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Grazalema

Grazalema
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Location

Location of Grazalema
Coordinates :
Time zone :
General information
Native name Grazalema (Spanish)
Spanish name Grazalema
Postal code 11610
Website http://www.grazalema.es/
Administration
Country Spain
Autonomous Community Andalusia
Province Cádiz
Comarca Sierra de Cádiz
Mayor Mª José Lara (PSOE)
Geography
Land Area 121 km²
Altitude 812 m AMSL
Population
Population 2.243 (2007)
Density 18,4 hab./km² (2007)

Grazalema is a village located in the northeastern part of the province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Situated in the foothills of the Sierra del Pinar mountain range, Grazalema, according to the 2005 census, had a population of 2,225.



Economy

Traditionally, the economy of the village was generated by small-scale agriculture, sheep herding, cork harvesting, and handicrafts, like hand-weaving lambswool cloth and furniture-making. These activities are now quite limited and under-resourced. Due to the location of Grazalema in the middle of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park and the fact that the town is one of the pueblos blancos, the so-called (White Towns of Andalusia), tourism now plays a major role in sustaining the village and its people. The mountainous area around Grazalema is popular with climbers and hikers, and local people make money by providing accommodations and hospitality to visitors.

History

The Roman Villa of Lacidulia, situated in an estate near to the present village has been traditionally considered the ancestor of Grazalema.

With the Moslem invasion in the eighth century, these lands were populated by people of Berber origin and from them, the area acquired the name of Raisa lami Suli, “town of the Banu al-Salim”, place which passed to Ben-salama, “Son of Zulema and later Grand Zulema”. During this period, its economy was organised around forestry, agriculture, farming and textile manufacture.

With the Christian conquest in 1485, Zagrazalema, which it was called then, became part of the lands of the Ponce de León. It became economically important as of the 17th Century thanks to the drapery industry which produced the famous shawls of Grazalema. In the first years of the 19th Century, during the War of Independence, Grazalema suffered attacks and sieges from the Napoleonic troops who partially destroyed the village.

Heritage

Parish church of the Incarnation, 17 to 19 Century Church of Our Lady of Aurora, Baroque Style 18 Century Museums: Cloak factory, Our Lady of Carmen, textile handicraft

Fiestas

The first fiesta is the Romería of San Isidro Labrador which is held on the last Sunday in May (celebrating the arrival of summer). On 13 June, the village celebrates Benamahoma, the fiesta in honor of its patron, San Antonio. During the third week of July, the Fiestas of Carmen are held which climax with the Monday of Bulls. The first Sunday in August, Benamahoma celebrates the festival of Moors and Christians. The most important agricultural festivals in Grazalema are held during the third week in August. The eighth day of September is the day of the Virgin of the Angeles, who is the patron saint of Grazalema.

Demographics

Demographic evolution of Grazalema between 1999 and 2005

1999

 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

2,249

 2,240 2,230 2,219 2,200 2,178 2,225

Source: INE (Spain)

Grazalema
Grazalema

See also

  • Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park

External links

  • Grazalema - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía
  • TierraWiki.org - Outdoor information around Grazalema.

Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park


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Location of the Natural Park
Location of the Natural Park

The Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park is a protected area in the northeastern part of the province of Cádiz in southern Spain. The park encompasses, within its 51,695 hectares, a complex of mountain ranges, known collectively as the Sierra de Grazalema, which, in turn, are part of the Cordillera Penibética. Other ranges within the park, comprising the Sierra de Grazalema, include the Sierra de Zafalgar, the Sierra del Pinar, and the Sierra de Endrinal. Pinar (or Torreón), 1654 meters in elevation, is the tallest peak.

The Sierra de Grazalema, a karstic region, contains a number of large limestone caverns, including the Cueva del Gato, the Cueva de la Pileta and the Garganta Verde. The Sierra de Grazalema is also home to many colonies of vultures, including a few pairs of Egyptian vultures, a species which is seriously threatened. The natural park was declared a biosphere reserve in 1977.

[edit] Towns and cities within the park

All or part of nine municipalities of the province of Cádiz lie within the Natural Park of Grazalema: Algodonales, Benaocaz, El Bosque, El Gastor, Grazalema, Prado del Rey, Ubrique, Villaluenga del Rosario, and Zahara de la Sierra. Likewise, there are five towns in Málaga province that have land within park boundaries: Benaoján, Cortes de la Frontera, Jimera de Líbar, Montejaque, and Ronda.