Typical facade with
the church tower behind |
Benarrabá is situated 37 kilometres from Ronda and
157 from Malaga, between
the Vegetas and Infiernillo streams, forming part of a collection of
municipalities in the valley. The main natural feature of the area is the
existence of large cork tree plantations, but there are also many oak,
chestnut and pine trees growing in the region. The landscape is thus very
beautiful as it runs down towards the Genal river, rich in vegetation like
arbutus, heather, myrtle and a great variety of fern. The town itself sits
on the side of a mountain, the streets narrow and winding in the typical
style of the region and showing clearly its Moorish past. The only
indication of a Christian town here, from a distance, is the church tower
with its tiled roof, with the 18th century houses showing a later European
influence. Overlooking the town was a castle that was very important for the
defence of the region in its day, and historians speak of a subterranean
passageway between the castle and Benarrabá, Gaucín and Casares. The name
of
the town derives from the Banu Rabbah family, the children of Rabbah, a
tribe that populated the Genal Valley in the time of the Moriscos. Following
the re-conquest, the town passed into the hands of the aristocratic Medina
Sidonia family. Legend has it that there was a family of dyers in Moorish
times that lived on the banks of the Genal river, and there made their
exquisite crimson dyes. Their secret, it was said, was in the magic
properties of the river water, from which they filled their wells. Their
produce was sent to Cordoba, Granada and Malaga, and the magic formula
remained in the hands of the dyer Abdesalam ben Arrabat, whose fame as an
alchemist spread far and wide. In fact, he used sulphuric and nitric acid
cfor his dyes,
quite rare in those days.
Places
to be visited
 |
Church
of San Sebastián
The parish church of San Sebastián is one of the most interesting
buildings in the area. Its
construction dates from the first half of the 18th century,
although as in the case of too many
historic buildings all over the country, it
suffered a great deal of re-construction over the years, and was
also damaged in the Civil War.
The interior is divided into three naves separated by
pillars supporting semicircular arches, with the main chapel
square in ground plan. The
whole is covered in a semi-spherical vault decorated in coloured
gesso with drawings of eight saints, including the four evangelists,
the Martyrdom of San Sebastián and the Annunciation. On both
sides of the main chapel there are two
smaller chapels, square in plan and with
vaulted ceilings. There are two other small chapels as well, one
in each nave, with a similar
style of ceiling. The most notable aspect of the exterior
is the facade of the base, finished in a concave/convex design,
with a brick entrance. This doorway
has a semicircular arched top on pillars with
a timber fascia, supporting a pediment in which there is a niche.
The tower, situated at the end
of the Evangelio nave, is square in shape, although
the part that houses the bell-tower flows into a slightly
octagonal shape. This has four
semicircular arches on pillars, topped with a semi-spherical
dome covered in ceramic tiles.
Hermitage of Santo Cristo de la Vera Cruz
This church dates from the 17th century, although it has suffered
re-construction since that time. It
has a single nave, once covered in timber,
and a main chapel square in ground plan with a semi-spherical
vaulted ceiling. There is a marvellous
altar made in coloured wood that dates
from the 18th century. The exterior is simple in design, a semicircular
arch over a rectangular shape with a triangular pediment, and a
steeple reaching up from here.
|
| Where
to eat |
Bar
Andrés Sánchez. Specialising in tapas. C/Pósito, in
front of the Town Hall. Tel:
952 150 068.
|
| Where
to sleep |
Banu
Rabbah rural hotel. 12 rooms with good views,
restaurant with traditional
food, and swimming pool.
Casa rural 'La Yedra'. 2-4
beds, fireplace and full meals. Reservations: 952 150
288.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
|
Detail of windows and
balconies with flowers |
FIESTAS
The festivals in Benarrabá tell us a
great deal about the way of life in the
towns of the Genal Valley. The festival in honour of the patron saint of
the
town, San Sebastián, takes place on January 20th, and on September 29th
the
festival honours San Miguel, this last one being the so-called Fiestas
Grandes of the locality.
On June 24th the Romería de San Juan takes place on the banks of the
Genal
river. There is a theatrical representation of the Auto de los Reyes Magos
on January 6th, using the streets and squares of the town itself as a
stage.
When the theatrical performance ends, gifts are
handed in to the church
GASTRONOY
One of the most typical products of the
locality is pork products in all its varieties,
and dishes made from pork are available all the year round. Gazpacho
is eaten in summertime, and when the cold weather comes the soups get
hot, with callos (pigs¹ trotters and snouts) and mushrooms favourites
too. The best time for desserts is at
Christmas, when all types of pastries are
made, using local produce. As far a craftwork is concerned, one can
purchase excellent ceramic work here, as well
as wickerwork baskets and
items made in macramé.
TREKKING
For nature lovers, Benarrabá offers a
marvellous landscape with lush forests that
is quite unique in the province, and one can enjoy this on foot, by
bicycle or on horse-back. The best places to
visit are the Peñón, the Genal River
Routes, the Pinsapo Woods (Los Reales) and the vulture breeding grounds
in the Guadiaro Valley. There is a
rural hotel in the area, two rural houses to rent and two reconditioned
cortijos (farmhouses) with excellent facilities all year
round.
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