View of Casares |
Clinging to the side of a rocky gorge lies the old
village of Casares, the birthplace of the father of Andalusian nationalism,
Blas Infante. Since 1978 the historical and artistic heritage of the village
has been officially protected. This is one of those places that can be
termed as a "hanging village", as it is suspended on the
mountainside 435 metres above sea level. This unique location is
complemented with a picturesque and intricate network of steep streets,
where cheerful houses with interesting architectural design stand several
storeys high on the side of the gorge. These must have involved calculations
that would surprise even today’s most daring architects, and can be put
down solely to human ingenuity during the rich history of this village.
Casares boasts it own unique way of life which
is best understood after first going back over its long history, which goes
back to Roman times. At that time the spa of La Hedionda was already well
known, located on the road to Manilva, and this is where Julius Caesar was
cured of a liver complaint, thanks to the sulphuric waters that still pour
out of the local spring. It
was for this reason that during the Roman Empire Casares was allowed to mint
its own coins, an honour granted by the emperor in gratitude for the curing
of a skin disease after bathing in the village’s sulphuric and alkaline
waters.
Evidence of the Moorish presence can still be seen here in the 12th
century Castle, around which grew the present town centre. In 1361, Pedro
the Cruel and the dethroned Mohamed V of Granada signed the Pact of Casares,
by which the Moorish king recuperated his throne, leaving Casares as part of
the Nazrid kingdom. The town surrendered to the Catholic forces after the
fall of Ronda in 1485 and was handed over to Rodrigo Ponce de León, Duke of
Cadiz, as part of his domains. Here too the Duke of Arcos accepted the
surrender of the rebel Moriscos, the Moors who had "converted" to
Christianity. Casares had taken an active part in this rebellion, put down
by Don Juan de Austria. The town separated from Manilva in 1795, being
granted the title of Villa. At a later period, Casares was the only town,
apart from Cadiz, that the Napoleonic troops had not been able to take.
Places
to be visited
 |
Church
of the Encarnación. Internet
Casares is considered one of the most beautiful towns in the
province of Malaga. On the ruins of the old Moorish castle is the
ancient parish church of the Encarnación, dating from the 16th
century and built as a result of a papal bull from Pope Julius II.
Its interior was divided in three naves, separated by semicircular
arches. The present church was originally a convent, and has a
single nave with a façade in three arches made of brick. The
square tower, built in two storeys, is a relatively recent
building.
Other places of interest
The Ibero-Roman fortress of Lacipo, dating from the 5th
or 6th century B.C., and whose remains are preserved in
different parts of the municipality, was officially declared to be
of cultural interest by the Junta de Andalucía in 1992.
The Roman-Moorish Baths of La Hedionda, where Julio César was
said to have been cured, makes for an interesting visit, as do the
churches of El Llano, a Franciscan/Capuchian monastery from the 16th
century, and the 17th century church of San Sebastián.
Another interesting religious building is the Convent of Santa
Catalina, in the Los Molinos area, dating from the 15th
and 16th centuries. The fountain in the plaza was built
in the time of Carlos III (1785). The house that Blas Infante was
born in still stands on calle Carrera 51, and is a source of great
pride to the town. During the various religious processions in the
town, it is traditional to stop at the seven points of the Way of
the Cross from Casares to the hill of Calvario, erected in the 18th
century. And on the coast we find the 16th century
Torre de la Sal, built to defend the area from Morisco attacks.
Mention must also be made of the beautiful wild areas of Los
Reales, in the Sierra Bermeja and Sierra Crestellina mountains,
north of the town, and the Canuto de la Sierra de Utrera.
The History Museum
C/Villa. Open Monday to Friday, 10 to 2 p.m. Entry free. Tel: 952
894 150.
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| Where
to eat |
Restaurants in the town
Restaurante "La Terraza". Carretera
local, Puerto de la Cruz. Tel: 952 89 51 56.
Restaurante "Laura".
Carretera local, Puerto del Lugar. Tel: 952 89 40 24.
Restaurante "La Bodeguita de
Enmedio". Plaza de España, 15. Tel: 952 89 40 36.
Restaurante en Bda. Los Ponys.
Tel: 952 89 52 05.
Mesón Los Claveles. C/Arrabal,
1. Tel: 952 89 40 95.
Casa de comidas Benilda.
C/JUán Cerón, 9. Tel: 952 89 40 69.
Tapas bars and meals in the town
Bar Los Amigos. Plaza de
España, 4. Bar El Cordobés .
C/Carrera, 4.Bar Chispa. Plaza
de España, 23. Bar Augusto.
Specialising in goat. Plaza de España, 7. Bar
Trifino . Plaza de España, 5. Bar
Miguel. Specialising in fresh fish on Fridays. C/
Carrera, 94.
Chiringuitos on the beaches, normally open from May to
September.
In all these beach bars one can sample the typical food of the
region, such as the Casares gazpacho, the kid in garlic, the
mountain rabbit and other local dishes.
Chiringuito Casares. Bahía de Casares.
Chiringuito Marina. Marina de Casares. Chiringuito Playa Chica.
Playa Chica.
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| Where
to sleep |
Hotel
Costa Estrella. Urb.Playa Chica, s/n. Tel: 952 89 41
83/952 89 20 83.
Hostal Plaza. Plaza de
España, 6. Casares. Tel: 952 89 40 88.
Hostal Rural Casares.
C/Copera, 52. Tel: 952 89 52 11/952 89 42 27.
Norris Fowler Apartments.
Finca Arroyo Los Molinos "La Americana".Tel: 952 89 40
72.
"El Papudo" Apartments.
Tel: 952 85 40 18.
Vista Properties Apartments.
Urb. Marina de Casares. Tel: 952 89 15 24.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
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Church of La
Encarnación |
FIESTAS
The Feria of Casares takes place during
the first fortnight in August. The day of the patron saint, the Virgen del
Rosario, is celebrated in the first week in September, and in the middle
of this month too is the Feria del Cristo. The most important of the
Romerías takes place in May, in which there is Flamenco music and dancing
in the traditional style.
Hang-gliding is a popular sport here, as well as
mountain climbing and trekking
GASTRONOMY
The most typical dish of the area is the Casares Soup, although there are
many other dishes associated with the town too, including the mountain
rabbit in a sauce made from onion and flavoured with thyme, rosemary and
laurel.
BLAS INFANTE
The driving force behind the concept of Andalusian nationalism, Blas
Infante, was born in Casares on July 5th, 1885. He finished his
law studies in 1906 and three years later became a public notary,
thereafter devoting his career to Andalusian nationalism through his Junta
Liberalista de Andalucía, a group of Andalusian intellectuals whose aim
was "to strengthen the vitality of the regions and municipalities
through common interest and solidarity, and to set in motion a movement
that will lift and regenerate Andalucía by the promotion of a regional
spirit and strong links between all the Andalusian provinces." This
text forms part of the Ronda Conference of 1918, as part of the Andalusian
Congress in which the white and green Andalusian flag was first unfolded
in public, and the Andalusian anthem was sung, written by Blas Infante
himself and a composer from the town of Cantillana
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