Alpandeire

What to See in Alpandeire

The San Antonio de Padua church in the centre of the village powerfully catches the visitor’s attention by its dimensions, which are so large in comparison with a quite small village complex that houses some 300 residents. It may be hyperbole to call it the "Catedral de la Serranía" ("Cathedral of the Highlands") but that is how it is commonly known.

It is in fact a sizable project on which work began in the sixteenth century by order of Diego de Deza, Archbishop of Seville, although its present framework is from a reconstruction that was done in the eighteenth century. The building has a basilica floor plan and is divided into three naves covered with barrel vaults, with a transept crowned by a dome. Two sturdy octagonal bell towers provide balance to the structure’s harmonious exterior.

In the church’s basement is a cemetery in which "embalmed and intact bodies" have been found, according to popular tradition. It is, however, true that, in the crypt of the church there are two very well preserved mummies that apparently are of a married couple who, contributed money to the construction of the church.

The house that is the birthplace of Friar Leopoldo shows the typical characteristics of the popular architecture of the local highlands, and its interest lies in the fact that it was in this home that a personage came into the world who, through his charitable acts, has transcended local boundaries. The dwelling has nevertheless become an artistic and historic monument. The village has dedicated to the future saint-his case is in the process of beatification- a statue in the place known as El Cerrajón. In the patio, there is stone that the saint used to rest his head on.

The Antiguo Pósito (Old Municipal Granary), which has been converted into a cultural centre due to its location in the centre of the village, dates from the seventeenth century and displays some truly interesting architecture.

If the visitor wants to go farther in the past, he or she can visit the dolmens at Encinas Borrachas, a megalithic burial complex. As many as five corpses have been found in each tomb, which points at the importance of the municipality, located at the crossroads of the Ronda plains and the Genal valley. Experts believe that the first settlers were nomadic shepherds. In addition, prehistoric remains have been found in Montero and Sepultura del Gigante. Pottery and buildings from Roman time have been unearthed in Vasija and La Mimbre.

 

Alpandeire

is at the end of the so-called Ruta de Fray Leopoldo (Brother Leopoldo’s Tour), comprising the villages of the Serranía de Ronda all the way up to the Genal valley: Pujerra, Igualeja, Cartajima, Júzcar, Faraján and Alpandeire. Fray Leopoldo visited these villages until he turned 33, when he joined the Capuchin religious order. This tour is purely Andalusian and shows a historic heritage of utmost importance. Tourists will find excellent features of residential architecture, revealing how local people managed to adapt to the difficulties posed by the place. All the municipalities in the tour feature small chapels, while Alpandeire itself has the remarkable Church of la Serranía and the Parish Church of San Antonio de Padua.