Cártama
Encyclopedia
Cártama is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia
, southern Spain
. The municipality is situated approximately 17 km from Málaga
. It is one of the most extensive towns in the province, covering c. 105 km². Cártama has a population of approximately 15,000 residents.
valley, at the foot of two small sierras
, and surrounded by thousands of orange and lemon trees, its territory forms part of the Hoya de Málaga, some 17 km from the provincial capital. It stretches across both banks of the river.
From its main vantage point, the Hill of the Virgin, can be seen the different communities which make up the town: Cártama Pueblo, the ancient town with a 3000-year history and streets laid out in Moorish style; Estación de Cartama, which has its origin in the 1865 railway station; El Sexmo, Doñana, Aljaima and the Sierra de Gibralgalia, with views of the whole valley as far as Coín
, Álora
, Casarabonela
and Málaga itself.
The original town, Cártama Pueblo, stretches across the steep side of the Hill of the Virgin (240 m over the sea level). Its buildings and roads follow the contours of the hill, and reflect the varied topography of the area.
One of the town's most well-known features is the iron bridge (the "green bridge" or puente verde) over the Guadalhorce river, and which provided access between Estación and the pueblo
before its replacement by a more modern road bridge. This area has been restored as a recreational area, and an extensive riverside leisure area is now planned.
, Tartessians
, Phoenicians, Romans
, Visigoths, Byzantines
and Arabs until it was finally conquered by the Christians in 1485. It was one of the last Moorish strongholds to fall to the army of King Ferdinand the Catholic
.
The Phoenicians, who were already established in Málaga, made incursions to the interior via the river. They gave the town its first recorded name, Cartha, which means "concealed city" or "hidden city". Later, the Romans renamed it Cartima, founding the town in 195 BC, and providing it with strong defences. The Roman occupation lasted for six centuries, and during this time it was one of the principal towns of the province. Based on the sheer volume of archaeological sites – mosaics, sculptures, burial grounds and road remains have been found – the area must have been heavily populated. The baths of Cartima, with their fabled curative powers, were famous during this period.
of Our Lady of the Remedies (La Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios) is situated on the Hill of the Virgin and which has been designated a building of historical and cultural interest. It was built on the site of a previous Hermitage from the 15th century, and is a very beautiful building with an approach which winds up the hill above the pueblo, and which commands superb views of the surrounding area.
A remnant of the Roman period is the 2nd-century AD column, called the Humilladero Cross, after for the forged iron cross attached to its top. This well-preserved column is an important reminder of the "Cartima Municipium", and for this reason is incorporated in the town's heraldic crest. It was saved and placed on its current site in 1752 to mark the excavations carried out then by the Marquis de Valdeflores, as an inscription in its base testifies.
The castle dates from the 10th century, when the city was ruled by the Moors. It sits astride a ridge which dominates the surrounding area, and offers wonderful panoramic views. Between the 13th and 15th centuries its strategic situation meant that it became one of Málaga's more important defences, guarding against access from the Guadalhorce valley, which was one of the easier routes to mount an attack on the capital. Its construction is typically military, with a double defensive enclosure; the first had ten towers, while the second, nearer the town, had eight towers and another walled tower. It was well equipped to resist siege, as it had two wells, dug in the time of the Caliphs
. The castle's capture by the Catholic Monarchs
in 1485 is recorded in the bas-reliefs of the Coro in the Cathedral of Toledo
, which testifies to Cártama's importance at the time. Once the Christians recaptured Málaga, however, the castle fell into progressive decay.
The Church of Saint Peter the Apostle, built on the site of the old mosque
after the Christian capture of the city. It is still standing and has recently been extensively refurbished.
On the same street is the house of Jose Alarcon Lujan, who was born in the town in 1821 and died there in 1902. The house is an elegant mansion which still preserves the architectural beauty of the period.
, La Virgen de los Remedios. The statue of the Virgin is carried down the mountain from its chapel in the Ermíta
to its temporary home, the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle. On 23 April the Virgin is paraded through the town, and pilgrims come from many miles around, and even from abroad, to witness the procession and make offerings. The fiesta is followed by a cattle fair. This fiesta has recently been designated a "Fiesta of National Touristic Interest" by the Tourist Board of Andalusia.
