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The
small area of the municipality of Archez –only 5 square kilometres-
confers an almost domestic character upon this territory that is reaffirmed
by the landscape itself, which except for the nearby Tejeda and Almijara mountain
ranges seems to shun the spectacular geographic features that are the norm
in La Axarquía. For more information about property
for sale in Spain in or near Archez please contact us.
The valley of the river that bears this municipality’s name and that later takes the name Algarrobo forms a landscape of level-topped heights with no great contrasts of elevation. Some hills near the river change into terraces that permit the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, in contrast to the classic native low brush, in this case- of all this territory.
The Tejeda and Almijara mountain ranges provide Archez with an abundance of water that feeds into several tributary streams to increase the river’s flow, and after the rains several ponds remain that are often visited by people familiar with the place.
This locality is included in the Moorish Route
not only because it is a necessary step to the other villages that make up
this route but also because it has one of the best examples of this kind of
art in the province of Malaga: the minaret-tower
of the La Encarnación church. It is strange, therefore, that along
with such a significant monument there exists no documentation that would
reveal the events that occurred in this village centuries ago.
Despite the lack of historical documentation the existence of a Moorish monument
of the first magnitude predisposes one to believe that Archez must have had
a certain importance in the Muslim era, and considering its geographic setting
it is also not hard to imagine the part that it may have played in the Moorish
rebellion in the La Axarquía region.
It is considered certain that the village had its origin in a Moorish farm
community, and it is indeed documented that it was conquered by Christian
troops in 1487, along with the settlements around it. Archez became a part
of the lordly estates of Don Diego Fernández de Córdoba, a lordship
that later passed into the hands of the Marquise of Comares.
Aside from this historical footnote, no other chronicle sheds light on the
history of Archez until in the nineteenth century it is written about the
village, that at that time, “Looms, for white and blue linen, were operating
(colours very popular with the Muslims, curiously enough), as were three distilleries,
two flour mills and four oil mills,” all of which indicates remarkable
economic activity for a place that must never have had many inhabitants.
Fiestas
The municipality celebrates its first fiesta on 17 January, the day of San
Antón. On the evening before there is a lively verbena (street party)
and the next day the pilgrimage takes place. The people accompany the saint
to the Corumela crossroads, where the livestock are blessed. After this traditional
event, the Town Hall invites the citizens to a lunch on the River Turvilla
promenade.
The Semana Santa (Holy Week) centres around
the processions that are held on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. On the first
day the images of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (Our Father Jesus of
Nazareth) and Jesús Crucificado (the Crucified Christ) are carried,
and on the second day it is the turn of the Virgen de los Dolores o de la
Soledad (Virgin of the Sorrows, or of Solitude).
On Sunday Jesús Resucitado (the Resurrected Jesus), carried only by
women, concludes the Semana Santa in Archez.
Corpus Christi day has a celebration that has recently been added to the traditional
Santísimo Sacramento (Holy Sacrament) procession: the so-called Noche
Andaluza (Andalusian Night), for which cultural, sporting and folkloric activities
are scheduled.
The fair in late July in honour of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
(Our Lady of the Incarnation) gets under way with the opening of the fairgrounds,
and all the days dedicated to the patron saint are enlivened by the music
of the Municipal Band. The traditional “corrida de cintas” (horseback
“ribbon race”), is now even done on motorcycles.
Food
The natural products of the nearby fields appear in most of the traditional
dishes of this locality, where the visitor can sample a delicious potaje de
hinojos con arroz (fennel stew with rice), migas (a dish made from fried bread
crumbs) generally accompanied by arenques (herring), ajoblanco (a chilled
soup) and tortitas de bacalao con miel (codfish cakes with honey).
How to get there:
You can get to Archez by the Mediterranean Expressway (A-7) from
any point on the Costa
del Sol. Near Vélez Malaga turn towards
Algarrobo on the A-6203 and continue on to
Sayalonga and immediately afterwards take the
MA-115, which goes to Archez.
Tourist information:
Town Hall, Calle Clara Campoamor, 1 (29753). Telephone: 952 553 159; Fax:
952 553 019
Property for sale Archez
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