Alozaina

Alozaina is a municipality in the province of Malaga.  Situated between Tolox, Casarabonela, Yunquera and in the foothills of the Sierra de las Nieves.  In 2008 it had 2,238 inhabitants.

Its surface area is 34km ² and it has a density of 65.38 inhabitants per km².  Its geographical coordinates are 36 ° 43 ‘N, 4 ° 51′ W.  It is situated at an altitude of 386 meters and 52 kilometers from the provincial capital of Malaga.

Prehistory

Neolithic are the remains of the area called “the plain”, where there was a village with a very large cemetery, but there was devastation that there were only 3 graves in good condition.

In the “Cave of the Bureau” buried gold and two trumpets the Bronze Age were found in the Archaeological Museum in Malaga. From the time of the Iberians, Phoenicians may have been found in decorated tombs with pottery and other objects.

Ancient

Roman urban vestiges were the place of settlement for Ardite families living in a stable area without actually forming a city.  It was supposed to serve travellers who used this area as a rest en route to Acinipo (round) or to Cartima or Malacca, looking out to sea. These villagers had a way of life like agriculture and small scale farming.

Yet in sight was a small cemetery on the Hill called Ardite. The Romans also left their mark on the game on the Mount (Albar area), where they met a column and a sort of altar and the Valentine area is also rich in Roman and Moorish remains.

Amphorae have appeared in Italy signed by potters of this area who allegedly used them to trade with or fill them with oil to feed the empire, although no remains have been found they possibly did exist.

Middle Ages

Muslims built lookouts of Ardite and “Alocaina” which would become a small fortress, and give the village its name. The Muslim presence was more evident, and had already been introduced in its administrative district farms. The population had the adjective of “taxpayers” and is in opposition to the inhabitants of neighboring Casarabonela, known as “Moors”.

These nicknames have their origin in the conquest by the Catholic Monarchs. Alora delivered and took down that area, also around that time Alozaina fell on 20^th June 1484.  However it was repopulated with people from outside as well as those who stayed and did not participate in any riot, who all in turn had to some extent assets and property, for which they had to pay.

The word “commoner” was known to all subjects of the Crown as not being noble and therefore were not exempt from taxes. The term “commoner” was attributed to people because they were faithful Alozaina payers.

Once the Alora campaign was carried out by the Catholic Monarchs, they decided to continue the struggle for garbi Malaga with serious damage to the Christian troops.

The king was remade in Alora and sent to the Earl of Belalcazar to pacify the area, while he had offered to surrender, along with Jorox, the Marquis of Cadiz, who signed the letters alfaqui of the town in fear for the assault and accountability in Alora.

Meanwhile the Earl of Balalcazar still trying to pacify the Alfoz of Casarabonela was mortally wounded. The consequences did not wait and the town of Alozaina was burned, the fields cleared and crops devastated.  Alozaina depopulated and remained so for some time.

It was the fate of many places to be reconquered, occupied, destroyed and subsequently repopulated. This created the new town of Alozaina, and an open settlement erected around the remains of its castle.

A surge in the sixteenth century revolt of the Moors and Alozaina starred in remarkable success in skirmishes and struggles that they totally dominated.  In April 1570, Aben Aboo, leader of the revolt, sent his brother The Galip to lead the riot from the Axarquia to the Serrania de Ronda. The prisoner fell in Alora Galip and was sentenced to death. The Ronda Monfi met in Tolox and a loot took place in Alozaina on 7^th July 1570.

The supplies came rapidly, but could not prevent the destruction of several houses.  On the 5^thJuly awaiting the arrival of The Galip in Tolox, three thousand men commanded by Alfor, Lorenzo Faqih and Jubeli marched through Alozaina, which was inhabited by Christians, on the path of Yunquera, and were ambushed.

According to Marmol Carvajal the villagers pretended to be Christians forming squadrons from El Burgo, fooling the observers who worked the fields. However there were some skirmishes with two mowers and there was growing alarm.

Women assumed the role of defenders, wearing men’s clothes and hats. The Moors were divided and attacked, and seventeen of them fell with over seventy injured.  Maria Sagredo saw his father fall to Martin Dominguez.  He managed to arrest them and shed some hives that were there from which a swarm of bees attacked and pursued the besiegers.

Passion live every Easter. As one of the most interesting in the province of Malaga for its unique staging.