In May, Estación holds its feria to celebrate the Saint's Day of its patron, San Isidro
. The most notable feature is an extensive parade, which accompanies the image of the saint to the banks of the River Guadalhorce, where a celebration is held throughout the day. Prizes are awarded for the best decorated street.
On the first Sunday in May the town holds the Verdiales festival, which is a traditional country song and dance festival with competing groups from Álora, Pizarra
, Almogía
and Cártama taking part. This event, held at the Ermita de las Cruces, has been declared an "Event of National Tourist Interest".
There are many other annual events, including the return of La Virgen to the Ermita in early June, the festival of San Juan
in late June, and the September Cattle Fair. The El Sexmo fair, held in the second week of September, lasts for four days. The Día de los Canastitos is held on Saint Ann's day on the banks of the Río Grande
and features people arriving with baskets of fruit and bread, and the Verdiales which feature the old wheel dances.
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, southern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The municipality is situated approximately 17 km from Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
. It is one of the most extensive towns in the province, covering c. 105 km². Cártama has a population of approximately 15,000 residents.
Geography
Situated in the heart of the GuadalhorceGuadalhorce
The Guadalhorce River is the principal river of the Province of Málaga, southern Spain....
valley, at the foot of two small sierras
Sierra mountains
Sierra is a Spanish word meaning "saw". The corresponding word in Portuguese and Latin is serra. This name is used for various mountain ranges in Spanish-speaking and other countries ....
, and surrounded by thousands of orange and lemon trees, its territory forms part of the Hoya de Málaga, some 17 km from the provincial capital. It stretches across both banks of the river.
From its main vantage point, the Hill of the Virgin, can be seen the different communities which make up the town: Cártama Pueblo, the ancient town with a 3000-year history and streets laid out in Moorish style; Estación de Cartama, which has its origin in the 1865 railway station; El Sexmo, Doñana, Aljaima and the Sierra de Gibralgalia, with views of the whole valley as far as Coín
Coín
Coín is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, Spain, c. 33 km west of the provincial capital, Málaga, and c. 30 km north of Marbella...
, Álora
Álora
Álora is a town of southern Spain, part of the province of Málaga, located c. 40 km from Málaga, on the right bank of the river Guadalhorce, and on the Córdoba-Málaga high-speed rail line...
, Casarabonela
Casarabonela
Casarabonela is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 48 km from Malaga capital . It has a population of approximately 2,500 residents. The natives are called Moriscos....
and Málaga itself.
The original town, Cártama Pueblo, stretches across the steep side of the Hill of the Virgin (240 m over the sea level). Its buildings and roads follow the contours of the hill, and reflect the varied topography of the area.
One of the town's most well-known features is the iron bridge (the "green bridge" or puente verde) over the Guadalhorce river, and which provided access between Estación and the pueblo
Pueblo
Pueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material...
before its replacement by a more modern road bridge. This area has been restored as a recreational area, and an extensive riverside leisure area is now planned.
History
The strategic position that Cártama holds, being on a natural route from the coast to the interior, made it an obvious place to settle. The area has been successively occupied by IberiansIberians
The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources identified with that name in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula at least from the 6th century BC...
, Tartessians
Tartessos
Tartessos or Tartessus was a harbor city and surrounding culture on the south coast of the Iberian peninsula , at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. It appears in sources from Greece and the Near East starting in the middle of the first millennium BC, for example Herodotus, who describes it as...
, Phoenicians, Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, Visigoths, Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and Arabs until it was finally conquered by the Christians in 1485. It was one of the last Moorish strongholds to fall to the army of King Ferdinand the Catholic
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
.
The Phoenicians, who were already established in Málaga, made incursions to the interior via the river. They gave the town its first recorded name, Cartha, which means "concealed city" or "hidden city". Later, the Romans renamed it Cartima, founding the town in 195 BC, and providing it with strong defences. The Roman occupation lasted for six centuries, and during this time it was one of the principal towns of the province. Based on the sheer volume of archaeological sites – mosaics, sculptures, burial grounds and road remains have been found – the area must have been heavily populated. The baths of Cartima, with their fabled curative powers, were famous during this period.
