Cañete la Real

Location

Guadalteba

Cañete la Real and the Hins Qanit Arab Castle

Click to enlarge images below:

Interesting Facts of Cañete la Real

Surface Area: 164.6 square kilometres

Population: 2,007

What the natives are called: Cañeteros

Outstanding Sights: Church of San Sebastián, convent of San Francisco, Las Espeñas recreational area, Priego and Ortegical towers, “Los vigías del territorio” medieval visitor centre at Hins Qannit Arab castle

Geographical Location: in the south-eastern part of the Antequera region, adjoining that of Ronda. The village centre is 750 metres above sea level and 100 kilometres from the city of Málaga. The area records an average rainfall of 600 litres per square metre, and the average annual temperature is about 15.5º C.

The extensive municipality of Cañete la Real derives its character from its frontier location between the region to which it belongs (Antequera) and that of Ronda. Its terrain is therefore determined not only by the course of the River Guadalteba but more importantly by the outer edge of the Antequera plains, a slightly rolling country where cereal grains and olives are raised almost exclusively, and by the first elevations of the mountain ranges that introduce the Ronda region. In either case the landscape is broad and open, but not exempt from contrasts provided by the different colours of the crops and the wooded areas with their evergreen oaks, pines and low brush.

Although there are traces indicating the existence of prehistoric human settlement, the most reliable historical records about the origin of the village are from the Iberian era, when there was a settlement on a hill close to the urban centre of Cañete that the Phoenicians called Sabora due to the extensive fields of grain in the area ("Sabora" derives from "ebura", meaning cereal grain).

The period of Roman domination is much better documented due to the innumerable archaeological sites in this municipality. Among other historical facts it is known that the town changed its location in the year 78 A. D. Its previous location on the Cerro de la Horca (Hill of the Gallows) was too far from the fields and was also very exposed to the winds. The Emperor Vespasian authorised the town’s move, and in appreciation its inhabitants minted coins in his honour (a good number of them have been found) and erected statues of him.

The Visigoths’ activities were confined to promoting the area’s agricultural development. King Witiza granted the municipality the title of "Royal", which designation would later appear after the conquest of the village by Alfonso XI, who conferred the same dignity that Witiza had done years before.

The village’s name comes from the Arabic name Hins Qannit, which some historians understand to mean "castle of Qannit" while others believe it refers to the "caños" (springs) that still flow in some parts of the urban district. Throughout the fourteenth century the locality changed hands several times between the Muslims and the Christians. As a result of so many battles the fortress was practically destroyed, although it has been subjected to a careful restoration.

Road Directions

The best route from the city of Málaga is to take the A-357 towards Campillos and to continue on the A-384 to Almargen, then take the A-476, which goes straight to Cañete la Real. If you leave from Ronda take the 376 and then connect with the A-357 to Campillos. If you leave from Antequera take the A-92 and change to the A-384 and likewise go to Campillos.

Full graphical path: http://bit.ly/o8ydF9

Tourist Info

Cañete la Real
Ayuntamiento, Plaza De La Paz, 1
Cañete La Real
Málaga
29340

Tel: +34 952 18 30 01

Fax: +34 952 18 32 24

Send an email

Website:

Documents

Socios

What to See in Cañete la Real

This municipality preserves one of the most interesting historical and artistic heritages in the region of Antequera. Within its boundaries are more than 200 archaeological sites and half a dozen buildings built between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries. Outstanding among these is the San Sebastián parish church, which was erected in the fifteenth century and rebuilt in the eighteenth. Its interior is divided into three naves with barrel vaults and houses the side chapel of Virgen de los Cañosantos, the Patroness of the village. On the exterior, next to the tower of face brick crowned by a ceramic roof, is the excellent baroque façade.

The seventeenth-century Convent of San Francisco, with a cloister attached to the church, and the eighteenth-century Convent of Sacramento are part of the religious architectural legacy. As far as civil architecture is concerned, several buildings should be noted for their splendid façades from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Hins Qannit fortress, or Arab castle, has an area that’s been restored and another one that’s been reconstructed. Its homage tower house is a visitor centre for medieval studies, "Los Vigías del Territorio." It was opened in 2009 after the tower –which had almost disappeared by the early twentieth century– was rebuilt using 1920 photographs for a faithful reconstruction. The three-floor centre is intended to become a centre for the study of the medieval fortresses in the region of Guadalteba. The first floor focuses on Cañete la Real’s origins, including the Roman city of Flavia Sabora. The second floor shows the fortress built by the Banu Jali Berber tribe and its history of conquests in the fights between the kingdoms of Castile and Granada. Last but not least, the third floor displays military weapons deployed by armies in different periods, from personal weapons to those used in city sieges. The visitor centre includes some twelve information panels where you can read about castle architecture. It will be part of a new tour, the Medieval Tour developed by the Guadalteba Heritage Network, which is to include the castle of La Estrella in Teba, the castles of La Peña and Bobastro in Ardales, and the Arab castle in Cañete la Real.

From the town centre, you can take a look at the ruins of the defensive towers of Priego and Ortegical.

Tourist Info

Cañete la Real
Ayuntamiento, Plaza De La Paz, 1
Cañete La Real
Málaga
29340

Tel: +34 952 18 30 01

Fax: +34 952 18 32 24

Send an email

Website:

Documents

Socios

Cañete la Real’s Fiestas and Gastronomy

The most popular and most attended fiestas in Cañete la Real are those in honour of the patron saint, the Virgen del Cañosanto, which take place on the third Sunday in September. For three days, the villagers and visitors sample typical local products free of charge and participate in sports competitions that are above all entertainment. The floral offerings to the Virgin, the singing of the Salve Regina and the procession afterwards close out these active holidays.

Since 2007, Cañete la Real has held the Al-Andalus Fiesta of the Three Cultures on the last but one weekend of July. The fiesta recreates a Medieval souk and town, the streets and the Hins Qannit castle decorated accordingly. There are concerts, shows, theatre plays, old trade workshops, and other activities. In the evening, hundreds of candles, torches, and oil lamps are lit up, conferring the town centre a special, magic air.

In May there is a procession and on the second weekend of August, the Royal Fair takes place. The Three Wise Men Parade and Carnival are two of the other popular fiestas in town.

Cañete la Real’s Gastronomy

Some of this municipality’s most traditional dishes include carne guisada con cebolla (stewed meat with onion), relleno de verdura (vegetable stuffing) and potaje de tagarninas (yellow thistle stew), which are consumed throughout the year, as are the chacinas (cold cuts) that are made during the pig slaughter. The heartier stews such as the classic olla and the no less classic "pringá" and potajes (stews) are reserved for winter. Preparations of asparagus and mushrooms rule Cañete’s cuisine in the autumn, while porra –without a doubt the most popular dish– and gazpacho (both cold soups) are indispensable in summer. Piononos and magdalenas (two kinds of muffins) are the most typical local pastries.