The Santa María parish, working alongside the Tourism Department of Daimiel City Council, has announced a new series of free guided tours of its Stoltz organ, a historically and musically significant instrument dating back to 1865. This initiative aims to engage both locals and visitors with the unique qualities of the organ and the cultural heritage of this Gothic temple, which began construction in the late 14th century, as highlighted by the parish priest, Valentín Sánchez-Rojas, on Radio Daimiel.
Following the positive reception of previous events, the next tour is set for the morning of Saturday, 7 November at 12:00, with another scheduled for 12 December. While registration is free, participants are encouraged to make a voluntary contribution to assist with the funding of the organ's purchase and installation in the parish. Reservations can be made at the Municipal Tourist Office (Calle Santa Teresa s/n), with groups limited to around 25 people to ensure a personalised experience.
The tour begins with an educational presentation on the origins and general history of organs. Participants are then divided into two groups; one will access the choir to closely examine the keyboards, stops, and the intricate wooden mechanics of the instrument, while the other group will tour the church and the parish museum with the parish priest, discovering historical pieces such as chalices and chasubles, before swapping places.
Regarding this experience, Sánchez-Rojas noted that “people are impressed to discover the cultural and historical background that Santa María holds, a parish with a 600-year history.” Since its inception last year, approximately 150 people have participated in these guided tours, attracting a diverse audience ranging from local families to music enthusiasts and visitors from neighbouring towns in the province of Ciudad Real. The priest remarked, “there is increasing interest thanks to word of mouth, and for any organist, it is something very special to play an instrument made in 1865.”
The parish also uses these gatherings to gather feedback from attendees and collect their contact information for future cultural events. Among the upcoming activities, plans are underway for an organ concert before the Christmas holidays, with the exact date to be announced soon. Sánchez-Rojas emphasised that “everything we can do for culture and for Daimiel will remain here, because this heritage belongs to the entire community.”
The Stoltz organ at Santa María is notable for its historical uniqueness. Acquired six years ago from the Grimaldi family in France, it is the only one of the four Stoltz organs preserved in Spain that was built by the founder of the artisan workshop, making it older than the three located in the Basque Country. Additionally, it features an aesthetic peculiarity as “its wooden façade closely resembles the main altarpiece of the parish.”
