molvízar
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Molvízar is especially attractive for tourists searching for a typically Spanish town which has managed to preserve its Moorish roots; it has twice won the “Embellecimiento de Pueblos” award. Visitors can enjoy walking the narrow, winding streets dotted with white houses with balconies and windows adorned with flower baskets. It has about 2700 inhabitants.
Unfortunately we don’t yet have any hotels, hostels or apartments to display right now, however being but a 25 minute drive from Almuñécar & Salobreña which are larger, coastal towns, and just… More →
History
According to historical remains found up to this point, it can be said that the first human settlements in the area date back to the Neolithic era, a period in which certain species of cereals (wheat, barley, etc) began to be cultivated and domestic animals such as ox, goats, sheep, pigs were farmed.
Between the eighteenth and twelfth centuries BC, the Argar culture (Bronze Age) developed, a period from which archaeological remains have been discovered in the area. Additionally, a small statuette of the goddess, Venus, made of baked clay (terracotta), was discovered, dating from between the first and third centuries AD. More>
Things to See
Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Ana
The Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Ana, built on the orders of Carlos III in 1785, is the most historically and culturally significant building in the town. It is built in a neoclassical style and is the work of Ventura Rodríguez. The works were completed under the reign of Carlos IV in 1790. It is a simple brick-built church, consisting of three naves separated by pillars, the central one is higher than the two lateral ones. The elevated main chapel is winged by the sacristy, the tower and other rooms, forming a rectangular plan. The gabled roofs are made up of a barrel vault on the inside, the central one with lunettes. The project was carried out by the Chief Master of Works of the Archbishopric of Granada, Juan Castellanos, and endorsed and modified by the great academic architect, Ventura Rodríguez. Inside were numerous works of art, both sculptures and paintings, which were looted and destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. However, there is still a crucifix from the sixteenth century, a reference for the study of Andalusian polychrome sculpture, and a virgin by Alonso de Mena and San Lorenzo also from the late sixteenth century. Located on Calle Santa Ana.
Hacienda de los Jesuitas
Known locally as La Compañía, the building was constructed in the seventeenth century and the school, Colegio de San Pablo de la Compañía de Jesús, was located here. After the expulsion of the Jesuits it was used as a military barracks during the War of Independence and the Spanish Civil War.
Things to see outside the town
Castillo de Jaral
The surface ceramics found at the site of the castle suggests the fortification dates back to between the ninth and tenth centuries, apparently built to control the passage from the coast to the interior along the Guadalfeo River. The castle has an oval shape and a small surface, with approximate dimensions of 20x10 meters. Its small enclosure was surrounded by a masonry wall of which some remains today, possibly with two rectangular towers at its north and south ends. Located north east of the town, on the highest peak of the Jara range, called Puntalón, belonging to the Sierra de los Guájares, being on the border of the municipalities of Molvízar and Los Guájares.
Archaeological Remains
There is no doubt that the land of Molvízar was occupied by other settlers prior to the Arabs and Christians. At the entrance to Molvízar we find an archaeological site, a Roman winepress from the first century, where the clay vessels in which local wine and oil were transported throughout the Roman Empire were surely built; and the garum that was made in the factories of Almuñécar. If at the entrance to the town is the alfar, on the other side, to the west, is the place known as “Loma de Ceres”, where the remains of the winepress and the warehouse where the wine was stored still exists.
GASTRONOMY
Located at the foot of the Cerro de Jibrite and surrounded by ravines, Molvízar offers a landscape full of vineyards, which supply one of the most important products in the town’s gastronomy: its wines. These are the perfect accompaniment to typical dishes of the area, such as choto con aliño (seasoned veal), migas (a dish made with breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil and other ingredients), longaniza (a spicy pork sausage) and homemade morcilla (black pudding).
Festivals
Popular festivals in Molvízar are Fiestas Patronales en Honor a Santa Ana, Día de la Virgen del Rosario and Jornadas sobre el vino de Molvízar. More>
Bus Service
There is a bus service from Molvízar to Ítrabo, Lobres, Salobreña and Motril. More>
Weather Forecast
The weather forecast for the next few days for Molvízar. More>
Tourist Office
The tourist office of Molvízar is located in the Town Hall. More>
Nearby Places
The neighbouring villages to Molvízar are Ítrabo and Lobres.
