ANTEQUERA, AN HISTORICAL TOWN

A visit to this historical town is a journey almost 5.000 years back in time, beginning with the Bronze Age and the native Iberians. The timeline is there to be followed in this fascinating city's profusion of burial mounds, dolmends, Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers.
The first sighting of Antequera in the distance is that of a typical medieval town, with the spires of her many chrches and the walls and towers of the great Moorish fortress silhouetted against the sky. Spread out in the valley below lie rich farmlands irrigated by the Guadalhorce River. For centuries this has been one of Andalucia's most fertile areas, and is currently a leading prodeucer of asparagus, cereals and olives. In summer, its fields turn brillian yellow with sunflowers.

The town and valley are overlooked by an enormous crag of limestone, 880 metres high, called La Peña de los Enamorados, or "The Lovers'Leap". The name comes from a local legend about an impossible love affair between a young Christian man from Antequera and a beautiful Moorish girl from nearby Archidona, who were driven to the top of the cliff by the Moorish soldiers, where, rather than renounce their love, they chose to hurl themselves into the abyss.
One of Antequera's most impressive sights is its dolmens, located in a park to the west of the town, the most spectacular of which is the Cueva de Menga. These megalithic mass tombs, made of huge slabs of rock, were creatd by the original Iberian people and date back 5.000 years.
There are many such dolmens in Andalucía, but none as large as the Cueva de Menga. When it was excavated in the nineteenth century, many hundreds of skeletons were found in its inner chamber.

Other fascinating monuments to be seen in the town are the recently excavated Roman baths, the magnificent Renaissance church of Santa María la Mayor Church, the Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, the 19th century bullring, and the Arch of the Giants, built in 1585, which leads up to the 13th century Moorish castle.
We recommended the Convento de las Descalzas, the Barefoot Carmelitas, on the square of the same name. Inside the heavy wooden entrance, there is a small counter with a display of bakery products and prices, next to a revolving wooden door. You pull a rope which rings a bell, and then hear a woman's voice say "Sí", after which you give your oder and place your money on the tray. The hidden nun then spins the tray around, with the pastries from the door.

HISTORY OF ANTEQUERA
The Roman Antikaria was the seat of the only Pontifical Caesarian College in Spain.
Although its settlement gives evidence to the Romans, vestiges of previous civilisations can easily be found through the prehistoric archaeology.
Many traces establich the existence of settlements in this zone 2500 years B.C, although Professor Obermaier thinks that those vestiges go back to more than 4000 years BC. He, of course, is based on the Dolmens of Menga, Viera, El Romeral and El Alcaide, the first three in the outskirts of Antequera and the last near Villanueva de Algaidas.
Although there are no trarce of Iberian, Tartesian or Phoenicians settlements, their presence is presumable, nevertheless there is no doubts about the Carthaginians stay, as they left many signs of it in the earthenware and graves found in Cerro León, which could have been the city of Osqua existing on that hill and where there was a great battle between Asdrubal and the Roman Legions.
The dolmens of Menga, Viera and El Romeral, attest the antiquity of Antequera, and the Romans who settled here, called it Antikaria to assure its immemorial establishment.
After the signature of the Orihuela Treaty between the Goth King Teodomir and Abdelaziz-Ben-Muza-Ben-Noseir, the Arab army came into Antequera and during their domination it was called "Medina Antecaria".
The importance that the Kingdom of Castille gave to the reconquest of the town was so great, that Fernando, the Regent of Catille, who ruled the Kingdom on behalf of his nephew Juan II, took on himself the duty, from then on he was known as Fernando de Antequera. After the conquest, and by Royal decree of 9th. November 1441, it was declared a City.