Province
and Villages - Malaga - Torremolinos - History
Torremolinos history information
History
The strategic coastal location of Torremolinos, made it a
place of settlement for ancient civilizations: Phoenicians,
Greeks, Romans and Arabs.
The first mention of the town appears in 1498, year of the
Christian Reconquest of Málaga during the land parcelling.
Reference is made to marvellous spot known as the "Molinos
de la Torre", (the mills of the Tower), powered by water
from the abundant springs in whose environs the Catholic Kings
and their vast troops encamped during the siege of Málaga;
territory that in present day belongs to the municipality
of Alhaurín de la Torre. In 1502 it came under the rule of
Málaga with the name of "Torres de Pimentel" ("The
Towers of Pimentel", in honour of Rodrigo Pimentel, Count
of Benavente to whom most of the lands were given in thanks
for his cooperation with horses and food, during the siege
of Malaga.
In 1849 "el Madoz" published: "Torremolinos
is a place with a town hall, belonging to the province, judicial
district and diocese of Malaga, two leagues from the capital;
Territorial Audience and General Captainship of Granada. Due
to its location at the foothills of the Mijas mountains and
at rifle shot distance from the sea, it has a healthy climate,
only with seasonal common illnesses. It has 234 houses,one
square room used a a jail, and a elemenyary school with 44
pupils, with an annual allotment of 1.100 "reales"
plus 300 more for a material an a private school sustained
by the 14 girls attending it; a parochial church (San Miguel),
a cementary with 6 burial chambers belonging to the "Hermandad
de las Animas" (Brotherhood of Souls) and 8 belonging
to the local people and last an abundant spring, whose waters
are used for Human consumption, movement of mills and for
irrigation".
From the peaceful agricultural, fishing and flour producing
Andalusian village of 3000 inhabitants that Torremolinos used
to be in 1920, Torremolinos has grown into the world- known
touristic town, that in high season houses more than 25.000
tourist placing it ahead of more than 35 Spanish province
capitals in number of inhabitants.
Torremolinos remained an independent municipality until 1924,
when it became part of Málaga, until a popular movement promoted
by the Proautonomy Council of Torremolinos, regained its independence,
constituting the municipality of Torremolinos on September
27, 1988.
At the end of the 50's, when the tourist boom began , the
small town composed of a downtown area around San Miguel streets
and "the Calvario", "Bajondillo" and "La
Carihuela" neighbourhoods, began its urban and economical
take off to become the number one touristic municipality of
Andalusia and one of the most important at national and international
level.
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