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The
municipality of Velez Malaga, the largest and most populous in the La Axarquía
region, lies mainly within the watershed of the River Vélez, which
is formed by the Rivers Benamargosa and El Guaro and irrigates, a broad and
rich lowland. This territory as a whole, however, with its terrain of medium
elevation (the highest peak is Veas on the eastern slope, at 703 metres) exhibits
the typical characteristics of the La Axarquía region. For more information
about property for sale in Spain
in or near Velez Malaga please contact us.
Due to its large area, one seventh of the entire La Axarquía region, and to the fact that it possesses the most fertile land in the region, the municipality of Vélez-Málaga includes several centres of population. They include Torre del Mar (the most tourist-oriented and highly developed), Benajarafe, Triana, Trapiche, Almayate Bajo and Almayata Alto, Cajiz and Chilches, among others, as well as numerous tourist developments in the coastal zone and scattered farm communities in the interior. Thus, only half the population of the municipality is concentrated in the town of Velez Malaga.
This, the main municipality in La Axarquía –a name that comes from the Arabic “as-Sarqiyya” (the East, or the east side)- has a long and complex history beginning with the first Phoenician settlements on the Toscanos hill on the right bank of the River Vélez in about 800 B. C. It should be pointed out that the mouth of the River Vélez, in olden times, formed a bay between the Peñón and El Mar hills that served as an anchorage, and that communications from there with the interior of Andalusia were relatively easy by way of the Boquete de Zafarraya (Zafarraya Gap). At the foot of the Toscanos slope, next to the former bay that is now covered by a mud flat, a warehouse with Phoenician, Greek and Etruscan ceramics was discovered. This confirmed the commercial activity at the Toscanos trading post, whose population has been estimated at 1,500, a considerable size at that time. Some historians contend that this enclave may have been the ancient Mainake that was founded by the Greeks.
Smelting ovens and metal slag, materials confirming
that minerals were exploited here, have been found at the nearby El Peñón
hill. A little farther north, at the Alarcón hill, a rectangular building
has been discovered that well may have been a fortress, while at the El Mar
hill more than 30 tombs from the seventh century B. C. have been found. Likewise,
the Necrópolis del Jardín (El Jardín necropolis) north
of Toscanos has more than 100 tombs from the sixth to fourth centuries B.
C. At the El Mar hill, site of the ancient seafaring city of Maenoba in front
of Toscanos, research that has been conducted so far has confirmed the existence
of a trading post for the dried fish industry. In this area, the industry
consisted of producing garum, a sauce that was introduced by the Phoenicians
and extensively used by the Romans.
Nevertheless, the city of Velez Malaga was founded in the tenth century, at
the height of the Muslim domination. The town grew up around the fortress-alcazaba
and immediately spread towards the La Villa neighbourhood, which would become
the ancient Muslim “medina” or city centre. It was one of the
most important medinas in the Nazarite kingdom between the thirteenth and
fifteenth centuries. It was not a very large city but it was well fortified
and defended by a solid set of walls. As the population increased and could
not fit within the walled compound, a number of suburbs sprang up, which are
now the neighbourhood of Arroyo de San Sebastián and the plazas of
San Francisco and Constitución. There is documentation of the existence
in the thirteenth century of several “alquerías” (rural
population centres) whose residents were engaged in agriculture. These alquerías
included Almayate, Benamocarra, Benajarafe,
Iznate and Cajiz, among others, and were the origins
of those villages. Vélez-Málaga’s importance between the
twelfth and sixteenth centuries is shown by records left by such writers as
El Idrisi, Abulfeda, Ibn Batuta and Abd-al-Basit, the Egyptian historian who
in the mid-fifteenth century told of the commercial activity at the port of
Mariyya Ballis (Torre del Mar).
