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Villanueva
De Algaidas, Inland Costa Del Sol, Andalucia, Spain
Villanueva De Algaidas
Located in the north east of the Antequera region, in a landscape primarily made up of hills and ridges which are home to olive groves and cereal fields. It dates back to the 18th century, when the buildings which began to appear around the Franciscan monastery eventually formed a village.
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Villanueva de Algaidas is located inland from the Costa Del Sol in Andalucia,
Spain, and was the birthplace of the famous sculptor Ortiz de
Berrocal, whose works are housed in an interesting museum in the village.
Also of interest are Los Alcaides Necropolis, and the
caves of Sierra de Arcas and El Pedroso.
Four villages in the province of Malaga are called "Villanueva": Villanueva de
Algaidas, Villanueva de Tapia, Villanueva del Rosario and Villanueva del
Trabuco. All four are located in the north east of the province, the former two
further to the north, between the municipal boundaries of Cuevas de San Marcos
and Archidona and near the border with the province of Granada to the east;
Villanueva del Rosario and Villanueva del Trabuco are in the north of the
Axarquia region and are also adjacent to Archidona and the province of Granada.
These four villages were all founded at practically the same time in the 18th
century on the orders of Charles III as part of a plan to repopulate areas of
Andalusia which were practically uninhabited and which, as a result, often
served as highwaymen’s safe havens and lairs.
However, the municipal area of Villanueva de Algaidas dates back to much earlier
times, as witnessed by the prehistoric remains at Los Alcaides necropolis.
The term “Algaida” seems to suggest an Arabic presence and is possibly derived
from "al-gaida", meaning “dense forest”.
The village as we know it today appeared as a result of the founding of a
Franciscan monastery next to Burriana Stream, now almost entirely destroyed. The
original settlement was known as La Atalaya. Gradually, a number of agricultural
colonies began to appear -such as La Rincona and Zamarra- which eventually
combined to from a village under the name Villanueva de Algaidas.
FIESTAS
The first big night of the year
on the festive calendar is the Candelaria Festival (Candlemas), on February 1st,
followed by the carnival. On St Mark’s Day, April 25th, meals are organised in
the countryside, while a romeria marks the feast of St Isidore, the farm servant.
The main fair is held in August but in September there is a most unusual fiesta,
"the poets’ fight", in the district of Parilla, celebrating the feast of Our
Lady of Succour. This curious festivity consists of local poets singing their
verses in conversation with each other, their reciting growing louder and louder
until many of them end up embroiled in heated arguments.
GASTRONOMY
Among the dishes that are most
typical of this village are, as elsewhere locally, a variation of porra
antequerana, a sort of thick gazpacho, and porra crúa. Carnival stuffings, made
with breadcrumbs, egg, ham, loin of pork and turkey are also popular. The
pastries made here are also exceptionally good, many of them made especially for
certain festivals. Breakfast in the town would consist of orange juice, coffee
and locally baked bread with olive oil, all natural products of the soil.
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