I have visited Frigiliana on a number of
occasions. It is an attractive pueblo blanco, a short drive from the equally
pretty coastal town of Nerja.
Administratively it is part of Torrox in the Axarquia region of the province of Málaga.
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| Frigiliana © Robert Bovington |
The village lies on the southern slopes
of the Sierra de Almijara and is 300 meters above sea level.
Places to see:
The village has a number of
attractions:-
The Church of San Antonio de Padua,
located in Calle Real, was built in the 17th century on the site of an old
mosque. Its bell tower is the former minaret of the mosque.
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| Iglesia de San Antonio de Padua, Frigiliana © Robert Bovington |
Another religious building is La Ermita
del Ecce Homo. This small chapel was built in the 18th century. Nowadays, many
citizens prefer to call it the "Ermita de Santo Cristo de la Caña".
The Palacio de los Condes de Frigiliana
used to be a 16th century renaissance-style palace which belonged to the Count
and Countess of Frigiliana, the Manrique de Lara family. Nowadays it tends to
be known as El Ingenio and is believed to be the last remaining sugar cane
honey factory in Europe. Just around the
corner, Bar el Ingenio is a pleasant little place to drink.
Nearby are the Reales Pósitos. Back in
the 18th century, it was built to store grain. Nowadays, it is used
for both dwellings and shops. And bars!
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| Calle Real, Frigiliana © Robert Bovington |
The 17th century Casa del Apero originally served as a granary and a warehouse. In 1990, the building was restored and it
is now the Municipal House of Culture. Inside there is there is a library, an
exhibition room and the tourist information office.
Tourist guides mention two other places
of interest in the town - La Fuente Vieja and the 9th century Castillo de Lizar. The former is attractive enough
but it is after all only a fountain! The latter is only worth visiting for the spectacular views because there is hardly anything left of the
original castle!
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| La Fuente Vieja © Robert Bovington |
So, there are a number of interesting
places to see in the town but probably the best bit is just wandering around
the old Moorish quarter!
Festivals:
Like all Spanish towns and villages,
Frigiliana has its fair share of festivals. A couple, in particular, are pretty
spectacular:
The Cruces de Mayo celebration occurs on
May 3 every year. Every plaza of the town gets a big wooden cross. The crosses
are adorned with Spanish shawls, plants and flowers. Many villagers offer
visitors tapas and wine for free. In the afternoon, the town band and other musicians
make music.
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| Cruces de Mayo |
During the last week of August, the
‘Festival Frigiliana Tres Culturas’ brings together the influences of the Moors,
Jews and Christian cultures with a festival of food, music, art and street
entertainment.
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| http://mynerja.com/view/news/the-three-cultures-festival-in-frigiliana/ |
Other festivals in Frigliana are listed below:
Fiesta
de San Sebastián in January;
Carnaval in
February;
The Feria of San Antonio in June;
Feria de San Juan in June (usually
on the beach in Nerja);
Fiesta
de las Candelarias in September.
Of course there are
also the national celebrations including Christmas, Holy Week.
In summer, there
are other cultural events held in Frigiliana including the
traditional dance festival; the annual band contest, and the contest between
choirs dedicated to Our Lady of El Rocío.
Robert Bovington
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