Juan Valera y Doña Mencía

A cultural and historical project

The website juanvalera.org is a cultural project created by Antonio Cantero Muñoz and Cristóbal Borrallo Gómez to mark the centennial of the death of Juan Valera Alcalá Galiano (1905–2005). It is a resource for historical and documentary research rather than a commercial business.

Main topics

The site brings together research on the writer and diplomat Juan Valera's connection to Doña Mencía in Córdoba, as well as on popular religious traditions and Holy Week in Doña Mencía, Baena (Córdoba), Motril (Granada), and Trujillo (Cáceres). It also features historical documents and studies of archaeology, food, and local customs.

Featured sections

• People: articles on Juan Valera's ancestry, his patronage of religious chapels, and his connection to festivals in Doña Mencía.
• Routes and places: Valera-themed routes and the Valera Chapel at the Dominican church in Doña Mencía.
• Religion: studies of the Canto de la Pasión, penitents, and religious devotions during Holy Week in Doña Mencía and other towns.
• Documents: transcriptions of the Ensenada Cadastre and historical compilations.
• Food and wine: articles on wines and Mencian cooking, including Valera's work as a winegrower and winemaker.
• Archaeology: research on Doña Mencía's historical and archaeological museum and sites such as El Laderón.

Historical context

The site references books including Don Juan Valera y Doña Mencía by Gregorio Sánchez Mohedano (1948; reissued in 2001) and Doña Mencía, el pueblo de D. Juan Valera by César Sánchez Romero (2005). The authors make lesser-known and previously unpublished accounts of Valera's connection to the town available to the public.