{"id":23632,"date":"2026-11-08T01:11:53","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T01:11:53","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-11-14T21:12:24","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T21:12:24","slug":"iglesia-mayor-encarnacion-posito-nuevo-fuente-25-canos-loja","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/granadasmile.com\/en\/iglesia-mayor-encarnacion-posito-nuevo-fuente-25-canos-loja\/","title":{"rendered":"Church of La Encarnaci\u00f3n, El P\u00f3sito &#038; Fountain of the 25 Spouts in Loja"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gs-experience-lead\">Strolling through the historic quarter of <strong>Loja<\/strong> to link the monumental <strong>Iglesia Mayor de la Encarnaci\u00f3n<\/strong>, the Renaissance stone facade of <strong>CIC El P\u00f3sito (16th century)<\/strong> and the crystal-clear water of the <strong>Fountain of the 25 Spouts in La Alfaguara<\/strong> is the finest urban triangle in western Granada (<em>Poniente Granadino<\/em>). Three listed heritage landmarks that unite Castilian civic architecture, Moorish water culture and local love folklore at the foot of the <a href=\"https:\/\/lojaturismo.com\/loja-patrimonial\/monumentos\/la-alcazaba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alcazaba of Loja<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"gs-curiosities-box\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,#fffbeb 0%,#fef3c7 100%);border-left:4px solid #d97706;border-radius:14px;padding:22px 26px;margin:26px 0;box-shadow:0 6px 20px rgba(217,119,6,0.08);\">\n<h2 style=\"margin-top:0;color:#92400e;font-size:1.28rem;\">\ud83d\udd0d Secrets of La Encarnaci\u00f3n, El P\u00f3sito &#038; the 25 Spouts<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:20px;line-height:1.75;color:#1e293b;\">\n<li><strong>The legend of the 25 spouts and true love:<\/strong> A traditional tile on the <strong>Fountain of the 25 Spouts<\/strong> (historically called the <em>Fuente de la Mora<\/em>) preserves a famous rhyme promising love before the year ends to anyone who drinks from all twenty-five bronze jets.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The silver processional cross gifted by Queen Isabella:<\/strong> The church treasury holds a carved silver cross presented by <strong>Queen Isabella I of Castile<\/strong> in <strong>1486<\/strong> after the surrender of Loja, beside a 16th-century Renaissance font and a 5th-century Early Christian marble altar.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Philip II\u2019s public grain bank:<\/strong> Marked on its limestone facade by the royal coat of arms of <strong>Philip II<\/strong>, <strong>El P\u00f3sito Nuevo (16th century)<\/strong> lent wheat to struggling farmers during droughts and now operates as the <strong>CIC El P\u00f3sito<\/strong> cultural centre and tourist office.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The inland lighthouse of western Granada:<\/strong> Rebuilt in the <strong>18th century<\/strong> by master builder <strong>Domingo Sol\u00eds<\/strong> following designs from <strong>Ventura Rodr\u00edguez<\/strong>\u2019s circle, the tall ashlar bell tower served as a visual beacon for muleteers across the Genil valley.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>1. Iglesia Mayor de la Encarnaci\u00f3n: Collegiate Monument &#038; Bell Tower<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lojaturismo.com\/loja-patrimonial\/monumentos\/iglesia-mayor-de-la-encarnacion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Iglesia Mayor de la Encarnaci\u00f3n<\/a> is Loja\u2019s principal church and a declared <strong>Bien de Inter\u00e9s Cultural (BIC)<\/strong>. Commissioned in <strong>1491<\/strong> by the Catholic Monarchs on the site of the former main mosque of <em>Madina Lawsa<\/em>, it blends two distinct architectural phases.<\/p>\n<p>Its <strong>16th-century<\/strong> Gothic-Mudejar nave displays pointed arches and a fine timber coffered ceiling, whereas the spacious transept, trefoil apse and commanding bell tower reflect <strong>18th-century neoclassical<\/strong> lines overseen by Domingo Sol\u00eds. Inside lie key historical pieces, including the 1486 silver cross, the marble font where General Ram\u00f3n Mar\u00eda Narv\u00e1ez was baptised, and an Early Christian altar from the 5th century.<\/p>\n<h2>2. CIC El P\u00f3sito (16th-Century P\u00f3sito Nuevo)<\/h2>\n<p>A short walk from the church stands <strong>El P\u00f3sito Nuevo<\/strong>, a sober <strong>16th-century<\/strong> civic granary bearing the sculpted arms of <strong>Philip II<\/strong>. Created to prevent speculation and support local growers with seed grain during dry harvests, the restored complex is now the <strong>Centro de Iniciativas Culturales (CIC) El P\u00f3sito<\/strong>\u2014cultural venue of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aytoloja.