Typical
architecture in Cartajima |
Cartajima is situated in the heart of the Ronda
Mountains, its municipal area extending to the north through the Oreganal
mountain range and to the south through chestnut, oak and cork woods. The
high location of the town and its surrounding area makes it one of the most
beautiful villages in the region, with startling contrasts between the
sparse mountain landscape and the lower wooded land.
The town itself sits on a hill like an ancient fortress, 800 metres above
sea level. The houses are low and whitewashed, and the streets narrow and
winding in the traditional Moorish style, typical of the Genal Valley urban
landscape.
We have little knowledge of the origins of this town, although there are
various theories on the subject, but some archaeological remains discovered
in Cartajima would suggest that it goes back to the Hellenistic period.
Tombs corresponding to this period were found during the construction of a
building in the Las Peñuelas area, with human remains and some coins
inside, we are told in a written report of the time. But apart from this
description and local legend, there is no other documentary evidence to
support any particular theory of origin. The geographical situation of the
town, however, would point to a Moorish presence in times gone by. The
history of the town from the time of the Christian re-conquest and the
subsequent expulsion of the Moriscos to our own time is, however, well
documented.
The town distinguished itself during the War of Independence against the
French, especially in relation to the guerrilla fighter Andrés García, who
led an attack against the governor of Ronda. King Fernando VII granted the
town the title of Villa in 1814, and right through the 19th century it
experience strong economic growth through wine production and the
development of the iron ore industry in the area. The town even had its own
cannon factory, becoming known popularly as the Cadiz Chico, the little
Cadiz.
Places
to be visited
 |
Church
of Nuestra Señora del Rosario
The Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, dating from the 16th
century, is the only important piece of architecture in the town.
It has undergone much restructuring in its time, the last being as
recent as the 1940s. It appears to have been originally designed
in three naves, although only one remains. The entrance is a
simple Baroque doorway, arrived at up a flight of stairs, given
the height at which the church was built. Inside one can see
sculptures from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as the image of
the Virgen del Rosario, set into a central niche.
Natural surroundings
The most notable aspect of the area surrounding the town is the
contrast between the white limestone mountainous regions and the
low-lying woodlands in the southern part of the municipality,
which can be enjoyed as much from the town itself as from the road
that winds through the Oreganal mountains to get there. The views
over the mountains and the Genal Valley are spectacular. A visit
to the Carrión caves is especially recommended, and one should
also see the landscape in the areas of Los Riscos, la Canaílla
del Lobo and Cepo, and the La Hurta and Veleño hills.
Archaeological sites
Although we have little or no early documented history of
Cartajima, there are a number of archaeological sites in the area
that point to settlement here at various times over past
centuries. These include the medieval castle, the Roman hot
springs at the Cañada de Harife and the burial grounds in the
Cortijo del Ratón. Other remains of historical interest are the
medieval settlement remains at Cartamón and Casapalma. In
this way one can see that Cartajima has been home to many
different civilisations over many centuries.
|
| Where
to eat |
Bar
La Pozá. Home cooking (reservations only). Tel: 952
180 755.
|
| Where
to sleep |
Los Castaños.
C/Iglesia, 40. Phone 952 180 778 /
696 081 354
Internet
Rural
houses. Information: 952 180 751.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
|
The parish church in
Cartajima |
FIESTAS
The festival in honour of the patron
saint, the Virgen del Rosario, takes place in August and goes on for three
days and nights of music, dancing and other activities. The Day of the
patron saint is celebrated in October, with processions and music at
night. At the beginning of November we have All Saints Day, when the
people of the place gather in the streets and celebrate. The Romería in
honour of the Child Jesus takes place at the beginning of May, following
the Holy Week celebrations earlier in the springtime. Of special
significance in Cartajima are the Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday
celebrations, the people of the town gathering pine branches in the
countryside on the Saturday to use in the decoration of the streets and
the building of a niche for the Child Jesus. The bells ring out over the
town on the Sunday at seven in the morning, and the Child Jesus is brought
out of the church, carried through the decorated streets and placed in the
niche made the previous day. There the image stays until midday, and to
the sound of more bells, the Virgen del Rosario is then brought out of the
church and carried to the street in which the niche of her Son was built.
Both mother and child are then brought face to face in a ceremony that
moves many of those present to tears.
GASTRONOMY
The most traditional dishes in Cartajima are the
olla, the various soups, the roast rabbit, the fried mushrooms and the
gazpacho, all accompanied by the Mosto wine of the region. Of special
interest to gourmets too are the cocina de castañas (cooked chestnuts),
made from chestnuts, cinnamon, aniseed, coffee and sugar, and the roscos de
horno (doughnuts in the oven), whose ingredients are flour, olive oil,
sugar, raising agent, aguardiente and aniseed. Cartajima has quite a number
of rural houses to rent, allowing visitors to spend a holiday here at any
time of the year.
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