The path from Término to the Hermitage of Hope

Historically, the boundaries of municipal districts, as the boundaries of cadastral areas, were marked by public paths used to provide access to and services for the neighbouring estates. Over the years, and particularly with changes in agricultural practices, many of these paths have fallen into disuse. Although it is no longer possible to trace the routes of some of them on the ground, a few survivors of the traditional municipal roads still exist within the municipality of Cabra. Such is the case with the one featured on this route. Located between the municipalities of Cabra and Monturque, we find a public track with little traffic that is easily mistaken for a simple cart track winding through the rows of an extensive olive grove. However, this is an ancient track which, as well as serving as a boundary marking the municipal boundary, connects the village of Monturque with the site of the old Ermita de la Esperanza chapel, situated in Cabra. A striking feature of this route is the straightness of its course, with hardly any intersections with other paths, running parallel in some sections and perpendicular in others to seasonal watercourses that carry away the rainwater falling on the surrounding olive trees. In a landscape dominated by gently rolling terrain and soil with high iron content – as evidenced by the reddish hues that characterise it – only the solitary holm oaks and farmhouses glimpsed on the horizon break the monotony of the sea of olive trees stretching towards the Subbética mountains. Some of these farmhouses, such as the Cortijo Zamora, are a clear and emblematic example of the traditional architecture of the Cordoba countryside. To round off our route, we arrive at the site of the Ermita de la Esperanza, which, although no longer standing, has left an indelible mark through its building and, more importantly, the vital role it played for many years for rural men and women as a cultural and religious meeting place.