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Loja City Council<\/a> and home to the <a href=\"https:\/\/lojaturismo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Municipal Tourist Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Fountain of the 25 Spouts &#038; Washhouse of La Alfaguara<\/h2>\n<p>Walking downhill through whitewashed alleys leads to <strong>La Alfaguara<\/strong> (from Arabic <em>al-fawwara<\/em>, &#8220;the gushing spring&#8221;). Here stands the <a href=\"https:\/\/lojaturismo.com\/loja-patrimonial\/monumentos\/fuente-de-los-25-canos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fountain of the 25 Spouts<\/a>, the largest monumental urban spring in Granada province: <strong>25 bronze spouts<\/strong> fed by Sierra Gorda limestone aquifers pouring continuously into a long carved stone trough beside a timber-roofed traditional communal washhouse on the way to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.juntadeandalucia.es\/medioambiente\/portal\/web\/ventanadelvisitante\/detalle-buscador-mapa\/-\/asset_publisher\/Jlbxh2qB3NwR\/content\/los-infiernos-de-loja\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Genil River gorge<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Folklore &#038; Visiting Tips (2026)<\/h2>\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;margin:24px 0;font-size:0.95rem;box-shadow:0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.04);\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#0f172a;color:#ffffff;text-align:left;\">\n<th style=\"padding:14px 16px;border:1px solid #cbd5e1;\">Landmark<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px 16px;border:1px solid #cbd5e1;\">Verified Visitor Info (2026)<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px 16px;border:1px solid #cbd5e1;\">Official Source<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><strong>\u26ea Iglesia de la Encarnaci\u00f3n<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Plaza de la Constituci\u00f3n. Open during daily services and pre-arranged guided visits.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lojaturismo.com\/loja-patrimonial\/monumentos\/iglesia-mayor-de-la-encarnacion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Loja Patrimonio<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f8fafc;\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><strong>\ud83c\udfdb\ufe0f CIC El P\u00f3sito (Tourist Office)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Mon\u2013Fri: 09:00\u201314:00 &#038; 17:00\u201320:00; Sat: 10:00\u201314:00. Free admission.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lojaturismo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Loja Turismo<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><strong>\ud83d\udca7 25 Spouts Fountain<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Calle Alfaguara, open-air public square accessible 24 hours a day.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.turgranada.es\/es\/municipios\/loja\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Turgranada Loja<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f8fafc;\">\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><strong>\ud83d\udeb6 Walking Route &#038; Rail Access<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">1.2 km downhill walk (45\u201360 min). High-speed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.renfe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Renfe AVE<\/a> trains stop at Loja Station; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alsa.es\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ALSA<\/a> buses serve the town centre.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:12px 16px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/guiadigital.iaph.es\/municipio\/1741\/granada\/loja\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IAPH Heritage Guide<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Start at Plaza de la Constituci\u00f3n in mid-afternoon light for photographs, drop by El P\u00f3sito exhibitions, pick up traditional <em>Roscos de Loja<\/em> pastries at a nearby bakery, and finish walking down Cuesta del Arreador to the Fountain of the 25 Spouts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Strolling through historic Loja to link the Church of La Encarnaci\u00f3n, Renaissance CIC El P\u00f3sito and the Fountain of the 25 Spouts in La Alfaguara.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23628,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-23632","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5Jd8y-69a","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/granadasmile.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/granadasmile.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/granadasmile.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granadasmile.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granadasmile.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23632"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/granadasmile.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23632\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granadasmile.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/granadasmile.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}