Antequera

What to See in Antequera

There is no way you can fully appreciate the artistic and monumental wealth that Antequera offers in a single day, but the town does have the advantage of having all its sites concentrated in the historic town centre, thus making long trips unnecessary, and the visit can be made comfortably on foot. You can begin the tour at any point selected at random since the monuments are to be encountered practically without interruption and you don’t have to go looking for them. It is advisable, though, to plan your itinerary beforehand. The Tourism Office offers guided tours to visitors coming to Antequera. This way, they will have a good overview in their first visit. Guided tours starting at Plaza del Coso Viejo are available all the year round at 11:30 a.m. Also 70-minute city tours by minivan take tourists to Antequera's landmarks. They depart from Plaza del Coso Viejo too. For more info and bookings, please call (+34) 952 702 505.

The San Sebastián Plaza is one of the points not to be missed on any tour of the monuments of Antequera. It is a small space in the centre of which is a Renaissance fountain designed by Pedro Machuca in 1545. The Colegiata de San Sebastián (Collegiate Church of Saint Sebastian), with its plateresque entrance by Diego de Vergara, is from the same era. Its stylised brick tower, built at the beginning of the eighteenth century, is the tallest in the town. The church’s interior is a veritable museum of painting and sculpture.

Next to this temple is the La Encarnación convent, with a church from the sixteenth century. The Moorish Granada style is to be seen here in the roof frame that covers the lone nave, in whose centre the main chapel sits at a considerable height. In the adjacent El Coso Plaza is the Palacio de Nájera, now the Museo Municipal (municipal museum), which houses the famous "Efebo de Antequera", an extraordinary bronze figure from the first century that experts consider one of the best Roman sculptures in Spain. Paintings from the Antequera School, popular religious sculpture, goldsmith work and a select collection of works by the Antequerano painter Cristóbal Toral are also shown in the museum galleries.

Along Nájera Street and up Cuesta de Las Barbacanas is the way to Las Descalzas Plaza, so called for the nuns that occupy the San José convent, better known as as Descalzas Convent. It has a peculiar baroque entrance and in its interior is the Museo Conventual de las Descalzas (Las Descalzas Convent Museum) where you can admire notable pictorial works. From here, you enter Madre Carmen del Niño Jesús Street.

You will immediately see the Moorish-Renaissance façade of the Palacio de los Marqueses de la Peña de los Enamorados with its two towers that serve as viewing points. Next is the La Victoria convent, with a beautiful eighteenth century style church with a central floor plan on the Roman model, a model also followed, although in not quite so orthodox a manner, by the church of the Santa Eufemia convent on Belén Street. To get here you must take La Carrera Street to Santiago Plaza, which is dominated by the double-atrium façade of the Santiago church. Very close by is the Belén convent and its own eighteenth century church whose interior draws attention for its exuberant decoration of gilded, and painted gesso.

The Puerta de Granada (Granada Gate) at the end of Belén Street was erected in the eighteenth century, and on it are displayed the coats of arms of Antequera and of Fernando VI. It is just a short stroll from here to the Dolmens of Menga (2,500 B. C.) and Viera (2,000 B. C.), two extraordinarily important burial constructions.

On the way back from the dolmen complex, on Cristo de los Avisos Street before arriving again at Las Descalzas Plaza, you must not fail to visit the Real Convento de San Zoilo (Royal Convent of San Zoilo), which was founded by the Catholic Monarchs in the sixteenth century in the late Gothic style. As well as the interesting Moorish coffered ceiling of the central nave, the church contains three admirable examples of Renaissance art: the image of the Green Christ, that of Jesús Nazareno de la Sangre and a beautiful altarpiece.

Cuesta de los Rojas begins at Las Descalzas Plaza and leads to Del Carmen Street and Del Carmen Plaza where, naturally, is located the Del Carmen church, which used to belong to a convent that no longer exists. The interior of the church (from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries) has an admirable Moorish framework but the most notable thing is a rococo altarpiece of astonishingly complex composition on the main altar. A Gothic Virgin donated by the Catholic Monarchs to the church-mosque of El Salvador-which also no longer exists-increases the importance of the artistic collection of this church.