Main sights
The HermitageHermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
of Our Lady of the Remedies (La Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios) is situated on the Hill of the Virgin and which has been designated a building of historical and cultural interest. It was built on the site of a previous Hermitage from the 15th century, and is a very beautiful building with an approach which winds up the hill above the pueblo, and which commands superb views of the surrounding area.
A remnant of the Roman period is the 2nd-century AD column, called the Humilladero Cross, after for the forged iron cross attached to its top. This well-preserved column is an important reminder of the "Cartima Municipium", and for this reason is incorporated in the town's heraldic crest. It was saved and placed on its current site in 1752 to mark the excavations carried out then by the Marquis de Valdeflores, as an inscription in its base testifies.
The castle dates from the 10th century, when the city was ruled by the Moors. It sits astride a ridge which dominates the surrounding area, and offers wonderful panoramic views. Between the 13th and 15th centuries its strategic situation meant that it became one of Málaga's more important defences, guarding against access from the Guadalhorce valley, which was one of the easier routes to mount an attack on the capital. Its construction is typically military, with a double defensive enclosure; the first had ten towers, while the second, nearer the town, had eight towers and another walled tower. It was well equipped to resist siege, as it had two wells, dug in the time of the Caliphs
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
. The castle's capture by the Catholic Monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
in 1485 is recorded in the bas-reliefs of the Coro in the Cathedral of Toledo
Cathedral of Toledo
The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain, seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo....
, which testifies to Cártama's importance at the time. Once the Christians recaptured Málaga, however, the castle fell into progressive decay.
The Church of Saint Peter the Apostle, built on the site of the old mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
after the Christian capture of the city. It is still standing and has recently been extensively refurbished.
Famous people
In the street Calle Viento is the house of the poet José González Marín, who was born in Cártama in 1889 and died there in 1956.On the same street is the house of Jose Alarcon Lujan, who was born in the town in 1821 and died there in 1902. The house is an elegant mansion which still preserves the architectural beauty of the period.
Traditions
Cártama is famous for its festivals and ferias. The carnivals occur during February, but the main festival of the year takes place in April to honour the town's patron saintPatron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
, La Virgen de los Remedios. The statue of the Virgin is carried down the mountain from its chapel in the Ermíta
Ermita
Ermita may refer to the following:*Ermita, Manila, a place in the Philippines.*Ermita: A Filipino Novel, a novel by F. Sionil José.*Ermita "Ermi" Rojo, the protagonist in F. Sionil José's novel Ermita: A Filipino Novel....
to its temporary home, the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle. On 23 April the Virgin is paraded through the town, and pilgrims come from many miles around, and even from abroad, to witness the procession and make offerings. The fiesta is followed by a cattle fair. This fiesta has recently been designated a "Fiesta of National Touristic Interest" by the Tourist Board of Andalusia.
In May, Estación holds its feria to celebrate the Saint's Day of its patron, San Isidro
Isidore the Laborer
Isidore the Laborer, also known as Isidore the Farmer, , was a Spanish day laborer known for his goodness toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid and of La Ceiba, Honduras....
. The most notable feature is an extensive parade, which accompanies the image of the saint to the banks of the River Guadalhorce, where a celebration is held throughout the day. Prizes are awarded for the best decorated street.
On the first Sunday in May the town holds the Verdiales festival, which is a traditional country song and dance festival with competing groups from Álora, Pizarra
Pizarra
Pizarra is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 30 kilometres from Málaga....
, Almogía
Almogía
Almogía is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 25 km from Malaga capital. It has a population of approximately 4,300 residents...
and Cártama taking part. This event, held at the Ermita de las Cruces, has been declared an "Event of National Tourist Interest".
There are many other annual events, including the return of La Virgen to the Ermita in early June, the festival of San Juan
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
in late June, and the September Cattle Fair. The El Sexmo fair, held in the second week of September, lasts for four days. The Día de los Canastitos is held on Saint Ann's day on the banks of the Río Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
and features people arriving with baskets of fruit and bread, and the Verdiales which feature the old wheel dances.