Iglesia de Santa María de la Asunción (Santa María de la Mesa)

The original construction of the Church of Santa María de la Asunción in Utrera is 15th century Gothic. It is located in the historic-monumental centre of the city, on an elevated terrain, so it is also known as Santa María de la Mesa.

The gateway at the foot of the church, the monumental Puerta del Perdón, was built in about 1550. It is a tower façade comprising a great semi-circular triumphal arch, with a richly decorated interior based on coffering and tondi with classical heads in the spandrels, by the architect Martín de Gaínza. The 60 metre tower is the highest in Utrera, together with that of its neighbour, the Iglesia de Santiago el Mayor de Utrera, and has four deceasing bodies. The first two date from the third quarter of the 16th century and are attributed to Hernán Ruiz II. The upper bodies, in Baroque style, were built between 1756 and 1774, after the earthquake of Lisbon in 1755.

Diego López Bueno constructed the sanctuary and the transept between 1603 and 1625. In the walls of the side naves, in the late 18th century and early 19th centuries, two new doors in neo-Classical style were opened, called the Puerta del Sol and the Puerta de la Umbría, built by the architect José Echamorro.

The interior has an open floor plan with five naves, featuring the 17th century Main Altarpiece and at the foot of the central nave, the Baroque organ. The impressive choir stalls are from 1774 by Felipe del Castillo. On one side is the praying figure of Don Diego Ponce de León, founder and patron of one of the chapels, from the 16th century.

Other interesting buildings are the Capilla del Sagrario, the Capilla Sacramental and the Sacristy, where you'll find the Rector's office, which is home to a painting on the panel of the Virgin with Child, between San Sebastián and San Roque, by Bernardino Luini (1480-1532), a disciple of Leonardo da Vinci. In the Burial Crypt the remains of illustrious personalities from the city are buried, amongst which those of the Condes de Vistahermosa.

The Church of Santa María de la Asunción was declared of Cultural Interest in 1979 under the category of monuments.