A set of stairs beginning at Del Carmen Plaza leads to Postigo de la Estrella, from which a slope rises to the Santa María Plaza in the upper part of the city. Here the architecture is dominated by the Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor church-next to which traces of Roman bathhouses have been found-and the Alcazaba and the Arco de los Gigantes (Giants’ Arch).

The Royal Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor is known to be the first Renaissance church (1530-1550) to be built in Andalusia. Its monumental façade is one of the most representative symbols of the city of Antequera. It is formed by three arches divided by buttresses and is crowned with pinnacles. Its three naves, supported by Moorish roof framing, are separated by thick Ionic order columns, which imbue the interior of the church with an unmistakable Roman air. It was here that a grammar faculty was founded that gave rise to the Antequera School of poetry during the Golden Age. Its most distinguished member was Pedro Espinosa, who is commemorated by a statue in the square.

The Arco de los Gigantes (Giants’ Arch) in front of the Colegiata was erected in 1585. Some time ago, its decorations included roman stone tablets and objects of art, some of which disappeared, and others were replaced by copies, so as to preserve the originals.

Before leaving these environs a visit is obligatory to the Alcazaba, on the highest point in Antequera and which provides the best panoramic view of the town and its surroundings.

Work began on the Alcazaba in the eleventh century, but most of the walls and the two towers that remain are from the fourteenth century. The main tower is that of El Homenaje. Its interior spaces are covered by oblique domes, except for one that has a wooden roof. The Torre de Papabellotas (Papabellotas Tower) was erected above this tower in the sixteenth century. In this latter tower a bell was installed whose ringing regulated the irrigation of the surrounding farmlands. The Torre Blanca (White Tower), with its chambers distributed over two stories, is linked to El Homenaje by the path along the top of the wall.

A second wall led from the Torre Blanca southward, where the Puerta de Málaga (Málaga Gate), was constructed. This is a graceful tower with a horseshoe arch. After the Christian Conquest, it was used as a hermitage with the name of Virgen de la Espera.

Upon leaving the grounds of the Alcazaba you should return to the Arco de los Gigantes and continue along Herradores Street to Portichuelo Plaza, where the distinctive capilla-tribuna de la Virgen del Socorro (Virgen del Socorro Chapel) stands in a two-level baroque portico surmounted by another, somewhat smaller, level. Next to this original structure is the Church of Santa María de Jesús

where homage is rendered to that image, one of the most popular of the Antequera Holy Week.

The Church of San Juan Bautista, built in the sixteenth century in the Mannerist style, is down Cuesta Real from Portichuelo Plaza. The image of Cristo de la Salud y de las Aguas (Christ of Health and Water) is venerated in this temple. Go down steep Alvaro de Oviedo Street to Pasillas Street, where you will find the Palacio de los Marqueses de las Escalonias with its beautiful Mannerist entrance. The Church of Santo Domingo (seventeenth and eighteenth centuries), which preserves a painted Moorish coffered ceiling, is a few steps farther along. The Virgen de la Paz Coronada (Crowned Virgin of Peace) is in the niche of the main altarpiece, and another of its chapels is dedicated to the Virgen del Rosario (Virgin of the Rosary).

The tour continues along Cuesta de la Paz, which leads to San Sebastián Plaza. You can begin another itinerary from this point, going down Infante Don Fernando Street in the direction of the boulevard of Andalucía and the Bullring where the Museo Taurino Municipal (Municipal Bullfight Museum) is located.

The San Agustín Convent completed in the mid-sixteenth century, is on the first stretch of this street. The main chapel of its church has a Gothic ribbed vault. However, the nave’s coffered ceiling that was designed by Siloe-a masterpiece of its kind-was replaced in the eighteenth century by a covering in the Mannerist style.

The Palacio Municipal (Municipal Palace), also on Infante Don Fernando Street, was formerly the Terceros Franciscanos convent. The Town Hall acquired it in 1845. Behind its neo-baroque entrance, this mansion houses an artistic marble stairway and a splendid courtyard that was formerly the cloister. And finally, next to the Town Hall, the visitor can view the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios convent, in whose main chapel Antequera’s patron saint, the Virgen de los Remedios (Virgin of the Remedies; the carving is from the sixteenth century), is worshipped. The main chapel’s baroque altarpiece with Solomonic columns is worthy of special note.

