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Spain.
Just
by the fact of being in Benadalid the traveller’s capacity for astonishment
will already be somewhat diluted since to arrive here he must of necessity
have become familiar with mountain scenery. Benadalid will hold for him, however,
the enchantment of a small white village that has preserved a traditional
architecture-one of its greatest attractions-that is adapted to the mountainous
landscape to be seen in the Genal valley. For more information about property
for sale in Spain in or near Benadalid please contact us.
The greatest heights to be seen in this area are those of the Peñón de Benadalid (1,116 m) and Loma de la Sierra (1,137 metres), in the neighbouring municipality of Benalauria. The small, urbanised area of Benadalid is bordered by the Frontón and Espichi streams, which farther down the mountain join the Benamaya, a direct tributary of the River Genal. The luxuriant plant growth of the forest (cork oak, pine, live oak and chestnut trees, the more abundant the closer one gets to the river) changes character in the vicinity of the village, where olive groves, vineyards and grain fields predominate, along with almond trees.
The first historic mark was left in Benadalid by the Celts, a population that submitted to the Roman power as soon as the latter was established in the region. A fortress was built that, centuries later, the Muslims would make use of. It is at that point that more definite historical records begin to appear about this locality, which was founded in the eighth century, soon after the Arabs landed on the Iberian Peninsular, by the Berber Banu Jalid tribe. This name of this tribe evolved into Ben Adalid (sons of Jalid), and finally formed the present name of the village.
Its location for centuries made it a frontier between Moors and Christians and therefore the scene of confrontations, and for even longer than that if one considers that earlier it had, for a time, been the capital of the Ta Kurnna region that was controlled by Omar Ben Hafsun, leader of the Muladí uprising against what, at the time, was the all-powerful Cordoba. In 1485 it was conquered by the Marquise of Cadiz and incorporated into the kingdom of Castile.
As of that date the history of this territory
parallels that of the many other villages of the province of Malaga:
a few years of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians followed
by rebellion and expulsion of the Moors, the arrival of some long-time Christians,
decadence, abandonment and, in this region, use of the complex mountain terrain
by the bandits who in the nineteenth century turned the highlands into their
own little fiefdom.
Fiestas
The Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians) celebration in late August,
coinciding with the local patron saint festival, stands out in the festive
calendar of Benadalid. It goes on for two full days in the castle and its
surroundings.
The ritual dates from the early seventeenth century-this is shown by texts
from that era-and in its general outlines is like that of other Spanish villages
that during the Middle Ages were on the frontier between one side and the
other.
The Muslims steal the statue of the patron saint, which is in the castle,
whereupon the Christians kidnap the children of the Moors who have perpetrated
the act.
On the second day, both sides attempt an exchange-the Moorish children for
the statue of the saint-but an Arab traitor makes this impossible. After the
inevitable battle between them, the Christians come out victorious and the
Moors are baptised.
The Día del Niño (Day of the Child) is celebrated during the
August fiestas with special events dedicated to the little ones, and there
is a flamenco soirée after the San Isidoro mass and procession. The
fiesta in October in honour of the patron saint, the Virgen del Rosario, also
draws a big public.
Food
A variety of sopa de hinojos con verduras (fennel stew with vegetables)
ranks as the most characteristic dish of this village, along with “malcocinao”(literally
means badly cooked) made with vegetables. Sopa de vinagre (vinegar soup),
gazpacho caliente (hot gazpacho, a soup usually served chilled) guiso moruno,
whose principal ingredient is sardines, and stew during Holy Week enrich the
culinary offer of Benadalid, which is completed by such confectinery items
as borrachuelos (wine buns), arroz con leche (made with rice and milk), “cañas”
(small pastry-like cakes) and honey. A highly regarded young wine is produced
in this region.
How to get there:
The two main routes to this village from the Costa del Sol start
from the AP-7 expressway or the old N-340 highway. From either you can take
the A-376 at San Pedro de Alcántara in the direction of Ronda,
and before arriving at that city turning onto the A-369, which after passing
through Atajate leads to Benadalid. You can also
leave the AP-7 or the N-340 at Manilva, get onto
the A-377 in the direction of Ronda, and arrive at
Benadalid after passing through Gaucin and Algatocin.
Tourist information:
Town Hall, Plaza Beni Al Jali, 1 (29493). Telephone: 952 152 753; Fax: 952
152 802
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