Pizarra

Pizarra is located at the center of the province in the region of Guadalhorce Valley, and northwest of the city of Malaga. Along with other neighboring municipalities it forms the metropolitan area of Malaga. Pizarra traces the river Guadalhorce, at a distance of 30km from Malaga, Alora is to the north, south and east is Cartama, to the west and southwest is Casarabonela Coin.

It has an area of 64.08km², with a length of 8.5km from north to south. It has an altitude of 80m above sea level with a maximum height of 447m reaching the Sierra de Gibralmora at the top. The most important river in the province is the Rio Guadalhorce at 8.5km.

Its population is 8,652 inhabitants according to data from the May 2008 population census, including major population centers such as Sheepskin with 687, Cerralbo with 627 and Hipolito with 137 inhabitants. The largest population center and that gives the village its name, is Pizarra. Currently there are many people who live in new housing developments in the “Olivar” who are not registered in the municipality by which it is believed that the actual number of inhabitants is far higher.

History

At the time of the reconquest of Alora (June 22nd 1484) there was this town, but in the late fifteenth century there appeared the site of the Pizarra, built on lands of Diego Romero. In the last third of the sixteenth century appeared a village, taking custody of their fields a Mayor of Brotherhood. In 1592 residents exercised such charges as Alonso Boza and Bartolome de Vargas.

Consolidation

In 1566, the Bishop of Malaga Don Francisco Blanco Salcedo, model of virtue and prominent evangelical theologian at the Council of Trent, at his own expense erected a chapel for worship and veneration of the Virgin of Fuensanta, patron saint of the town. In the year 1630 it included the establishment of the church baptismal font, which was erected in 1652 because the neighborhood had grown from two hundred.

The industriousness of its inhabitants made progress and the population grew, especially in the late eighteenth century. This development had a great difficulty: the lack of jurisdiction.

The need to expand into crops and grazing their cattle, originated through frequent disputes with neighboring towns, especially with Alora. It had already in 1748 seen a dispute with Alora for the right to graze cattle.

The whole second half of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century developed into ongoing litigation with Alora Casapalma, safflower and Casarabonela. So in 1781, the slaty claimed a benefit to the parish for parish Alora.

Similarly, the excesses in the imposition of taxes to the residents of this place for their crops, consumption, treatment and farms within the jurisdiction of Alora, caused frequent and protracted litigation.

Independence: the nineteenth century

In the early nineteenth century Pizarra had three hundred inhabitants, governed by a headman mayor, an alderman Trustee and two deputies, but there was a lack of general jurisdiction and justice in Alora.

That submission caused harassment to the residents, and so it was decided on February 7th 1803 that King Charles IV called for separation instead of Pizarra’s jurisdiction and granted the Royal privilege Villazgo and the allocation of the term and jurisdiction.

After a long and unruly lawsuit, in which the slaty once again gave evidence of his tenacity and sacrifice, by royal decree of Ferdinand VII, dated January 19th 1818, they obtained the grace of Villazgo.

Given this privilege, Alora again, opposed and sought the retention of grace. To continue this litigation, the residents of Pizarro, with a great spirit of solidarity and sacrifice, sought the imposition of taxes on several occasions. Finally on April 4th 1821, under the Constitution of Cadiz and the decree of courts of June 23rd 1813, signalled the end for court, having regard for the large number of people.

The opposition of neighboring towns raged against the dismemberment of its terms, but the reasons for Pizarra were recognized by the Supreme Court and in 1847 they obtained the Royal Decision granting the municipality. From this date, the town prospered progressively, reaching at present a surface area of 64.08km² and a population of 6,824 inhabitants.