Cártama

What to See in Cártama

The Castle is behind the patron saint chapel and is being restored. It is the most ancient monument in the locality as it was erected by its first settlers. Its highest part is rectangular and in the centre is the water tank, which was dug out of the rock and covered by a vault that is perforated for the purpose of capturing rainwater. Judging from its capacity the tank would have been able to supply about 2.000 people. There are ruins of the old parade grounds and of what may have been the "alcazaba" (innermost fortified compound), as well as of the double walls or barbican that encircled it.

The San Pedro church is in the village square. It was built in 1502, according to an inscription still preserved on the main façade. It was constructed over a former mosque that in turn was placed over a Roman temple. It has three naves and is covered by Moorish decorated ceilings. The altars and images adorning its interior are of modern manufacture, and on the exterior, there is a remarkable quadrangular three-level tower with a roof of Arabic tile.

It would be unforgivable to leave Cártama without first having seen the chapel of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, the patron saint, although the trip may not be exactly easy. The sloping route zigzags upward to the chapel and in places, there are steps to get across the very uneven terrain. The effort will be well rewarded upon arrival at the temple, which commands one of the best panoramic views of the Guadalhorce valley.

Apparently, the present chapel, which is from the eighteenth century, had a predecessor from the sixteenth century. According to tradition, in that era there was an appearance in this place of the Virgin, whose image was borne in a procession when the village was suffering the ravages of an epidemic. With the disappearance of the diseases, the Virgin received the title "de los Remedios" ("of the Remedies"), and the devotion that she inspires extends far beyond the borders of this municipality.

The secluded building seems to have been built around the "camarín"(niche) in which is found the small image of the Virgin. All that space is exuberantly decorated with gypsum artwork and brilliantly coloured paintings. The exterior is crowned by a graceful belfry.

On the way to the chapel, on Calle Pilaralto, the visitor will be able to see the oldest fountain in the village, probably from the sixteenth or early seventeenth century, and on Callejuela del Agua, or Callejuela Pilarbajo, stands the neo-Mudéjar style Casa Museo González Marín (González Marín House Museum). In the mid-twentieth century one of the most acclaimed poetry readers, a native of Cártama, lived here.

Outside the village, there are some traces of the Roman road that joined Alhaurín el Grande and Cártama, and along this route, there are the ruins of a bridge and aqueduct.

Also, there is a Roman column at the entrance to the municipality, as if it were welcoming visitors. On this column, the townspeople have placed a cast iron cross in 1742 and since then it has been known as Cruz del Humilladero.

 

Another element of the past of Cártama, a more recent past though, is the Puente de Hierro (Iron Bridge), built in 1927 and aimed to link the village’s centre to the Estación de Cártama. The bridge is one of the very few examples of the functionalist architecture from the early twentieth century in Málaga Province. The bridge was restored in 2001, and a new bridge lighting was installed 2006. Cartameños use it like a walkway and recreational area.

Cártama’s Fiestas and Gastronomy 

Since the community has two centres of population, each one celebrates its own fiestas, although in the event residents from both places participate in all of them. In Cártama Pueblo the main fiesta is that of the Virgen de los Remedios, from 22 to 26 April. On the first day, a procession is run to convey the patroness from her chapel to the San Pedro church, where it remains until 26 April when she is again carried to her shrine. Besides the entertainment activities, on these days the Cartameños express all their passion for their patroness, which people from other regions also come to visit.

In mid-May Cártama Estación celebrates the fiesta in honour of Saint Isidore the Farmer with a traditional pilgrimage on the banks of the River Guadalhorce. San Miguel is honoured in late September at the traditional livestock fair. On 24 June, the day of San Juan, the neighbourhood of Gibralgalia dresses up to celebrate its big day, which includes the classic burning of the "Júas" (Judas), and on the day of Santa Ana (26 July) the tradition of the "Día de los Canastitos" (Day of the Little Baskets) is remembered.

In September, Cártama holds the Meeting of Cultures, a festival whose first edition took place in 2008. The festival’s goal is bringing the cultures from different countries closer to this village. There are music and dance performances, workshops, games, arts and crafts from different parts of the world. Locals and visitors can get information, taste foods and buy arts and crafts from a kind of street market.

Cártama’s Gastronomy

Sopa cachorreña

(a soup made with bitter oranges) is the most customary native dish on the Cartameño menu, along with sopa de espárragos (asparagus soup), which is seasoned with olives, onions, grapes, oranges or even prickly pear fruit. Lomo en manteca (loin in lard) in winter and gazpacho (a cold soup) in summer are other indispensable recipes from the rich cookbook of this municipality, where pork products are one of the pillars of the economy. Chacinería (the whole range of cold cuts) from this area is well known in the entire province of Málaga. The typical sweet is torta cartameña, whose main ingredients are olive oil and almonds.

More Information About Cártama

Legends About Cártama

The legend goes that Virgen de los Remedios (Virgin of the Remedies) was known as Virgen del Monte (Virgin of the Mountain), and it was found by a shepherd near the site Her chapel stands today. On a weekday, while he was working in the country, the shepherd found a fine wood carved Virgin half buried in the ground. He unearthed the figure, put it into his haversack and returned home in the afternoon. He was to show what he had found to his family, but it was no longer there. He thought he had lost it on his way back home. On the following day, he went to the field and found the same finely carved wood Virgin right at the same place he had found it the day before. Once again, he took it with him and it disappeared again. He told the local priest what had been happening and the priest decided that it was the Virgin’s will to stay there and be worshipped there too. Consequently, a chapel was built in honour of Virgen de los Remedios.