Añover de Tajo

The current parish church of Santa Ana stands on the site of a former church that was the result of the transfer of the parish from "El lugar de abajo" at the end of the 15th century. The present building consists of the 18th century nave and the 17th century tower. The nave was built between 1727 and 1753 according to a project by Pedro Sánchez Román, and the tower, which although it accompanied the previous church was not part of the original project, was erected between 1653 and 1659 by Fray Lorenzo de San Nicolás, crowned with its spire in 1788. The church has three spacious naves, the main chapel is decorated with a grandiose altarpiece finished in 1777. The previous building housed a chapel, possibly a baptismal chapel, which was later amortised. By 1683 it was in a state of ruin, to the point of being closed to worship shortly afterwards, and the images and religious services were transferred to the Vera Cruz and San Bartolomé hermitages. The original bells were refounded in 1914 and, after the Civil War, the current main altarpiece was built in 1944.

The hermitage of San Bartolomé, with its spring and orchard are of "Añover alto" origin. The earliest date we have is 1483 In fact, in 1530, given its state, it was necessary to rehabilitate it. At that time it already housed two relics, a finger of the Saint and a hair of the Virgin. In the 17th century, immersed in a current of renovation of temples, the old hermitage was replaced by a new one in 1676 thanks to the alms of the faithful and the alms given by the council of this town, consisting of 4,000 reals. By this time, its spring of curative waters was already famous. With the new chapel, the 18th century brought a period of splendour. Thus, in 1764 the current silver throne, made by the silversmith Manuel de Bargas, was acquired. It consisted of a single nave with its main chapel built in 1795 by Pablo Caprani, in the centre of which was a plaster altarpiece containing the venerated image of the Saint. On entering the hermitage, on the left, there is a staircase leading to the cave where, through five natural openings in the heather, the prodigious water used to wash the sick is distilled. As reported since 1840, the waters of San Bartolomé could have the quality of curing illnesses, so different people were washed to cure breaks and fractures of the body. The present hermitage of San Bartolomé sits on the foundations of an earlier hermitage, which was demolished due to deterioration. The construction of the new chapel began in 1977 and was completed two years later, thanks to the voluntary contribution of materials and popular donations. The presbytery was restored with granite altar stone. Work began in July 1991 and was completed in just one month.

The hermitage is located on the outskirts of the village following the Calle de Toledo. From its terrace you can see one of the best views that Añover has to offer: La Vega del río Tajo. It is believed to be the oldest standing chapel in the town. It is intended for worship. It consists of a single nave, rectangular in plan, with a small circular vault, located in the western part of the village and with a surface area of 119 square metres. Its interior has been restored in recent years. The first news of the existence of this hermitage can be found in the Relaciones de Lorenzana of 1782. However, the date on the image's surcrown - 1717 - suggests that it dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. After the Spanish Civil War, it was quite destroyed, but it was restored by the will of the families of this village.

The primitive hermitage, located at the foot of the hill of La Vega and of which remains are still standing, although not for long, began to be built in 1644. It stands on the remains of the primitive "Añover bajo" and probably not far from those of the parish church of Santa María. Its construction was the responsibility of the master builder Pedro Díaz de Mejorada, a resident of Añover, who also directed the work on the current tower of the church of Santa Ana and the parish church of Villaseca de la Sagra. Over time it fell into ruin and in the 20th century a new hermitage was built on the top of the hill, where a small castle once stood. Due to the instability of the ground, the chapel quickly became unusable and was demolished a few years ago. The current hermitage of the Virgen de la Vega was erected on the hillside where the urban centre of Añover is located, facing the fertile plain where it was born.

It is said that the current bullring of Añover de Tajo, known as the "Tío Venancio" bullring, began to be built in 1947. The square was inaugurated in 1951, but it was not until November 1989 that the town council acquired the square as its own property and began the restoration of the various buildings. The first step was the roof tier, then the corrals were enlarged, the alley that did not exist before was built, the infirmary, the slaughterhouse and finally the chiqueros and its tier.