Antequera’s Fiestas and Gastronomy

The festival calendar of Antequera is a faithful reflection of a dynamic city but one that has managed to preserve the traditions and customs that were forged over its long history. Among its many celebrations Holy Week stands out spectacularly-it has been designated a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest in Andalusia and is one of the most ancient and original in the Community of Andalusia. It resembles no other, although in essence it may be the same as the rest. It has such a distinctive character that the term "Antequera-style" is used to emphasise certain traits that have influenced Holy Week in other places.

Most of its images are valuable carvings done between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries by artists from the Antequera School itself. The "pasos" (Passion floats) are carried on the shoulders of the "hermanacos", whose status as bearers is customarily hereditary, and the lavish processional appointments gleam in all their splendour amid the architectural decorations of the steep streets of the historic district. One of the most peculiar Antequera Holy Week rituals is called "correr la vega", and consists of racing on a very steep slope while carrying the thrones.

The Feria de Agosto (August Fair) is a colourful tableau made up of the most diverse activities: open-air dancing, "cante jondo" flamenco, pop music, jazz, gastronomy shows or bullfights in which the most prestigious matadors take part. The Real Feria de Agosto has been designated as National Fiesta of Tourist Interest, as it is one of the oldest festivals in Spain. It was first held in 1748, when King Ferdinand VII authorised Antequera to hold it every year. At the opening of the Fair, all lights are turned on to local people’s delight. There is the Day Fair and the Night Fair, whose settings are quite different. Daytime celebrations are held in the centre of town, beautifully decorated by organised by the local fraternities and associations. At night, the festival moves to the fairground, close to the Bullring, where the town marquee, the street vendors, and the fun are found. The fair ends with a huge firework display that draws crowds. The fiestas in honour of the patroness the Virgen del Rosario (8 September), are likewise very popular among Antequeranos.

The Feria Agrícola y Ganadera de Antequera, Agroant (Agricultural and Livestock Fair), is held in late May, in conjunction with the Feria de Primavera (Spring Fair). . Spring Fair was first held in 1856 and it was aimed at fostering business, industry, agriculture and cattle raising. As time went by, the fair came to be a farm fair specialising in farming equipment and livestock, but fun and entertainment are present too.. At the same time, visitors have fun and enjoy themselves. At present, Agroant is one of the leading livestock fairs in the province of Málaga. A large agri-food fair is held simultaneously.

Antequera’s Gastronomy

In the field of gastronomy, Antequera also has produced some dishes that have gained much favour beyond its borders and today are customary in every corner of Andalusia. The famous porra Antequerana (bread, tomato and peppers are its principal ingredients) is undoubtedly the star dish of this region, a position shared by the no less famous molletes, a bread of Arabic origin made with local olive oil that is an indispensable part of breakfast.

Antequera

The taste for tapas, an established custom not just in Andalusia but in many other places in Spain, is especially entrenched in Antequera as evidenced by the numerous establishments in the city that have specialised in this product. From the almost limitless range available, excellent choices would be tapas of stewed rice, ribs, "porra", potatoes, eggplant and needless to say all the different pork products that continue to be made by hand in this region.

is also in a class by itself when it comes to pastries. The Christmas sweets (polvorones, mantecados, alfajores…) that come from its traditional ovens and above all from its cloistered convents have achieved a fame based on traditional craftsmanship of the highest order. One of the most characteristic pastries of this city is bienmesabe, made from almonds, cinnamon, "bizcocho" and "cabello de ángel" (a sweet made from pumpkin and honey).

More Information About Antequera

Nature in Antequera

El Torcal Nature Area

The visitor can choose from two well-marked routes for exploring this extraordinary 12-square kilometre karst landscape. One of them is more suitable for a quick visit, and the other for a more thorough tour to get to know some of the flora and fauna of this extraordinary place.

is located some 14 kilometres south of Antequera. Its startlingly beautiful terrain is the result of a geological folding that raised the sea floor to form a mountain range. Over millions of years the action of the wind and rain has shaped these rocks into a fantastic showcase of the most original and varied forms imaginable, whose resemblance to recognisable features awakens the imagination of the viewer to see in them castles, cathedrals, screw-shaped columns, and monsters.