The course of Vélez-Málaga’s history changed when in April
1487 Fernando the Catholic left Córdoba for La Axarquía for
the purpose of taking its capital. Along the way noblemen and residents of
the villages through which he passed joined his ranks and he thus arrived
in the vicinity of Vélez-Málaga with an army of 50,000 infantry
and some 12,000 cavalry, according to Hernando del Pulgar, chronicler of the
War of Granada. In the meantime, the fortress of Bentomiz, practically the
only place that Vélez-Málaga could look to for relief, surrendered
to the Christian troops. Nor did the skirmishes of El Zagal, who left Granada
to come to the assistance of the Veleños, help much.
The last Muslim castle commandant of the city, Abul Cacim Venegas, on 26 April
1487, sent an emissary to draw up the terms of surrender, which occurred on
the following day. The Muslims also undertook to prepare the city to receive
the Catholic Monarchs, which it did on 3 May of that same year.
The new political authorities tried to make Vélez-Málaga into
a different city from what it had been under Muslim rule, and for this purpose
planned an architectural renewal programme that included a new arrangement
of public spaces and the construction of secular and religious buildings.
This idea was hindered by the rugged terrain in the urban district, so the
intended restructuring of the city only got so far as a few public spaces
(Plaza de la Constitución and the suburb of San Francisco), a few houses
of the nobility and to quite a few churches and convents. Thus, the sixteenth
century was remarkable mainly for the construction of new religious buildings.
The urban character of the city remained the same during the seventeenth century
and construction of churches and convents received even greater emphasis,
resulting in what some have chosen to call a “convent city”. This
is nothing unique to Vélez-Málaga, however, but has happened
in many Andalusian towns in such a way that the most spacious public plazas
may also be used for staging large religious demonstrations such as the Semana
Santa (Holy Week) and Corpus Christi.
The port of Torre del Mar, in the meantime, experienced such an increase in
business that in the eighteenth century its expansion was planned in order
to better route the grape and citrus harvests that were being shipped to northern
Europe.
Vélez Málaga supported the Bourbon dynasty in the War of the
Spanish Succession and it was in its waters that the naval engagement that
some call the Battle of Málaga and others the Battle of Vélez-Málaga
was fought. This historic event occurred on 23 August 1704. On that day, the
Spanish-French fleet confronted the Anglo-Dutch one, with the former suffering
1,500 casualties and the latter losing 3,000 men. In total the two sides had
146 craft in combat, with 3,577 cannon and more than 46,000 men. Modern opinion
is that neither side gained anything from the battle, but some students of
the subject, point out that the Spanish-French fleet’s losses were fewer.
The eighteenth century was especially favourable for the city, with notable
growth in all sectors: churches and public buildings were built or repaired,
the city’ infrastructure was improved and its accesses beautified, and
the ideas of the Enlightenment even began to be known, due in large part to
the creation in 1783 of the Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País
(Friends of the Country Economic Society).
The next century began on a bad note. The yellow fever epidemic of 1804 severely
devastated the population, with more than half of the residents dying. The
Municipal Government also suffered the consequences of the epidemic and its
powers were assumed by the military. The Napoleonic invasion and the installation
of a French puppet government divided the population into two factions that
would oppose one another for control of the government throughout the nineteenth
century. Later, there were several cholera epidemics, the phylloxera pest
destroyed the vineyards and the earthquake of 1884 completed a dismal picture
whose only ray of light was the expansion of the sugar cane fields under the
auspices of the Larios family.
Fiestas
The Real Feria de San Miguel de Vélez-Málaga (San Miguel Royal
Fair of Vélez-Málaga, around 29 September) has its origins,
as do so many others, in a livestock show that began to be held in 1842. By
1915 these festivities were already being spoken of as a neighbourhood verbena
(traditional street party), and at the present time it is one of the most
important celebrations in the La Axarquía region. The day fair in the
streets of the historic quarter is remarkable. During the festive days there
are performances by “pandas de verdiales” (traditional Málaga
musical groups) and Rocío choirs, sports competitions, food tasting
shows and all the entertainment events that are customary at fairs. The Salón
de la Alimentación y las Bebidas de la Axarquía (La Axarquía
Food and Drink Exhibition, or Agroalimar) takes place at the same time. It
was first held in 2004 and is intended to be a recurring event, and benefits
from the organisation provided by the Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca
de la Junta de Andalucía (Council of Agriculture and Fisheries of the
Assembly of Andalusia).
