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This
surprising and picturesque La Axarquía village stretches across one
of the slopes of the looming Sierra de Tejeda range, while its municipal territory
extends to the vicinity of the La Maroma peak (2,065 metres), considered the
“Roof of Malaga”. For more information
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in or near Canillas del Aceituno please contact us.
The visitor arriving in this region finds himself immersed in a landscape that is simply spectacular, both for the mountains themselves and for the panoramic views to be seen from every point. A pine forest, broken by rocky expanses on its upper levels, covers the northern part while in the south the landscape has more in common with the dominant terrain of La Axarquía, although it does not cease to be rugged. Here one sees hills covered with vineyards and olive groves, occasionally mixed with fruit and citrus orchards and market gardens.
To the twenty-first century mind the location of the village has to seem arbitrary, but the fact is that its placement is due to two factors that were crucial in the Middle Ages: abundant water in the area and, if the need should arise, the possibility of serving either as a safe refuge or as a strong natural defensive position.
Remains discovered in the region known as La Fáfara show the presence of primitive man in this territory, and it should be kept in mind that it is relatively close to the Boquete Zafarraya (Zafarraya Gap), a natural pass from the most remote antiquity between the coast and the interior of the Peninsular. It is also more than probable that both the Phoenicians and Romans passed through this area since they did through others very close to here.
Nevertheless, one must look for the origin of
the village as such to the Arabic era, when the first nucleus of population,
Canillas Azzeitún, was created. The village preserves this name with
a slight variation. It is known that it belonged to the Kingdom of Granada,
but the exact date of its conquest by the Christian troops is unknown. The
Moorish rebellion, however, is very well documented, especially a strange
occurrence in which romantic, political and military factors interacted.
The chronicles state that a Moor named Al Muezzín, who assisted the
Alpujarreños in the famous sixteenth century uprising, came to Canillas
looking for his wife who at the time was the slave of a Christian. Al Muezzín
promoted the uprising in Canillas de Aceituno and some of its men, emboldened
by the cause, killed eight Christians who happened to be in an inn. Upon being
informed of the act, the Judge of Vélez imprisoned an unknown number
of Moors and tortured and stripped them of their possessions, thus causing
the uprising to become generalised. Once it was put down, the Moors were expelled
from the village and the castle was destroyed by orders of Felipe II.
The locality was repopulated by Christians
from Archidona, Antequera,
Lucena and Cabra, and apparently also from Andújar. This would explain
the devotion to the Virgen de la Cabeza, who is the patron saint of both Canillas
de Aceituno and of Andujar.
Fiestas
The carnivals in February are this municipality’s first celebration
of the year, and it then takes a break until the last Sunday in April, when
the Día de la Morcilla (Day of the Morcilla) is held. On that, date
visitors are treated to the excellent morcilla (a type of sausage) that is
produced in the locality and that is customarily accompanied by bread and
wine. In mid-May is the San Isidro pilgrimage, and on the second week of August
the Virgen de la Cabeza is again the star attraction of a fiesta, in this
case the village fair, when the image of the Virgin is borne in a procession.
The Candelarias celebrations (8 and 9 September) are also deeply rooted in
village tradition.
Food
El chivo al horno de leña (kid roasted in a wood-fired oven)
is considered one of Canillas de Aceituno’s most traditional dishes
and certainly it is one of its most appetising. However, ajoblanco (a cold
soup), migas (a dish made from fried bread crumbs), gachas con mosto (a soup
made of flour and spices, and in this case young wine) and potaje de hinojos
(fennel stew) are also eaten routinely, and to these dishes might be added
sopa de tomate (tomato soup) and pan romano (Roman bread). In the field of
confectionery we find roscos “tontos” and roscos de vino (kinds
of spiral pastry) and tortas de aceite (olive oil cakes). The local sweet
wine goes well with any dessert.
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