Following an investigation initiated in October 2024, the Civil Guard has successfully recovered a 16th-century papal bull, a document of great historical value for El Viso del Alcor. The authenticity of the parchment, believed lost for decades, has been confirmed after a technical study and comparison with records from the Vatican Apostolic Archive.
This historical document is closely linked to the Battle of Lepanto, fought on October 7, 1571. The bull was granted by Pope Pius V to the parish of Santa María del Alcor and is associated with the participation of Fernando Arias de Saavedra, VII Lord of El Viso and IV Count of Castellar, and a group of men from the locality in that historic battle.
The Civil Guard's investigation focused on a local resident who eventually voluntarily handed over the parchment on September 2. The document was deposited at the Provincial Historical Archive of Seville of the Junta de Andalucía for analysis, which determined its compatibility with an original pontifical document from the second half of the 16th century.
The recovery of this piece represents the restitution of a fundamental part of the memory and documentary heritage of El Viso del Alcor. The story of the bull and its connection to the participants from the locality in Lepanto is part of the town's cultural tradition, kept alive through historical events and reenactments.
The City Council of El Viso del Alcor has thanked the work of the Civil Guard, the Parish of Santa María del Alcor, and the Archdiocese of Seville in preserving this heritage. The operation was carried out by agents from the Investigation Area of UPRONA and the Judicial Police Heritage Group of the Civil Guard Command in Seville.
