Alhaurín de la Torre
Encyclopedia
Alhaurín de la Torre is a town in the province of Málaga, Andalusia
, Southern Spain
. The town is part of Málaga Metropolitan Area and of the Comarca of Valle del Guadalhorce
.
It sits at the entrance to the Guadalhorce
valley on the slopes of the Sierra de Mijas
mountains, some 17 km from Málaga
.
Services are the main source of income.
It was historically an agrarian village, where citrus
and subtropical fruit plantations and olive
grove
s still cover the landscape.
and Cártama
in about 1,000 BC settled in Alhuarín. It was here that Lauro
was founded, and centuries later the Romans
called it Lauro Vetus
.
The Moors
, after the Islamic conquest of Iberia, called it Albarracín
, and it grew from that into a larger collection of farm-houses. The re-conquest of the town in 1485 meant another variation on the name, and the place was finally called Alhaurín de la Torre. The population increased sharply due to the influx of Christian
settlers after 1571. There are many archaeological remains in the municipality
, most of them being in the Estación de la Alquería area, officially designated as being of Cultural Interest.
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Southern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The town is part of Málaga Metropolitan Area and of the Comarca of Valle del Guadalhorce
Valle del Guadalhorce
The Valle del Guadalhorce is a comarca in the province of Málaga, Andalusia, southern Spain. It includes 8 municipalities and is part of the natural region of the Guadalhorce river.Coín is traditionally considered the most important town in the comarca...
.
It sits at the entrance to the Guadalhorce
Guadalhorce
The Guadalhorce River is the principal river of the Province of Málaga, southern Spain....
valley on the slopes of the Sierra de Mijas
Sierra de Mijas
The Sierra de Mijas is a mountain range in southern Spain, part of the coastal mountain range that lies behind the Costa del Sol Occidental, in Andalusia. It separates the Valle del Guadalhorce region from the Costa del Sol....
mountains, some 17 km from Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
.
Description
The city centre has old Moorish-style streets and houses.Services are the main source of income.
It was historically an agrarian village, where citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
and subtropical fruit plantations and olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
grove
Grove (nature)
A grove is a small group of trees with minimal or no undergrowth, such as a sequoia grove, or a small orchard planted for the cultivation of fruits or nuts...
s still cover the landscape.
History
The origin of the place goes back to pre-historic times, and it is known that the Phoenicians that set up factories in MálagaMálaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
and Cártama
Cártama
Cártama is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 17 km from Málaga. It is one of the most extensive towns in the province, covering c. 105 km²...
in about 1,000 BC settled in Alhuarín. It was here that Lauro
Lauro
Lauro is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy....
was founded, and centuries later the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
called it Lauro Vetus
Lauro Vetus
Lauro Vetus was the Roman name for the town of Alhaurin de la Torre in Andalucia, Southern Spain....
.
The Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
, after the Islamic conquest of Iberia, called it Albarracín
Albarracín
Albarracín is Spanish town, in the province of Teruel, part of the autonomous community of Aragon. According to the 2007 census , the municipality had a population of 1075 inhabitants...
, and it grew from that into a larger collection of farm-houses. The re-conquest of the town in 1485 meant another variation on the name, and the place was finally called Alhaurín de la Torre. The population increased sharply due to the influx of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
settlers after 1571. There are many archaeological remains in the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, most of them being in the Estación de la Alquería area, officially designated as being of Cultural Interest.