Puente Genil is located in the province of Córdoba and the autonomous community of Andalusia. It currently has a population of around 30,000 spread over an area of 170 km².
Named after the River Genil, which crosses the town, nineteenth-century industrial architecture is prominent on both sides of the river. In fact, Puente Genil would not exist if it were not for the river, which has always played a significant role in the whole area.
The town’s origins lie in the administrative and demographic union of two towns: Pontón de Don Gonzalo, founded in Ferdinand III’s times by Gonzalo Yáñez Donivar, and Barrio de Miragenil, a small neighbourhood on the opposite river bank.
The most visited site is the Fuente Álamo Roman villa, however the magnificent mosaics unearthed in the villa are on display in the former San Francisco de la Victoria convent and in the town centre itself. In addition to the Roman remains, the town also retains Los Casterales necropolis, a Visigoth site, and the Anzur castle, which bore witness to the Muslim occupation.
The Local History Museum contains remains from the Lower Paleolithic until the Middle Ages, proving that human settlement in this area was relatively late.
Outstanding examples of local architecture include the Nuestra Señora de la Purificación and Jesús Nazareno parish churches, the San Francisco de la Asunción and San Francisco de la Victoria convent churches, as well as interesting examples of nineteenth-century industrial architecture.
However, the most symbolic construction has to be the bridge over the River Genil, which was first built in 1561.
In terms of food, Puente Genil is notorious for its quince cheese.
Puente Genil is renowned for its Holy Week celebrations, making it one of the most important expressions of religious faith in Andalusia. The “Mananta”, as it is known locally, has a unique feel, making it a fiesta for the senses, where everything seems to mix together in contradictory disorder. This is the source of its mystery and its attractiveness.
Twenty-three religious brotherhoods hold processions throughout the town from the Saturday before Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday, accompanied by biblical characters from the Old and New Testaments and Christian symbols; a tradition that dates to 1664.
The most important moment during “Mananta” takes place at dawn on Good Friday, when a band sounds reveille in honour of Our Father Jesus the Nazarene.
Lent is the prelude to Holy Week and is significant in Puente Genil with its “sábados romanos”, a unique event held every Saturday during Lent and Palm Sunday with the “ascensión de Jesús” (ascension of Christ) procession.
Another important celebration in Puente Genil is the Chiquita Holy Week, a children’s version of Holy Week, which is in May.
