The church of San AgustÃn in Jumilla
The figure of the Virgen de la Asunción, the patron of Jumilla, is kept in this 16th century church
This relatively small church, which was built in approximately 1570, was for a long time considered the last place of Christian worship on the road out of Jumilla towards Granada, and even today it still stands in the south-western outskirts of the town. It is principally recognizable by the two Baroque-style domes, one over the main nave and the altar and the other allowing light to reach the niche occupied by Ignacio Pinazo’s sculpture of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, the patron saint of Jumilla.
However, the blue and white tiles which decorate these structures (mirroring the colours of the flag of Jumilla) were added a long time after construction, presumably during the various occasions on which the church has been renovated and repaired over the last 450 years (the last of them between 1949 and 1952).
The main door on the south side of the building is a simple affair, with a rounded archway, a cornice, a window and little else, while the west door is framed by plasterwork and is crowned by a triangular pediment. Above it is the bell-gable, again with a rounded arch.
Its location on the road out of town leads to the church featuring prominently in the Romerías to and from the Monasterio de Santa Ana in Easter Week and early May, and it also plays an important role in the annual fiestas in August. During the celebrations the figure of the patron is paraded to the Iglesia Mayor de Santiago, before she returns home to San Agustín on the final day of the fiestas which are held in her honour.
Mass is held every day at 13.00, and visitors are welcome in the 30 minutes beforehand.
For more information about visiting Jumilla, including what's on, local news and all of the bodegas on the Jumilla wine route, visit the home page of Jumilla Today.
