The memory of the stones brings to
life the past that once witnessed our birth each day.
When we look at them, we realise that they are there
not by chance but rather by causality.
A causality sculpted by the epic poetry of discord,
the reason behind reconciliation or human worship
of the divine.
The most significant evidence of this to be found in
the city of Málaga is la Encarnacion
Cathedral. Possibly as a result of the
time it took to built, 254 years no less, it is characterised
by a blend of styles that range from the Islamic essence
of the patio to the Baroque relief of the façade,
not to mention a series of Gothic and Renaissance features.
However, it would seen that even 254 years was not enough
time to complete the Cathedral, the building’s
non-existent south tower earning it the nickname of
“Old One Arm”. Nevertheless, the works of
art housed inside its colossal stone framework are fully
complete. Creations by Pedro de Mena, a collection of
Baroque paintings, an XVIII century organ and the chapels
of Nuestra Señora de las Angustias and Cristo
de la Buena Muerte all from part of the legacy of the
temple commissioned by the Catholic Monarch in the first
half of the XVI century.
The appreciation of the divinity of human creation once
took the form of a clamorous ovation in the tiers of
the Roman
Theatre. Built in the I century B.C., this
Odeon from the time of Augustus played host to fictitious
tales until the late III century, when a Germanic invasion
brought an end to an area. Some its columns were used
in the construction of the neighbouring Alcazaba
fortress, a watershed between the Chriatian
and Islamic cultures that was built during the time
of the empire of King Badis of Granada. Conceived as
a defensive citadel, the “Captives Yard”
and “Christ’s Arch” are just two of
the locations that speak of its history. At the beginning
of the century, it was home to over 100 people.
The twelve-metre-high keep was aided in its surveillance
duties by a castle that stood atop the “Yevek-Faruk”
(Lighthouse Hill). A leisurely stroll along the parapet
walk that crowns its walls will suffice for us to
understand just how well it complemented the aforementioned
watchtower in its task of observing even the furthest
of horizons.
Horizons which suddenly draw a little closer as we are
confronted with a delightful, almost aerial panorama
of the city. The castle’s interpretation centre
situates to the period during which it was used as a
military garrison between 1487 and 1925. Another such
centre will help from Mother Nature: Ronda’s
New Bridge. The dream of linking the pavements
of the old and modern quarters of the town and bridging
the gaping chasm of the Gorge became a reality between
1735 and 1793 thanks to the inspiration of Martin de
Aldehuela, the same architect responsible for drawing
up the plans for one of the largest (and oldest) bullrings
in the world.
The Neoclassical style of Ronda
Bullring was designed to delight its 6,000
spectators with every pass of the cape. And this figure
is just a tiny fraction of the tourists who flood here
each year, making it the third most visited monument
in all Andalusia.
Considerably smaller, though strangely charming, is
Mijas Bullring,
built at the request of local inhabitants in 1900. Its
curiosity resides in the fact that it is oval in shape.
Mijas Still retains its four watchtowers, all of which
are in an excellent state of repair, as well as the
remains of its former fortress, now home to gardens,
a viewpoint and the Virgen de la Peña Chapel.
However, if sumptuous buildings are
what you are looking for, then a visit to the subtly
spooky Colomares Castle near Benalmadena is a must.
The largest known monument erected in memory of the
feats of the explorer Christopher Columbus, it is a
veritable jigsaw puzzle of Gothic, Romanic and Byzantine
styles, pieced together by Esteban Martin and two local
builders. However, such touches of fantasy are not only
to be found in the town of Benalmadena; they are equally
present deep in the heart of Nerja
Caves.
Here, there is a little room for reality in the Ghost
Room, while the Bethlehem, Cataclysm and Cascade rooms
are all havens of geological treasures in the section
of the aptly-named “caves of wonders” that
are currently open for public for public viewing, which
accounts for only one third of the whole complex. The
wisely-concealed whim of the goddess Gea is also home
to 22 cave paintings.
First discovered by the curiosity of a group of mischievous
children in 1959, the Cave, officially declared a National
Monument, receives over 2,000 tourists each year, making
it one of the most visited locations on the Costa del
Sol.
Somewhat gloomier are the hollows of the Menga,
Viera and Romeral dolmens in Antequera.
The former supports a stone-slab roof structure weighing
some 180 tons. The fact that this imposing funerary
structure dates back to the Bronze Age makes it the
most important collection of dolmens to be found anywhere
in Europe.
Prayers for grandeur rise to the heavens in a wholly
different manner beneath the dome of the main altar
of the Royal Collegiate
Church of Santa Maria, whose excellent
acoustics make it the ideal venue for the concerts occasionally
staged here. No longer is a place of worship, this National
Monument, which was built as the first of the Renaissance-style
churches between 1514 and 1550, nevertheless still used
as an exhibition centre. It also housed a Chair of Grammar
and Latin founded by the Antequera poets of the Golden
Age.
As we leave this religious monument, we will encounter
stone staircase that leads to the gardens of the Alcazaba
fortress, green labyrinths which ring to
the sound of the town’s largest bell. This is
to be found in the Keep, a sister tower to those at
Puerta de Málaga and Puerta Blanca, all of which are
of Muslim design. In order to escape from this magical
setting and head for the heart of Antequera, we must
first pass beneath the Giant’s
Arch. Built in 1585, in addition to guarding
the entrance to the Alcazaba, it is also adorned with
a number of inscriptions and Roman statues.
Antequera not only boasts more inhabitants than any
other town or village in the province, it also has the
most churches and convents in relation to its number
of parishioners, almost thirty in total.
All of these deserve a mention, but pride of place must
go to El Carmen by virtue of its exquisitely-decorated
interior, notably the altarpieces of the XVIII century
main chapel. Santago Church, the Convents of Belen and
Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, the Church of
Jesus and the Votive Chapel of Portichuelo are just
a few of the other mysical locations to be found here.
The Plaza del Portichuelo, the square that is home to
the latter two temples, was used some years back in
the shooting of “The Bridge of San Luis Rey”,a
film starring Robert de Niro andHarvey Keitel: inside
the aforementioned votive chapel, the actresses Kathy
Bates and Pilar Lopez de Ayala gave full rein to their
cinematographic prayers, with the mountains of El Torcal
in the background simulating the landscape of the Andes.
While on the subject of the province’s religious
buildings, special mention must be made of its third
largest: The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnacion.
Located in Alora
in the Guadalhorce Valley, it took a whole century to
build (1600 to 1699). Recently restored, it is decorated
with angels, sculptures and exquisite XVII-century frescos.
Alora’s culture is lapped by the waters of the
River Guadalhorce, which flow into the famous El Chorro
Reservoir. And though both the spring and the location
in question are different, Istan also boasts its own
“Chorro”.
This is the name given to the famous
water trough guarded by brick arches which is briefly
home to the water that springs from the seven spouts
of a fountain fed directly by the pure source of the
Sierra Blanca. The holes bored in the rock to allow
pitchers to be filled still survive, as do the songs
of the local women who would wash their clothes here,
as some still continue this practice today.
Every street is home to a scene, a legend, a glimmer
of days gone by. Villages which are monuments in themselves,
whose centres have been declared Areas of Artestic Interest,
such as Teba and Archidona. Villages which have sprung
up around a castle or chapel. Guardians of Málaga’s
past.
