almedinilla.
This site is located just 3 km from the town center of the city. It is an enclave with more than 1000 years of history where you can admire the most important mosaics of the peninsula, a reference in terms of Roman art in the peninsula.
Noble Houses
In this town you can also see some of the noble houses that inhabited and were owned by the most renowned families. An example of these houses is the Palace of the stewardship of the Dukes of Medinaceli. This house stands out for its large size, a magnificent facade and a courtyard of columns representative of the time. Another of the noble houses of Puente Genil is that of the Jiménez Montilla family, with a courtyard and a staircase ornamented with different plasterwork.
Municipal Archaeological Museum
This museum is located in what was the convent of the victory. In it the different archaeological materials of the zone are exposed together with old ethnographic ones. Something more modern is the ex position dedicated to the sweet of quince, in which many details of its manufacture throughout the time are shown.
Churches of Puente Genil
Another of the attractions of this town and perhaps one of the many sites to see in Puente Genil are its churches. One of them is the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, a 17th century church that was built over a small hermitage. In those years, the town was entrusted to this Virgin because of a plague epidemic that ravaged the area. After passing the disease, the people named her perpetual patron saint of the town.
Another of these churches is the Convent of San Francisco de la Asunción, built in the 17th century and built with the goods left in his will by Francisco Gil de Melgar. Finally, the Church of Jesus Nazareno, which houses the image of the “terrible”, patron saint of the town.
Up to here a small summary of all the places of interest to see in Puente Genil, one of the cities that you should not miss to know the culture of the area.