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The
municipality of Cuevas de San Marcos, in the northern part of the province
of Malaga, stretches to the border of the province
of Cordoba, and from the River Genil to the Malnombre
mountain range and El Camorro in Cuevas Altas. This is a mixture of landscapes
alternately of low brush, olive groves, pines, live oaks and almond trees
and even the tranquil waters of the Iznajar reservoir,
which forms some of the most striking scenery in this area. For more information
about property for sale in Spain
in Cuevas de San Marcos please contact us.
Cueva de Belda (Belda cave) is unequivocal proof that the first human settlements in this area occurred in the Prehistoric (Chalcolithic) period, and since that time this territory has been populated by different civilisations that have left evidence of their culture. The menhir (standing stone) known as El Niño de Piedra (The Stone Child), Iberian ceramic relics, and axes and other tools from the Bronze Age that have been found in various places all point to man’s continuous presence in these lands, and of course the Romans also passed through here.
In his “Geography” Ptolemy takes
note of the existence of the town of Belda in the year 298 B. C., which indicates
that it already existed at the time of the Romans’ arrival. Coins from
the Later Roman Empire have been found, as well a bronze coffin, urns and
a number of mosaic paving stones with which it has been possible to reconstruct
a fragment of a mosaic that portrays the face of a young person. And if Belda
was one of the most prosperous cities in Betica (ancient name of Andalcsia)
during the Roman era, it only increased in importance under the Arabs.
At least from the Muslim invasion in 711 A. D. until the tenth century this
area was the stage of violent events, prominent among which was Omar Ben Hafsun’s
rebellion against the Omeya Caliphate. Although this contradictory personality
had his general headquarters in Bobastro, he set up defensive fortresses in
different places in the province of Malaga, and
one of them was on the El Camorro hill in Belda.
Records from earlier years are so scarce that it is not possible to be certain what occurred in these environs until the arrival of the Christian troops. The castle commander of Antequera, Pedro de Narváez, sent a 350-man expedition to conquer Belda and accomplished this in 1424, but as he did not have sufficient troops available to post a garrison he ordered the houses destroyed, along with the castle that Omar Ben Hafsun had built. Juan II donated the Dehesa de Belda (Belda grazing lands) to the city of Antequera, and it was divided into four farmsteads. Two of them were the origin of Cuevas Altas and the others developed into Cuevas Bajas.
Fiestas
The village’s main fiesta or fiestas are celebrated from 12 to 15 August.
A varied schedule of activities is presented on those dates to entertain children
and adults alike. The Noche de las Candelas (Bonfires Night) is observed on
7 December. Bonfires are lit on numerous streets, where the people congregate
to dance and sing folk songs and, since Christmas is near, even carols. On
16 July the Virgen del Carmen (Virgin of Mt. Carmen) is borne in a procession
through the villages and a second patron saint festival is held on this day,
since the first is that of San Marcos.
On 25 April, the day of the patron saint San Marcos, literally anyone in the village capable of movement goes out to the country to fulfil the tradition of “tying up the devil”. As in other localities, this is involves tying a knot in a bunch of jaramagos (a kind of plant with yellow flowers) that are collected in the country. The pilgrimage is held near the Iznájar reservoir, an area that in the last few years has become the gathering point for several surrounding villages due to the favourable conditions it offers for spending a relaxing day.
Food
Cuevas de San Marcos has a large enough cookbook to satisfy any taste. Porra
and gazpacho (cold soups), so native to this area, head the list of traditional
dishes, but immediately following them one must list sopa de gato (“cat
soup”, but it has nothing to do with that animal, since it is made from
onion, tomato, peppers, bread, black pepper, saffron and fried olive oil with
garlic), migas (a dish made from fried bread crumbs), salmorejo (a sauce containing
olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper), sobrehúsa (a kidney bean preparation),
ajoblanco (a cold soup), gachas (a soup made of flour with seasonings), escabeche
(a sauce for preserving fish) and relleno (turkey and ham with bacon, stuffed
in a length of tripe).
The local confectionery is worthy of the main
courses, and special mention should be made of roscos de huevo and roscos
de vino (spiral pastries made, respectively, with eggs and wine), tortillas
de pascua (a type of omelet), pan de cortijo (farm-style bread), borrachuelos
(a type of muffin), gachas de mosto (gachas with wine), carne de membrillo
(quince preserves), embustes and flores de leche (a kind of custard). And
finally, as an aid to digesting the traditional Cuevacho fare, try a glass
of licor de membrillo (quince liqueur) or rasolí, two locally made
drinks.
How to get there:
Leave the city of Malaga by the A-45 (N-331) in
the direction of Antequera. Before entering that
city connect with the A-92 and after less than three kilometres again take
the N-331 (no longer an expressway at this point) towards Lucena. Right at
the border of the province of Cordoba turn onto
the A-6212 and Cuevas de San Marcos will be eight kilometres beyond Cuevas
Bajas.
Tourist information:
Town Hall, Plaza Luis Armiñán, 32 (29210). Telephone: 952 728
002 y 952 728 500; Fax: 952 728 522.
Cuevas de San Marcos
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