Chapel of Santo
Cristo from the 14th century |
Almogía, "The Pretty One", as the
Moors called it, is situated in a strategic
position to the west of the Malaga Mountains. The existence of the
remains of old Roman
roadways passing through the region points to an important
geographical position since pre-historic times. We reach the area
from Malaga by the old
Antequera road, through hilly countryside where the highest
peak is Santi Petri, at 797 metres above sea level. Most of this
land is scrub, with
olive trees in abundance, although there are indications of
older oak forests that used to cover these mountains. It is especially
spectacular in the
Retamares Gorge, and there are splendid views from the Santi-Petri
area. There are two theories about the origin of the name of the
town, but all historians
agree that it goes back a very long way. Diego Vázquez
Otero relates it to the ancient tribes of the al-mexíes, while Asín
Palacio claims that it
meant "The Beautiful". In either case, it is clear
that the town was an
important urban centre in Moorish times. During the Omar
ben Hafsún revolt against the Cordoba Omeyas, the fortress of Sancti
Petri (Hins-Xan-Biter)
played a vital part in the defence of Bobastro. The town
was surrendered to the Christian forces in May of 1487, when the
Christian captain Mosén
Pedro Santiesteban was named mayor. Later the Moriscos
of Almogía took part in the rebellion of 1570, and being defeated,
most of them were
expelled from the region. This left the land depopulated, and
it was subsequently occupied by Christians from Teba and Antequera, then
part of the Kingdom of
Seville. Almógia and its castle was invaded by French
troops during the War of Independence, and was destroyed by them in
the later flight from
the area, as an act of vengeance.
Places
to be visited
 |
Hins-Xan-Biter
Castle
In the time of the Caliphate, the castle was one of the principal
defensive fortresses in the
protection of Bobastro, capital of the Omar Ben Hafsum kingdom.
It was also used as a prison for Christian captives at this time.
Local legend claims there to be an
underground passageway from the castle to the
church, formerly a mosque.
Church of
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
The church was build on the ruins of an old mosque that
disappeared after the
re-conquest. In charge of construction work in 1522 was Diego de
Vergara, architect of the Malaga
diocese. Its central nave is covered in the Mudejar
style and is of great artistic and cultural value. Of special
importance inside are the images of
the Immaculate Conception, the Child Jesus
and the painting of St. Peter the Hermit, all from the 18th
century.
Hermitage
of the Sagrado Corazón (the Sacred Heart)
Situated in the upper part of
the town, this building dates from the 18th century, although
there was an older construction
here from before the year 1521. It was once joined to
the closed convent of the Sacred Heart which was long since
demolished, and has a small
bell tower and choir. The patron saints of the town, San Roque
and San Sebastián, are venerated in the hermitage. Another
hermitage is the Tres Cruces,
situated between the municipalities of Almogía, Cártama and
Álora.
Chapel of Santo Cristo
This is a tiny square building with a crucifix inside, built on an
earlier construction dating
from the 17th century, but changed considerable in the late
19th century. It forms one of the fourteen Stations of the Cross
that are scattered throughout
the town, and are a source of much devotion. It is situated
in the centre of the town, in the street of the same name. Most of
the houses in the centre are low in
size and whitewashed, with red tiled roofs.
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| Where
to eat |
Bar La Loma.
Specialising in home cooking and fries. C/Arrabal de los Angeles,
5. Tel: 952 430 089.
Closed on Sundays.
Bar El Coco. Specialising in
fries and varied tapas. C/Arrabal de los Angeles,
5. Tel: 952 430 081.
Bar El Pasaje. Specialising in
fish and se foods. C/Iglesia, 3. Tel: 952 430 454.
Bar La Plaza. Specialising in
varied tapas and fried fish. Plaza de la Constitución,
3.
Restaurante Al-Mexia.
C/Arrabal de los Angeles, s/n. Tel: 952 430 581. |
| Where
to sleep |
Hostal
La Loma. C/Arrabal de los Angeles, 5. Tel: 952 430 089.
Rural acommodation
Al-Mexia. C/Arrabal de los
Angeles, s/n. Tel: 952 430 558.
Rural houses. C/Arrabal de los
Angeles, s/n. Tel: 952 430 558
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga (in
Spanish)
|
The tower of the
Church of La Asunción |
FIESTAS
Almogía retains its customs and traditions through its many festivals.
They
begin with the Romería de San Isidro, around May 15th, and the Cattle
Fair
that takes place a few days beforehand. The big festival is at the
beginning
of August, when the Trilla (Threshing) Competition takes place. In this,
the
people of the town remember the ancient methods of separating the grain
from
the straw, in what is referred to as the Art of the Trilla. There are
three
sections to the competition, involving singing and other arts connected
with
threshing. At almost the same time the Verdiales Festival takes place, one
of the most important of its type in the province. In it, performers from
the three different styles of this musical form participate. And finally
there is the August Feria, in honour of Our Lady of the Assumption. There
are also smaller festivals taking place right through the summer in the
various barrios of the town. The most important of the purely religious
festivals is Holy Week, when processions are the
order of the day.
GASTRONOMY
The most outstanding local dish in Almógia is the Chanfaina, made with
kid
and almond, but there are many other local delicacies in the area
associated
with the production of pork.
VERDIALES
The verdiales is
one of the most primitive fandango musical forms, performed now
in only a few mountain areas. For this reason too it is one of the purest
of the Andalusian musical traditions. In the Festival of the Verdiales
there are three different styles: the Almogía, the Montes and the Comares.
The river Campanillas flows through the
municipality, leaving the verdiales musical
style in the area to the east of the river similar to that of the Montes,
while on the west side of the river the style is Almógia. The Almogía
style is fast, with the violin leading, while in the Montes style the
tambourine takes on more importance.
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