Gaucín
Encyclopedia
Gaucín is a village
in the mountains of Andalusia
in southern Spain
, inland from Marbella
, Puerto Banus
and Estepona
, and not far from Ronda
.
The village has a population of approximately 2,000. It lies about 600 metres above sea level
in the Sierra del Hacho, dominated by the Castillo del Aguila (Eagle's Castle), originally a Roman
stronghold, expanded by the Arab
s.
, the Strait of Gibraltar
and Morocco
, as well the surrounding mountain scenery. It can be used as a base for visits to the so-called pueblos blancos of Andalusia. The village is reached by a 24km climb up a mountain road and presided over by a medieval
castle
. The population is augmented by a growing group of British
expatriate
s. In the tourist shops, cork
items are very popular, because cork
forests surround the village.
Gaucín has been the inspiration of a number of artists and writers, and has been referred to as the "balcony of the Ronda Mountains, where the Holy Child appeared to St. John of God
: the illustrious, always noble, very hospitable village of Gaucín."
Palm Sunday
includes a procession to the church. A widely-attended Easter
vigil takes place the night before.
A large carnival
features chirigotas, fantastically-costumed groups that sing of current events in a humorous way. A party held on the main square with an orchestra goes on until dawn.
The feria
, which lasts three days, is a celebration of the town itself and is held annually in early August. It is complete with a variety of carnival rides and games booths. The festivities also include a large pavilion
where one can eat, drink, and watch musicians perform.
The pilgrimage
of the Holy Child is a romeria
on the last Sunday of August. The image of the Holy Child is taken in procession from the castle to the site of his supposed apparition, now a hermitage, for a rociera (flamenco
) mass followed by dancing, singing, eating and drinking until dawn.
A feast in honour of the Holy Child takes place on the 7th and 8th of September. Over nine days townsfolk climb to the castle for a novena
, held in the Chapel of the Holy Child. Mass
is celebrated and guest preachers preach. A party is given in the main square with processions, food, drink, music, and dancing.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the mountains of Andalusia
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...
in 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...
, inland from Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
, Puerto Banus
Puerto Banús
Puerto José Banús, more commonly known as Puerto Banús is a marina located in the area of Nueva Andalucía, to the southwest of Marbella, Spain on the Costa del Sol. It was built in May 1970 by José Banús, a local property developer, as a luxury marina and shopping complex for the rich and famous...
and Estepona
Estepona
Estepona is a town and municipality in the region of the Costa del Sol, southern Spain. It is located in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. Estepona is renowned for its beaches, which stretch along some 21 km of coastline...
, and not far from Ronda
Ronda
Ronda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
.
The village has a population of approximately 2,000. It lies about 600 metres above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
in the Sierra del Hacho, dominated by the Castillo del Aguila (Eagle's Castle), originally a Roman
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....
stronghold, expanded by the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s.
Tourist appeal
Gaucín is known for its spectacular views of GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, as well the surrounding mountain scenery. It can be used as a base for visits to the so-called pueblos blancos of Andalusia. The village is reached by a 24km climb up a mountain road and presided over by a medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
. The population is augmented by a growing group of British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
s. In the tourist shops, cork
Cork (material)
Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber , which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa...
items are very popular, because cork
Cork Oak
Quercus suber, commonly called the Cork Oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring. It is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa.It grows to up to 20 m,...
forests surround the village.
Gaucín has been the inspiration of a number of artists and writers, and has been referred to as the "balcony of the Ronda Mountains, where the Holy Child appeared to St. John of God
John of God
John of God ) was a Portuguese-born friar and saint, one of Spain's leading religious figures.John of God was born João Cidade in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal, into a once-prominent family that was impoverished but had great religious faith...
: the illustrious, always noble, very hospitable village of Gaucín."
Cultural life
The cultural life of Gaucín is rich and plentiful. Many claim there is a great cameradarie among the inhabitants and there are often village-wide events that receive great showings of support.Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
includes a procession to the church. A widely-attended Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
vigil takes place the night before.
A large carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
features chirigotas, fantastically-costumed groups that sing of current events in a humorous way. A party held on the main square with an orchestra goes on until dawn.
The feria
Feria
A feria was a day on which the people, especially the slaves, were not obliged to work, and on which there were no court sessions...
, which lasts three days, is a celebration of the town itself and is held annually in early August. It is complete with a variety of carnival rides and games booths. The festivities also include a large pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
where one can eat, drink, and watch musicians perform.
The pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
of the Holy Child is a romeria
Romeria
A Romería in Spanish or "Romaria" in Portuguese is a religious pilgrimage. The word "Romería"/"Romaria" comes from "romero"/"romeiro", meaning those travelling towards Rome. It is a Catholic celebration that consists of a trip or peregrination that ends at a sanctuary or hermitage...
on the last Sunday of August. The image of the Holy Child is taken in procession from the castle to the site of his supposed apparition, now a hermitage, for a rociera (flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
) mass followed by dancing, singing, eating and drinking until dawn.
A feast in honour of the Holy Child takes place on the 7th and 8th of September. Over nine days townsfolk climb to the castle for a novena
Novena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
, held in the Chapel of the Holy Child. Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
is celebrated and guest preachers preach. A party is given in the main square with processions, food, drink, music, and dancing.
External links
- Municipal website in Spanish, with many pictures