Alora, Malaga tourist information
Villages of Malaga province and Andalucia, Spain travel information

Alora Malaga

Alora enjoys a privileged location in the Guadalhorce Valley, which it overlooks from the north, standing atop a small hill. As well as its vegetable gardens, orchards and citrus trees, it also boasts interesting areas nearby, such as Los Gaitanes Pass (which it shares with Ardales and Antequera), the Sierra de Huma and the Sierra de Aguas. Its urban layout, of Arabic origin, gives it a special charm, which must be enjoyed without haste, due to the steep nature of its streets, which lead up to the symbol of the village: the castle, made even more curious by the fact that it is now used as a cemetery.

The highlight of Alora's buildings is Our Lady's Church.

History

Within the town boundary, at a spot known as Hoyo del Conde, prehistoric remains are to be found.

The Turdetans and, later, the Phoenicians found the Guadalhorce Valley the ideal place to set up colonies and to exploit the natural riches of the plains which would also become a strategic location on the natural routes leading inland. The foundations of Alora Castle were laid by Phoenician settlers.

In Roman times, it was known as Iluro, while the Arabs called it Alura.

Alora was an important Roman town between 81 and 96 A.D., as proved by the archaeological remains found here pertaining to the period, particularly a monolith  from the time of the emperor Domicianus, on which the words "Municipium Iluritanum" can be read. Today it stands in the patio of the parish church. The town, linked to the Roman region of Betica, was, according to the historian Columela, an important trading centre of wheat, barley, honey, wine and oil. All these products could be easily obtained from the area’s land and its prosperity was such that Alora even minted its own coins.

It was conquered by the Vandals in the 5th century. Remains from the Visigoth period can be found in the fortress located atop Las Torres mount.

During the Moslem occupation, the Christian kings besieged the town on numerous occasions due to its privileged strategic location (the castle overlooks the whole Malaga basin). Alfonso VIII attacked it in 1184, Alfonso XI in 1319. Later, John II, 1434, and Enrique IV, 1455 also tried to conquer the town. Due to its proximity to Bobastro, where the muladi (Christian converted to Islam) chief Omar Ben Hafsun gathered his forces, the town must also have played a key role in the 11th-century rebellion against the Caliphate of Cordoba. Its reputation as an impregnable fortress gave rise to one of the most beautiful frontier ballads: the Ballad of Alora, which refers to the town as “the well besieged" and which can be seen reproduced on a tablet embedded in the castle walls.

The town finally fell into Christian hands on 10 June 1484. The attacking troops, who bore the banner of the Catholic Monarchs, were led by Captain Don Luis Fernandez Portocarrero.

After the Christian conquest, the town’s inhabitants continued to live inside the fortress, and the original parish church, now the cemetery chapel, was built on the foundations of a former mosque. With the passage of time, the town began to spread to the foot of the hill.

A decree issued by Philip IV in 1628 saw Alora cease to belong to the city of Malaga "for evermore", according to the exact wording of the document.

An earthquake left the original church in ruins in 1680 and destroyed the older districts of the town.

The Castle, witness to so many deaths in attempts to capture and defend it, later became the town cemetery.

Tourist information about Alora:

Town council: Edificio del Museo Municipal (Plaza Baja de la Despedía).
Phone: +34 952 49 55 77
Official website: Ayuntamiento de Alora.

Malaga to Alora:

It can take up to 40 minutes to reach Alora (38 km route by car). Find the cheapest Malaga car rental deals and see how to get from Malaga airport to Alora.