ALOZAINA MAY WELL BE THE BEST EXAMPLE WHEN DESCRIBING ANDALUSIAN WHITE VILLAGES. FROM A DISTANCE, ITS HOUSES SEEM AS IF THEY WERE PILED ATOP A HILL, PROTECTED BY A HAUGHTY CHURCH, TRACING THE ETERNAL SILHOUETTE AGAINST THE BLUE AND GREEN.

The village of Alozaina is located on a privileged outlook between the foothills of Sierra Prieta and the Guadalhorce valley, also known as the Dale of Málaga. Its urban layout, made up of inmaculately white maze-like streets, flows towards the centre of the village, towards its emblem: the parochial church of Santa Ana.
This holy building was built between 1770 and 1774, although a ceramic plaque on one of the sides of the temple dates it back to 1622. It is surrounded by the wall of the old fortress, which has lent its name to the village ever since its period of Arab dominion: Alhosaina, which means "small castle of fortress", although others have interpreted it a "good and healthy place". From its lookout, the view loses itself in the horizon in search of the Mediterranean that bathes the bay of Málaga. At our feet, the fertile Valley of the Guadalhorce, which dies here, still has enough strength to feed the orange, lemon and olive trees that lend colour to the land surrounding Alozaina.

The origin of the village dates back to Roman times, as many remains have been found of the civilisation known in this area as Ardite. However, as practically all the other villages of the interior of Málaga, it owes its present physiognomy to the Arab period. After the reconquest by the Catholic Monarchs on the 20th June 1484, Alozaina was repopulated with old Castilians; although those Moriscos who did not participate in the revolts were allowed to stay. Thus, the crown distributed the property between the citizens, who were to pay the "pecho" or tribute; thus the inhabitants of Alozaina are officially known as "pecheros".

The uniqueness of Alozaina
In spite of the fact Alozaina is a typical white village of the Málaga province, its customs and inhabitants have made it especially unique.
The picking of the olive begins in September in Alozaina, coinciding with the festivity in honour of the "Sweet Name of Mary", as opposed to the natural olive season, which takes place in December. This event is known as "verdeo", as the olives are picked still unripe, thus it is the first place in Spain that picks the fruit of these centuries old trees. This type of olives is only prepared here, as it requires a special seasoning, the recipe for which has been passed on from generation to generation. Its exquisite taste has led them to achieve widespread fame among the hospitality industry of Málaga and the rest of Andalusia.

The music band is another of Alozaina's unique features. It is probably the oldest group of the province of Málaga, with 138 years of history. They gave the first concert in 1864 under the direcction of its founder, Francisco Sánchez.
The love of music reached such an extent that for a long time different zarzuelas were represented in the village. Back then, Alozaina was living times of great prosperity and intellectual restlessness, thus is published a newspaper, which had three correspondents in provincial and regional media. Ever since Holy Week is celebrated, the band has accompanied the processions and it participates in the events of the hamlet of Jorox and neighbouring villages.

The bravery of a "pechera"
If there is one person who symbolises this beautiful village, that is the local heroine María Sagredo. During the rebellion of the Moriscos in 1570, this maid saw her father fall from one of the towers of the castle while he was defending it from the attacks. María Sagredo bravely stood up to the Saracens, killing one and injuring several beehives from the fortress at them. The bees began to furiosly attack their enemies, leading to their definitive retreat. In their flight, legend tells that the Moriscos were shouting "María, damned be the flies of your land". The heroic feat of María Sagredo is represented in the village's coat of arms, and she was rewarded by King Felipe II, who named her second lieutenant of the Spanish Infantry Regiment and granted her property in Jorox as dowry for her marriage.
Later, in 1897 the town hall agreed to name a street after the village's heroine.

Basic data
Size: 34.50 Km²
Population: Approx. 2.300
Residents known as: Pecheros
Monuments: Church of Santa Ana, Hoyo de los Peñones.
Geographical situation: In the Serranía de Ronda and the Guadalhorce Valley, 41 kilometres from Ronda and 52 from Malaga, at 386 metres above sea level.
Tourist information: Town Hall, C/ Coín, 10. 29567.
Phone: 952 480 013 Fax: 952 480 923

Places to be visited

Town centre
The typical architecture of the Andalusian pueblos has been preserved in Alozaina, to such an extent that it was declared to have been the prettiest town in Spain in 1976. The streets are filled with low, whitewashed houses with flowers in window pots and dominated by the imposing church.
Church of Santa Ana
The parish church of Santa Ana was built between the years 1770 and 1774, under the supervision of the master builder Felipe Pérez Menor, although its origins go back further, to 1622. It was built in the shape of the Latin cross, the ceiling in timber. Outside is a tiled panel that recalls the conquest of the population in 1484. The tower has a square base and rises to an octagonal bell tower topped with a small pyramidal roof.
The old castle
The castle was totally reconstructed in 1951, with only a small part of the wall and part of a primitive Moorish tower remaining in its original form. There is a magnificent look-out point in the castle from which one can see much of the surrounding countryside, and in which the official municipal stand during the ferias of Santiago and Santa Ana, and also during the olive oil festival.
Remains of ther hermitage and Moorish cemetery
The Hermitage was built in a single storey excavated out of the rock face, with a large niche on what was the front of the building. The room of the hermit was also carved out of the rock. Close by one can see the remains of the Moorish cemetery, with stone tombs of different sizes.
FIESTAS
Alozaina celebrates its Festivals in honour of the Sweet Name of María (las Fiestas en Honor del Dulce Nombre de María) during the month of September, which is also known as the Fiestas de la Aceituna. Apart from musical events, one of the most popular parts of the festival is the free tasting of olives on the Sunday morning in the main square of the town. Here visitors and locals alike gather to enjoy the event and have a great time at the festival.

GASTRONOMY
Alozaina, being situated at the foothills of the Serranía de Ronda and the entrance to the Guadalhorce Valley, has a rich and varied gastronomy that includes dishes like fried garlic with eggs, garlic flavoured rabbit with tomato, gazpacho, ajoblanco, salmon and cod omelette and many other items. In winter the most popular dishes are the gachas, the stews of chickpeas with cod and garlic and the fried eggs with asparagus. The people of the place like to eat roast pepper salads and gazpacho in summertime. For dessert, the most popular dish is the green fig bread and the honey doughnuts.