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The
green of the Guadalhorce valley and, in the citrus blossoming season, the
fragrance of orange blossoms impregnate a large part of the territory of this
municipality, whose centre of population is divided into two zones, Cartama
Pueblo and Cartama Estación. They are very close together and stretch
out at the foot of the low Espartales and Llanas mountain ranges, each of
which, are 400 metres high, and which together form what is known as the Sierra
de Cartama. For more information about property
for sale in Spain in or near Cartama please contact us.
Given the abundance of water, the valley plains are ideal for raising citrus and vegetables, while in the north the territory joins the Malaga mountains, whose rounded heights seem to be covered with olive and almond trees, with farmhouses scattered here and there as is so typical of a region of small farms. Westward, well within the Guadalhorce region, rises the Gibralgalia range, where the municipal borders of Casarabonela, Coin and Pizarra meet.
Beginning with the Tartessians and Phoenicians the modern territory of Cartama has been occupied by all the succeeding civilisations. The Phoenicians called the primitive settlement Cartha (hidden city), and the Romans derived the name Cartima from this. In the year 195 B. C. the Roman consul Marcus Poncius Cato granted it the status of a municipality and provided it with strong defences. The archaeological sites that have been discovered from the Roman era show that the village must have had a good number of inhabitants. It is thus safe to say that during the Roman period the town was one of the most important in what is today the province of Malaga.
Both the Visigoths and the Arabs were to reinforce the original fortress in later years, but it would be the latter that, aware of its strategic location, modified and consolidated it to the point that during the Nazarite period the castle became a defensive, economic and political nerve centre. In 1485, the Christian troops managed to enter the castle, although not without difficulty, and it was to become a kind of general headquarters of the Catholic Monarchs’ armies. It was in this castle that the conquest of Ronda and Malaga was prepared. After the taking of Granada the fortress fell into disuse until the War of Independence, when it served as a refuge for French soldiers.
Fiestas
Since the community has two centres of population, each one celebrates its
own fiestas, although in the event residents from both places participate
in all of them. In Cártama Pueblo the fiesta above all others, is that
of the Virgen de los Remedios from 22 to 26 April. On the first day, a pilgrimage
is held to convey the patron saint from her hermitage to the San Pedro church,
where it remains until 26 April when she is again carried to her sanctuary.
Besides the entertainment activities, on these days the Cartameños
express all their passion for their patron saint, which people from other
regions also come to visit.
In mid-May Cártama Estación celebrates the fiesta in honour of San Isidro Labrador (Saint Isidore the Farmer) with a traditional pilgrimage on the banks of the River Guadalhorce. San Miguel is honoured in late September at the traditional livestock fair. On 24 June, the day of San Juan, the neighbourhood of Gibralgalia dresses up to celebrate its big day, which includes the classic burning of the “Júas” (Judas), and on the day of Santa Ana (26 July) the tradition of the “Día de los canastitos” (Day of the Little Baskets) is remembered.
Food
Sopa Cachorreña (a soup made with bitter oranges) is the most
customary native dish on the Cartameño menu, along with sopa de espárragos
(asparagus soup), which is seasoned with olives, onions, grapes, oranges or
even prickly pear fruit. Lomo en manteca (loin in lard) in winter and gazpacho
(a cold soup) in summer are other indispensable recipes from the rich cookbook
of this municipality, where pork products are one of the pillars of the economy.
Chacinería (the whole range of cold cuts) from this area is well known
in the entire province of Malaga. The typical sweet
is torta cartameña, whose main ingredients are olive oil and almonds.
How to get there:
The village is only 20 kilometres from the city of Malaga
and is perfectly linked to it by the A-357. The trip, normally, does not take
more than 15 minutes.
Tourist information:
Town Hall, Plaza de la Constitución, 3 (29570). Telephone: 952 422
126; Fax: 952 422 349.
Cartajima property
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