Town Hall facade |
Alameda is situated north
of Antequera, close to the border with the province
of Cordoba. The easiest way to get there is by the main road towards
Mollina, although one could also take the road that leads to the crossroads
with the National 331 Cordoba-Malaga. The municipality takes its name
from the Álamos stream, this being an area where many roads and pathways
cross between Malaga, Seville and Granada. The parish church of the
Immaculate Conception was
built on the banks of the stream in 1663 by the Marquis
of Estepa. Being about half way between these cities already mentioned,
it was a place where horse-drawn coaches and travellers spent the night.
In fact, it was these travellers that fell victim to the famous bandit
"El Tempranillo", whose tomb is in the church of Alameda. The
old town centre grew up
along these routes, increasing in size as new urban areas
surrounded the core. The archeological remains found in the municipality
show that Alameda was inhabited since the Upper Palaeolithical and
the Neolithic Ages. These settlements lasted until Roman times, when the
town began to take on the
shape it has in our own day. Alameda must have been
a fairly strategic place at that time, to judge by the fact that three
of the most important roads of
the period passed through the town. Nothing much
is known about Alameda in the centuries following the Roman period,
with only a small sixth
century find showing the existence of a Visigoth population.
It is not until the 16th century that the area became part of the
Marquis of Estepa´s estate, and not until the end of the 17th century
does the town take on the
importance it had in Roman times.
From the beginning of the 19th century, Alameda became a province of
Malaga and began to
take on the structure it has in our own day.
| Places
to be visited |
Archeological
remains and other monuments
The Baroque-style Church of
the Immaculate Virgin, dating from the 18th century,
is to be found in Alameda. There are also archeological remains
that show how important the place was
in Roman times, the most outstanding of
these being the Roman hot springs. Here too is the Calcolithic
Necropolis from 2,500 B.C.
Another important monument is the Fuente de la Placeta, a fountain
built in the time of Carlos 111 using Antequera stone. As far as
nature parks are concerned, there is
the nearby Laguna de la Ratosa, where the
spectacular flamingoes can be seen. The area is, in fact, rich in
flora and fauna, the most
obvious being the olive trees and the little forests of pine,
eucalyptus and oak. This marvellous landscape can be enjoyed best
by taking part in some of the
many organised activities like trekking, cycling, water
sports and pot-holing.
"El
Tempranillo"
José María Pelagio
Hinojosa Cobacho was a bandit known popularly as "El Tempranillo",
the Early One. He was born in Jauja on June 21st, 1805, to humble
parents. In his youth, for reasons of the heart, he killed a young
man of a higher social class in a
fight in the mountains of San Miguel during
a local festival. That meant having to flee to the mountains and
hide from the law. He soon
gathered a group of like-minded men around him and began
his remarkable career as a highwayman, demanding money in exchange
for safe passage through the
mountain passes. His style, bravery and intelligence
gave him the name of King of the Sierra Morena, or Prince of
Andalucia, while his generosity
towards the poor made him into a myth in the manner
of Robin Hood. But he eventually became disillusioned with his way
of life, and he then set out to hunt
down the very men he had lived with in the mountains.
He was granted a pardon by the Hermitage of the Fuensanta de
Corcoya and pardoned also by the king,
Fernando VII, being named at the same time
commandant of the mounted unit whose task it was to hunt down the
bandits. In September of 1833 he fell
into a trap set by the bandit "El Barberillo",
who had hidden himself in the Buena Vista Cortijo and fired on
El Tempranillo from a window, hitting
him in the back. With the death of the famous
one-time bandit the myth lived on. His remains now rest in the
Church of the Immaculate
Conception in Alameda.
Museum of
farm tools Antonio Cortés
C/ Cañada, 32. By
appointment only. Tel: 952 710 195. |
| Where
to eat |
Restaurante San
Benito. Traditional food, specialising in gachas (a
flour-based mix), spinach and bread
crumbs. Ctra. Alameda-Antequera. Tel: 952
111 103.
Mesón El Tempranillo.
Traditional food. C/El Tempranillo. Tel: 952 711 009.
Bar Gobernoso. Specialising in
tapas. Plaza de Andalucía, 14. Tel: 952 710 184.
Bar Galeón. Tapas and
traditional food. C/Granada, 26.
Bar Moraga. Specialising in
tapas. Plaza de España, 3. Tel: 952 710 771.
Cafetería Juan Jiménez.
Plaza de España, 14.
Bar Los Cazadores. Traditional
cooking. Avda. de la Libertad, 5. Tel: 952 710
135.
Bar Andalucía. Home cooking.
C/Granada.
Bar La Lezna. Home cooking,
with a function room. C/Granada, 6.Tel: 952 710 080.
Bar Angel. Traditional food.
Large dining room. C/Jacinto Benavente. Tel: 952
710 531.
Bar Las Palmeras. Meals and
tapas. Plaza de España, 12. Te: 952 710 233.
Bar Restaurante Cándida.
Traditional cooking. Ctra. Alameda-Mollina. Tel: 952
710 011.
Bar Casa Pedro. Specialising
in tapas. Avda. de la Libertad. Tel: 952 710 061. |
| Where
to sleep |
Hotel
Posada de José María "El Tempranillo".
Ctra.
Alameda-Mollina, Km.1. Tel.
952 711 009.
Hostal Las
Palmeras. Plaza
de España, 12. Tel. 952
710 233.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga (in
Spanish) |
| Links |
Add |
| Turance.
Turismo y Recursos, Andalucia Centro. Services and complementary
activities: sport, environment,
theatre, craft and animation. |
Signposting of the
Tempranillo Route |
FIESTAS
Alameda´s festival calender
starts on the night of February 2nd with the Night
of the Candelaria (candle lighting). This involves a fireworks display and
the lighting of candles all around the town, with stalls set up for the sale
and consumption of local produce. The
Holy Week begins here with the Palm Sunday procession and continues on from
the Wednesday of Holy Week to Easter Sunday, with the closing of the festivities
by the Sacramental Brotherhood bearing the Resurrected Christ in procession.
The San Isidro Romería takes place on May 15th, which has its own
characteristics in Alameda. There are three separate parts of this: the first
is on the night of May 14th, when the streets of the town are decorated
with flowers and other items - with the best street chosen in competition
- and there is speech-making at the end. The next day sees a carriage
competition, and the festivities end with a picnic in the countryside
in the afternoon. The August Feria takes place. of course, in August,
during which the streets and squares are adorned with flowers and bunting,
flamenco music and dance takes place and everybody has a wonderful time
over the days and nights of the feria.
GASTRONOMY
The Alameda cuisine is
identified mainly with agriculture and the countryside,
the most typical meals being those that have been prepared by country
people over many years. These include the almond and garlic sauces, rabbit
and hare with rice, and puddings like the gachas, cream puddings, rice
with milk and, of course, the doughnuts and other pastries that the area
is famous for. Recommended too are the magdalenas (cupcakes) and home-made
mantecados (a type of cookie). It must be remembered that olive oil
is the basis of most of the dishes from this area, and this is what gives
the local cuisine its unique flavour.
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