Frigiliana

Frigiliana’s Fiestas and Gastronomy

The Saint Sebastian (patron saint) Festival takes place just as the year is getting started, on 20 January. In 1967, however, it was reduced to its religious elements: Mass and procession with the statues of Saint Sebastian, Saint Anthony and Saint Anthony the Abbot. Due to weather conditions, the associated celebrations were transferred to Saint Anthony’s Day on 13 June. During Carnival in February, there are concerts, street performances and a verbena (traditional street party).

The most important day in Holy Week is Good Friday, when the Death of Jesus and his Descent from the Cross are enacted in the parish church, followed by the Holy Burial procession. The most solemn moment, however, is Solitude, when the streets are lit only by the candles carried by the women who march in the procession, which confers the place an unusual appearance.

In April, the International Oriental Dance Festival takes place, drawing leading oriental dancers for the weekend. In May, villagers collect flowers, food and drink in preparation for the May Cross celebration, in which religious, culinary and folklore traditions merge in lively street party at the church square.

A pilgrimage is held on 13 June, Saint Anthony’s Day, in which the image of the saint is carried in an oxcart to Pozo Viejo, a place next to the River Higuerón, where the pilgrims gather in the shade of pines for a rural outing. The popular dance competition in early August gathers together many national and international folklore groups that perform traditional dances at the town multi-sports complex. Also in August, music bands from all over Málaga get together at Plaza de las Tres Culturas and play all kinds of music.

Since 2008, Frigiliana has held a Festival of Cante Flamenco in the second week of August. It is a sequel to the "Villa de Frigiliana" Flamenco Singing Competition. The festival’s formula was modified to make it more attractive. Now, the festival is a fine sample of the most traditional music played in Andalusia.

The Festival of the Three Cultures was created in 2006 in an attempt to host a full programme of cultural activities in Axarquía. The activities are aimed at bringing the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures together and thus encourage peaceful coexistence between the people belonging to them, be they local residents or out-of-towners. Although the festival is quite new, it has become amazingly popular, drawing lots of people to Frigiliana during the last week of August. There are concerts and shows in a relaxed family atmosphere, lectures on topics related to the three cultures, exhibitions, children’s activities, traditional games, culinary events, and food sampling sessions culminating in the famous Tapas Tour. During the festival, Frigiliana’s narrow streets are seized by parades, circus artists, belly dancers, fakirs, and other curious characters.
 

Frigiliana’s Gastronomy

As a result of this village’s proximity to the coast and, the large numbers of visitors that it receives, international cuisine has come to compete with its indigenous dishes. The most authentic representatives of the latter type are choto (kid), which is served with various types of sauces, and ajocolorao (a soup with garlic), as well as migas de harina (a dish made from fried crumbs) and codfish-based potajes (stews) during the Semana Santa. Together with tortillitas de huevo y harina aderezadas con miel de caña (egg and flour omelets seasoned with sugarcane syrup, a highly esteemed product in this area) these dishes make up Frigiliana’s most characteristic menu.

Arropía (a milk caramel) and marcochas, whose main ingredient is sugarcane syrup, are the most traditional items on the dessert menu of this village, where batatas con miel (sweet potatoes with syrup) are also very popular. According to some historians, muscatel wine produced in Frigiliana has been famous since the Roman era.