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Ham Museum

Ham Museum

Museo dedicado a la tradición jamonera local, exhibe instrumentos históricos y ofrece una experiencia cultural sobre la elaboración artesanal de jamones.

Centuries ago, our town was renowned for its famous hams, as mentioned by Miguel de Cervantes in two of his universally acclaimed novels: *La Gran Sultana Doña Catalina de Oviedo* and *El Casamiento Engañoso*. In the latter, Cervantes writes: “And if she is recovering well, a few slices of Rute ham will do the trick.” There have also been historical references to the hams of Rute, such as the Duke of Medinasidonia’s hospitality towards King Philip IV on the occasion of the latter’s visit to the Coto de Doñana, during which 300 hams from Rute were served—a quantity that suggests the existence of a significant artisanal ham industry. The fact is that the landscape of Rute at that time consisted mainly of holm oaks and vineyards, which, combined with its favourable climate and altitude, made Rute an ideal place for rearing pigs. Today, the artisanal production of pork-based meat products, such as ham and cured meats, continues to thrive in our town thanks to Jamones Rute. For this reason, Jamones Rute, in its desire to support, preserve and promote this traditional food industry, came up with the idea of creating this Ham Museum. The Ham Museum, run by Jamones Rute, is a dream come true. The company was founded by the Jiménez Bueno family over 60 years ago, and over time they have collected a wide variety of tools and equipment related to the artisanal production of the hams and sausages on display here, with the care and dedication that characterises them. Open all yearround www.jamonesrute.com