A village of Arabic origin located where the Guadalhorce Valley meets the Serrania de Ronda mountain range, which explains the wide variety of scenery on offer here, ranging from the slopes of the Sierra Prieta, home to a delightful spot known as La Ventanilla, to the countryside of the Valley itself.
Its architecture is typically Andalusian, with clean, secluded streets of whitewashed houses decorated with flowers. Alozaina was named the most beautiful village in Spain in 1977.
History
Though Neolithic remains have been found in El Tajo Caves, in the Jorox Valley, the present-day village dates back to Roman times, of which relics can be found in the centre of Alozaina itself and, further out, at a spot known as Ardite.
Alozaina Castle, remains of whose walls still stand, was built during the Moslem occupation, and the village’s name is also of Arabic origin, coming from Alhosaina, meaning “small castle”.
On 21 June 1484, the Marquis of Cadiz captured the village on behalf of the Catholic Monarchs. According to the chronicler Mosen Diego de Valera, five days after Alozaina surrendered, he ordered lands to be pruned and olive trees cut down, particularly in the La Dehesa and Ardite areas, and that the place be set alight, measures designed to exact revenge for the murder of Count Lozano, a relative of King Ferdinand. As a result, Alozaina was deserted for some time, before being resettled by Old Christians.
During the morisco (Moslem convert to Christianity) revolts of the mid 16th century, a key role was played by Maria Sagredo who, along with other women of Alozaina, confronted a group of moriscos led by El Zebali while the men of the village were away working on the land. Legend has it that feminine ingenuity saw the women stave off the attack using weapons such as beehives, which they hurled at the aggressors from the village walls. Philip II recognised Maria Segredo’s feat by awarding her land in the Jorox Valley.
Alozaina became an independent municipality on 12 April 1942.
