Typical scene in
Benadalid |
Benadalid is right in the heart of the Genal
Valley, the Guadiaro Valley also
being within its municipal borders, along with the the mountainous area
that separates both
valleys. The countryside surrounding the urban centre is a
mountain range that incorporates the Tajo de los Aviones, the Tajo de la
Cruz and the Monte del
Cuco, some of these peaks reaching more than 1,000 metres
in height. The town of Benadalid is situated on the slopes of the
mountain of the same name,
with the houses following the lie of the land in a
north-south direction. The layout of the town is in two distinct parts.
The
northern part that has a clear Moorish influence, and the southern part
where the layout is more
geometrical and where the religious and administrative
buildings are located. The
only evidence of early settlements in the area comes from literary
sources of the Roman
period that tell of a Celtic population in the mountains,
these people being there on the arrival of the Romans after the
defeat of the second Punic
War. The area was quickly subdued and played its part
in the economic life of the empire, becoming fairly prosperous along
the way. But despite the
sound defensive systems in place, with the castle and
the watch-towers, the Moors faced little resistance and conquered the
area in the 8th century.
They remained rulers of the Ronda Mountain range right
up to their expulsion by the Christian forces in the 15th century.
The Conde de Feria was
awarded the municipalities of Benadalid and Benalauría
in 1494, and the local Muslim population lived side by side with
the Christians here until
the expulsion of the Moriscos in the following century.
This left the area quite de-populated, the remaining Christians
being old and few, and
since then the history of the town has followed more or
less the history of all the towns in the Ronda Mountains. It suffered the
War of Independence with
the French and became a hide-away for bandits in the
late 19th century.
Places
to be visited
 |
The
town
The houses in Benadalid are mainly small and whitewashed, with two
tiny windows, one close to the
door on the ground floor and one on the second floor.
The doors are usually framed in wood, mainly chestnut, and there
is often a shutter or half-door
to allow the light and air in without having to keep
the door open. There are many Baroque doorways in the town, in
most cases being of simple
design, but some having intricate carvings in Renaissance
style. These date from the 17th and 18th centuries, although
there are some later examples too.
This type of decoration is also used in the
windows of some houses, which is a typical Baroque element.
Rural tourism
Benadalid was a pioneer in rural tourism in the province of
Malaga, having a total of 13
rural houses now for rent all the year round. There is also a
rural hotel with 18 double bedrooms, a
sitting room, library and all the services
necessary to make a stay here a very enjoyable experience. This
hotel is situated beside the Molinos
(Mills) de Isabel Orenas and Candelaria,
dating from the 18th century.
The Castle
The castle of Benadalid is situated to the north of the town and
is currently used as a
cemetery. Its floor plan is regular, with the main entrance
facing the north west. The walls are of rubble mixed with mortar,
and it has three cylindrical towers,
one having fallen down. One part of the wall
has been reconstructed, and one of the towers is situated beside
this wall, being square in
shape. Unlike the other two towers, this one has been lived
in. In the centre of the complex is the entrance to an underground
dungeon. The origin of the castle is
uncertain, but some historians tell us it
was Roman, while others suggest the 13th or 14th centuries. What
we do know, however, is that
following the re-conquest it belonged to the Dukes of Feria-Alcalá,
and since the 17th century was the home of the Medinaceli family.
El Alambique Museum
C/Clavero, 6. Open Mondays to Thursdays, 12 a 4 and 6.30 to 11
p.m., and Fridays, Saturdays
and Sundays from 12 midnight. Closed on Wednesdays. Tel: 952
152 771.
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| Where
to eat |
Restaurante La
Solana. Tradition cuisine of the area. Specialising in
home-cooked meats. Ctra.
Ronda-Algeciras, Km 22. Tel: 952 117 217.
Restaurante Los Labraos.
Typical Serranía cooking. Specialising in lamb stews
with plums. Ctra. Ronda-Algeciras, Km 23,300. Tel: 952 117 058.
Restaurante Aguayar. Tradition
cuisine of the area. Specialising in chicken in
beer and steak with pepper. Ctra.Ronda-Algeciras, Km 25. Tel/fax
952 152 768.
Mesón-Museo El Alambique.
Tradition cuisine of the area. C/Clavero, 6 bajo. Tel:
952 152 771.
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| Where
to sleep |
Hostal
Aguayar. Ctra.Ronda-Algeciras, Km 25. Tel: 952 152 768.
Rural houses
El Lagar (10
p.) Tel: 952 152 771, Casa
Real (6 p.) Tel: 952 152 814, Casa
Jiménez
(2 p.) Tel: 952 117 058, Casa
Aguayar (6 p.) Tel: 952 117 058, Casa
la
Solana (6 p.) Tel: 952 152 781, Casa
San Judas (17 p.) Tel: 952 152 836, Casa
Relojero (2 p.) Tel: 610 618 248, Casa
Ortega (6 p.) Tel: 610 618 248, Casa
El Zumaque (6 p.) Tel: 610 618 248, Casa
El Patio (6 p.) Tel: 952 152 819,
Casa Pilar (6 p.) Tel: 952 152
753, Casa Antonio (6 p.) Tel:
952 180 165.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
|
The Plaza with the
Town Hall in the background |
FIESTAS
The biggest festival of the year in
Benadalid takes place on August 26th, which
is the feria in honour of San Isidoro, one of the patron saints of the
town, with the other patron saint - the Virgen
del Rosario - being honoured in
October, when a mass is said in the local church. Among the activities
organised for the August feria are the Day of
the Child, when an art exhibition is
mounted to show the children¹s work, and the Velada Flamenca (Flamenco
performance) after mass and the procession dedicated to San Isidoro.
The most important single event year is the theatrical representation
of the war between the Moors and the Christians, shown in August
too. Documents discovered tell us that this tradition goes back to the
17th century, at least, a tradition interrupted only by war. The scenario
for the show is the castle and its surroundings, and it is divided into
two acts. In the first act, the Christians, already in the castle, are
surprised by a Moorish attack. The Moors take
off with the image of the patron saint,
while the Christians seize the Moorish children. In the second act
an exchange is agreed upon, but the Moorish king attempts to trick the
Christians. A battle is fought, and ends with
the baptism of the kidnapped children
and the Moorish king.
GASTRONOY
One of the most traditional dishes of the area
is the variation on fennel soup with
vegetables. There is also the delicious mal cocinajos, a dish made from
pork pieces, and the guiso moruno, a dish of Moorish origin whose main
ingredients are sardines, and the hot gazpacho
and vinegar soup.
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