Look to your right at this humble white chapel, easily spotted by its heavy rectangular wooden doors and the distinctive espadaña a flat, arched wall rising from the roof that cradles a single bronze bell.
That bell, named the Holy Family, has watched over this street since 1723. But the heartbeat of this place is the festival of San Antón. Records show that as far back as 1709, people gathered right here for bonfires, fireworks, and roasted broad beans. It is a tradition that has outlasted empires.
It is here that the memory of a shoemaker named Florencio, known to locals as "Toquis Nonis," truly comes alive. In the late 1800s, he was the master of ceremonies, responsible for lighting the great bonfire at precisely four in the afternoon. But one bitter winter day, he found a homeless man shivering in a doorway at two o'clock. Toquis Nonis broke every rule of protocol. He lit the wood two hours early, declaring to the freezing man, "I always light it at four, but today, you are not going to pass any more cold."
That act of kindness is now immortalized in the parade, where a large papier-mâché figure of the shoemaker marches alongside a festive little piglet and the Order of the Tau. This spirit of community is exactly what saved the building itself. By 1996, this 16th-century hermitage was crumbling into ruin. The government didn't save it... the neighbors did.
They launched the "Auction of Toñas"-a bidding war for sugary, round sweet breads donated by local bakeries. They literally turned pastry into preservation, raising the funds to reinforce the walls. As they dug up the floors to fix the foundation, they uncovered a surprise... four human skeletons buried by a column, a secret resting place no one knew existed.
Today, the hermitage is a vibrant cultural center, and the neighbors still share a "Gran Toñón," a giant sweet bread, to celebrate their victory over time. We have seen how a community can pull a treasure back from the brink. Now, prepare yourself for a story of something that is no longer there. Please walk three minutes to the Torre del Orejón.