The Día de la Cruz (Day of the Cross, 3 May) has a special significance
in the El Pilar neighbourhood. The residents decorate the streets with altars
and crosses and there is a verbena (traditional street party) adjacent to
the Cruz del Cordero that is always lively and well attended.
The Virgen de los Remedios pilgrimage takes place around 15 May, beginning
with a Rocío mass at the El Cerro hermitage and continuing in an olive
grove on the Camino del Torrox (Torrox road), where
the pilgrims and their carts gather. The pilgrimage draws larger crowds each
year as Rocío groups from other places have been joining in this celebration.
During the day food and drink are shared and there is a dressage competition.
On 16 July the city organises the Veladilla del Carmen (El Carmen soirée),
which might be considered the Vélez-Málaga summer fair. There
is an international chess tournament and also flamenco and modern music performances.
On the third Sunday in October a procession brings the Virgen de los Remedios
Coronada (Crowned Virgin of the Remedies, the patron saint) down from her
El Cerro hermitage to the San Juan church, where she remains until the second
Sunday in November when she is again borne in a procession to her sanctuary.
The Carnival has always been one of this city’s most popular celebrations,
as is apparent from a 4 February 1877 resolution by its Town Hall announcing
“the traditional mask customs” that warns that “the authorities
will be on the lookout to prevent abuses”. At the present time the competition
of “murgas” and “comparsas” (songs, usually criticizing
local, national or international figures or events) is held in the Teatro
del Carmen (El Carmen theatre).
Because it has so many different communities this municipality’s fiestas
make for a very full festive schedule. For example, Cajiz and Triana celebrate
their day of San José de Nazaret (Saint Joseph of Nazareth) on 19 March.
There are various performances in the booths after the mass and the saint’s
procession.
Food
Because the municipality of Vélez-Málaga includes both
coastal and interior areas it offers a broad and diversified cuisine. As well
might be imagined the most traditional item in the coastal communities is
pescaíto (small fried fish) in all its forms, but that does not mean
that cuisine on the coastal strip is derived exclusively from the sea. Interior
specialties are routine in any of these villages, and likewise in the interior
one can have excellent fish dishes.
The most traditional Vélez-Málaga specialties are berzas (a
cabbage dish with green beans, potatoes, chickpeas, aubergine, squash and
meat), ajoblanco (a cold soup), ajobacalao (codfish and garlic dish) and ajoporro
(leeks), as well as sopa de maimones (a soup made with bread and olive oil
and other ingredients), gazpacho (a cold soup) and chambao (made with diced
tomatoes, peppers, onions and cucumbers and a quantity of olive oil). Mostachones
(a pastry containing pine nuts) and tortas de aceite (olive oil cakes) are
the most notable pastries. It should not be forgotten that tropical fruits
(mangos, custard apple, papayas and avocadoes) are some of the main products
of this municipality and the visitor is advised to sample these fruits.
How to get there:
From any point on the Costa del Sol take the Mediterranean Expressway
(A-7; N-340) towards Motril-Almería, or towards Málaga
if you are coming from Nerja or Torrox. The old
N-340 passes through the centre of Torre del Mar and from there to Vélez-Málaga,
which is just four kilometres away; the route is practically like driving
through a city and is very well marked. Likewise, the signs on the Mediterranean
Expressway announcing the Vélez-Málaga access leave no room
for doubt.
Tourist information:
City Hall, Plaza de las Carmelitas (29700). Telephone: 952 559 100;
Fax: 952 504 616. Office of Tourism: Avenida de Andalucía (Torre del
Mar). Telephone: 952 451 104.
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