Experiencing the Village of Júzcar, in the Mountains of Málaga, Spain

[David Nuyen]

Júzcar is situated in the Alto del Genal, which is in the Serrania de Ronda region, extending from the Jarastepar peak, at 1,425 metres above sea level, to the coastal municipalities of Estepona and Benahavís.

The landscape is varied in this large municipality, from the rocky terrain of the northern Sierra del Oreganal to the pine and chestnut woods of the lower Sierra Bermeja mountain range. There are small mountains of pine and oak mixing with scrub land near the village itself; reaching from the Las Lomas to the EI Cerro del Jardón peak, 1,156 metres high. For a good view over the entire area, one can go to the Riachuelo stream or a little further on and see the white houses speckled over the sides of the Alto del Genal. This hilly terrain has conditioned the layout of the village itself, whose houses seem to be piled one over the other to compensate for the sharply differing levels, a feature of the place that is also evident in the steep and winding streets, some of them stepped. In this respect, Júzcar is quite similar to other mountain towns in the Ronda area, although one of the rather unique elements in this place is the large number of chimneys that reach out from the irregular rooftops.

The origins of the village are not very clear, although it is believed that the place was lived in before the arrival of the Moors. Following the Christian conquest of the area, the surrounding urban centres were seriously de-populated and the remaining residents grouped together in what is now the village, building a church there is 1505. To judge from the number of outlying urban areas that fell under the jurisdiction of Júzcar in the past, one can assume that the village was quite important in its time. Pascual Madoz, in his Geographical/Historical/Statistical Dictionary of Spain (1845-50), lists six different areas having been part of the municipality of the Júzcar. But like all the other towns in the area, this place suffered de-population when Moriscos were expelled and outsiders had to be brought in to re-populate the area.

PLACES TO BE VISITED

The Tin Factory:- The first ever factory set up in Spain for the production of tin was built in Júzcar according to a book published by Altos Hornos de Vizcaya, the biggest foundry in the country. The reason Júzcar was chosen as the site was the ready supply of hardwood in the area, essential in the smelting process. The factory began production in the year 1731 under the rather cumbersome trading name “The Never Before Seen in Spain Royal Tin and its Adherents Factory, under the reign of the always invincible Catholic Monarchs Don Felipe V and Doña Isabel Farnesio”. This, in any case, was written in stone at the entrance, the book tells us. The factory, situated beside the river in a place now known as the Finca La Fábrica, had a secret research area and employed 200 workers. About 30 technicians under the management of two Swiss engineers, Pedro Menrón and Emerico Dupasquier, were brought in from Germany to run the place since the smelting process was not known in this country. The story goes that the technicians were smuggled out of Germany in barrels since their departure was prohibited by law in the interests of protecting the industry’s secrets. We are also told that camels, rather than the more usual horses, donkeys or mules, were used to transport the products across the mountains because they were better suited towards this task. They were sent there by the Madrid Government for this purpose. The factory, however, went bankrupt in the face of later tough Basque and Asturian competition.

Ruins of the Tin Factory

The Church of Santa Catalina is the most interesting building in the village. It dates from the 16th century, although it has been restructured many times since then, the last reformation of the building being done after the Civil War. It was built in a single nave with a flat ceiling that hides the remains of an earlier, Mudejar-style supporting structure. Of special interest in the surrounding area is the Cueva del Moro (the Moor’s cave) and the area that the river Genal flows through.

Júzcar´s plaza & 16th century church, St. Catalina

FIESTAS

The festival in honour of the town's patron saint, the Virgen del Moclón, takes place from 24 to 26 August. This is the biggest festive event in the year and people come from far and near to participate and enjoy the festival. The Day of San José is also an important date taking place on 19 March, and the Romería, that is held at the end June. The tradition of the El Niño del Huerto on Easter Sunday is celebrated here as in neighbouring Igualeja.

Legend of the Virgen of Moclón

Local legend has it that the image of the Virgin de Moclón, the patron saint of the village, was found by a young shepherd in the area known as Moclón. Seeing how small it was, the youngster assumed it to be a toy and put it in his bag to take it home. Arriving home, he found it was no longer there. He tried twice more to take the statue home but each time it disappeared from the bag and the next day he discovered the statue was in the same place he had found it. He then threw a stone at it in anger, cutting the face. Despite various attempts to repair the cut, it is still visible to this day.

GASTRONOMY

The main ingredients of the most traditional dishes of the village come from the surrounding countryside and these include almonds, chestnuts, olive oil, citrus fruits and grapes. Local wine is also made and various types of grapes are produced here. Most of the main dishes are similar to those of other Ronda mountain towns with plenty of good pork products, soups and rabbit in garlic. All this can be eaten accompanied by the excellent local wines made from grapes grown in the area. In craftwork, the people of the place produce lovely pieces in straw, wickerwork and ironwork as well as objects made from cork.

JÚZCAR BASIC DATA

Size: 34 km2
Population: approximately 150
Residents: known as Juzcareños (Pronounced:- "WHOTH-ca-ren-yos")
Monuments: Church of Santa Catalina, remains of the Royal Tin Factory, ruins of abandoned village of Moclón
Geographical situation: In the Sierra del Oreganal, 24k from Ronda and 144k from Málaga at 623 metres above sea level;
GPS:- 05 10 09W - 36 37 24N
Tourist information: Village hall, calle Real Fabrica de Hojalata, Nº 1 - 29462. Tel: 952.183.500

[netviagens]

Thanks for the tip. Marked to visit next time