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Basic
data
Size:
24
Km²
Population:
Approx. 362
Residents known as:
Pujerreños
Monuments:
Church of the Espíritu Santo, natural
surroundings.
Geographical
situation: In the Alto del Genal, in the Ronda Mountains
region, 116 kilometres from Malaga, at 769 metres above sea level.
Tourist information: Town
Hall, Fuente, 3. 29450.
Phone: 952 183 513 Fax: 952
183 513
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The streets of
Pujerra are narrow and winding |
The municipality of Pujerra extends through the
northern part of the Sierra Bermeja mountain range, descending towards the
Genal Valley. The various peaks in the area are the Sanara, the Corcha and
the Hiedra, with the Guaitará peak the highest at 769 metres above sea
level. The river Guadalmansa flows through the municipality, crossing the
Sierra Bermeja through a deep valley. Another important river in the area is
the Genal, which waters the land north of the municipality, fed by the
Bentomiz and Hiedra streams. Little
is known about the early history of the town, although one can suppose it to
have been populated through the ages by the various peoples that settled in
neighbouring towns. Legend says that it was here the Visigoth king Wamba
held land and possessions, and a brief look at the layout of the town tells
us that the Moors had lived here too. Inscriptions on the facades of some of
the houses show the monogram of Christ in the Greek lettering used in the
second century, which would indicate that the town was already lived in at
that time. At
a later date Pujerra suffered the damage resulting from the Morisco (Moors
"converted" to Christianity) rebellion after the re-conquest, and
municipal archives from the 16th, 17th and 18th
centuries shed more light on the conflictive situation of that period
between the Moriscos and the Christians, ending with the definitive
expulsion of the Moors from Spain.
Places
to be visited
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Natural
surroundings
Like its neighbouring municipality of Igualeja, the town is
surrounded by dense chestnut woods, giving way to pines as the
ground lowers towards the bottom of the valley. On the way from
Júzcar to Pujerra, one can see cork, chestnut and black poplars
in the area known as the Molino del Puente. The best views over
the town itself and the valley below can be seen from the ruins of
an ancient mill in this area, and one can also see parts of the
river Genal that people bathe in during the hot summer months. The
combination of hot weather and cool forest land is particularly
attractive during the summer, and attracts many visitors to the
place. One can also take the road that links Pujerra with
Jubrique, the 14-kilometre distance being ideal for walking or
cycling. The road first passes through chestnut groves, turning
into pine groves towards the end of the journey. The pines are
visible from some distance, given their dark colour against the
bright vegetation that surrounds them. From the San Pedro road one
begins to see the high part of the river Guadalmina Valley, close
to a house built for road workers along the way.
Urban centre
Interest in the architecture of the town centres on the urban
centre as a whole, and its unique position on the top of the
Sierra Bermeja mountains. For this reason it is one of the most
visited towns in the region, its narrow and winding streets
typical of Moorish urban planning, or lack of it. Most of the
houses are made of rubble with whitewashed facades and
Moorish-style roof tiles. The only institutional building of
architectural interest is the parish church, the Church of the
Espíritu Santo. It is a small building from the 16th
century, with an interesting spire dating from the 18th
century, built in two storeys with three angular openings,
reminiscent of the Hermitage of the Aurora in Malaga City.
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Main plaza with the
church on the left |
FIESTAS
The annual Feria in Pujerra takes place
during the month of June, and it honours the patron saint of the town, San
Antonio de Padua. It is the most important of the local festivals, with
four days and nights of music, dancing and fun. A Romeria is celebrated in
honour of the same saint on the second Sunday of August, when the Pujerra
Cultural Week takes place. The festival in honour of the Virgen de Fátima
is held on November 3rd, with the traditional Tostón de
Castañas (toasting of the chestnuts) taking place on the first day of
that month, when the chestnuts are ripe for picking. Carnival time is
February, and the Holy Week celebrations are very important in this town,
with the Virgen de la Soledad brought in procession through the streets.
Another important festive day is the Dia del Huerto (Day of the Vegetable
garden), during which the people of the place bring products of the earth
to the square to sell in a type of market, the proceeds going to charity.
GASTRONOY
The gastronomic tradition of
Pujerra is similar to that of other small towns in the Genal Valley
region. Here we find hot gazpacho, fried breadcrumbs, delicious herbal
casseroles, dishes made from asparagus and other local vegetables and
soups. The town is also well known for its excellent home-made pastries.
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