Subbetica
Ventorros de Balerma
The village of Los Ventorros de Balerma is situated in the south-east of the municipality of Iznájar, bordering the province of Granada, with the peculiarity that a street, popularly known as Calle del Límite, marks the administrative boundary between the provinces of Córdoba and Granada.
Its name derives from the Fuente de Malerva, which was transliterated into Balerma, and its Arabic term ‘suq al-arbaa’ means ‘Wednesday market’, perhaps because a market was held here during the years of Muslim rule. The term ‘La Venta’ (inn) or ‘Ventorro’ indicates that this place served this purpose, as it is situated on the road leading to Loja, which was heavily used during the Reconquista.
Among the most notable architectural features is the Chapel of San Isidro, which was completed in 1908 and built on the site of an earlier chapel where this image was also venerated; the local resident Ángel Herrero García covered the costs as a result of a vow he had made.
Of particular interest are: the ‘Fuente de Balerma’, which gave the village its nickname, and the ‘Fuente de Jato’, a watering hole situated on the royal cattle track known as the Cordel de Loja. The viewpoint on the hill stands out, from which one can see, on one side, the entrance to the tail end of the reservoir in the municipality of Loja, in the province of Granada, and on the other side, a picturesque view of the village of Iznájar, perched on a high sandstone hill.
A pilgrimage in honour of San Isidro is held on the Sunday closest to his feast day on 15 May, and the Feria Real takes place around 15 August.