Utiel
Located at the foot of the Sierra del Negrete range, Utiel has Iberian and Roman origins and displays a clearly Arabic influence in its urban layout, where the visitor can admire houses and other typical architectural elements dating from the Christian medieval period. There is a network of underground galleries running throughout the town. They have been destined to use as shelters and storage space.
At 10 k from the town lies the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Remedy, built in 1564 and originally a hermitage. The Sanctuary offers many attractions for visitors, and especially the main building, which houses the chapel, the chapel of the Virgin, the crypt of Juan de Arges and the museum of votive offerings. Furthermore, in its surroundings the visitor can visit the location in which, according to some legends, the Virgin Mary made an appearance, cool off in “Casa del Peregrino”, or sit and relax and contemplate the beautiful natural landscape in which the sanctuary is located.
Gastronomy:
Stews, vetch, “ajoarriero”, “morteruelo”, rice with pork, ham and sardine cakes and, especially, the town’s well-known sweets, such as “alajú” (gingerbread), of Arab origin, and “torrijas al bobal”, as well as red, rose and claret wines, which are marketed under the Utiel-Requena Denomination of Origin.
Special mention may be made of Utiel’s famous sausages. Each year in October, Paseo de la Alameda hosts the “Utiel Gastronómica” culinary fair, during which local producers promote and sell cured ham and meat products from Utiel, as well as local wines.
Places of interest:
In the centre of the town we find the Parish Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, of late gothic style (16th century), the Convent of Our Lady of Mercy, which still retains the shield of the Order of the Mercedarians on its façade, and the Convent of Saint Francis, which dates from the late 17th century.
Other notable buildings include the Town Hall, “La Utielana” Bullring, one of the oldest in the Valencia Region, inaugurated in 1858 and home to the Bullfighting Museum; “el Almázar” (press), which houses the Honey and Wax Museum and has one of the few existing devices for extracting wax from honeycombs; Bodega Redonda, headquarters of the Utiel-Requena Denomination of Origin Regulatory Council, which houses the items pertaining to the Valencia Region Wine Museum.
Utiel has several wineries that produce excellent wines to accompany its rich cuisine, including products that have been recognized with the “CV” Utiel Gastronómica Quality Certification.
The festivities held in Utiel include the Fair and Festivities held in honour of Our Lady of the Remedy, which take place during the first half of September; the pilgrimages of Our Lady of the Remedy, held on 6th September and the last Sunday in October, and the Gastronomic Fair held in mid-October.
Festivities:
The Main Festivities take place from 6th to 15th September in honour of the town’s patron, Our Lady of the Remedy. The activities organized during the festivities include competitions, a funfair and a farm equipment fair, bull-running, bullfights, parades, competitions for paellas and other typical dishes, as well as a floral offering.
During the festivities the statue of the patron saint is carried down from the hermitage to the town’s main church. Other celebrations include “Las Fallas”, held in honour of Saint Joseph (19th March), Carnival, and Saint John, held on 24th June.
