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Monda
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Town history
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  • Monda is located at the foot of the hill of the Veleta and near the Castle of Al-Mundat, a beautiful town in the region of the Sierra de las Nieves, declared a picturesque spot, and Historic Site of Cultural Interest. Of Roman origin, this town was, according to some historians, the scene of the battle of Munda, in which Julius Caesar defeated Pompey by the power of Rome. History, Moorish legends, the great gastronomic tradition and its natural environment will make your visit to Monda a unique holiday.

    IN MONDA YOU CANNOT MISS

    MONUMENTS

    Before reaching Monda and from the hill of the Veleta, you are greeted by one of the most important monuments of this town, its castle of Al-Mudat. The castle was built in the IX century on the ruins of a fortress of Roman origin. However, the various reforms that were implemented during the Taifa kingdoms and the Nazari period and the dismantling of the Castle by the Christians, makes almost nothing to be retained today from the original construction. You will find in this monument, the hotel of military aesthetics.

    The parish church of Santiago Apóstol dates back to 1505, an interesting building of three naves with an outstanding coffered ceiling of the central dome of Moorish style. The vaults of the aisles with shots of the XVIII century.

    Water is a crucial element in the life of the towns of the Sierra de las Nieves, within the province of Malaga. Proof of this are the Fuente (Fountain) and Lavadero de la Jaula (Laundry of the Cage), located in a hollow stream of La Lucía which runs through the town. Its name comes from the Arabic term ""al-Haura"", ""outskirts"".

    Other areas of artistic, cultural and monumental interest are the altar of El Calvario (the Cavalry), with its three temples crowned with crosses, the Plaza de la Ermita, today presided over by a statue of a coal and the Museum Marigloria, typical Andalusian architecture which you will find helpful for making bread, equipment, tools and furniture of Monda of other times.

    If we leave towards Monda in the direction of Coín, we can admire a stretch of ancient Roman road of Monda. And to know another piece of recent history, you can not miss the chimney cooker cork from the early XX century. It is located on the site of Moratán, at the foot of Canucha.

  • Monda is located 50 kilometres from the city of Málaga. Take the A-357, then head for the A-355 then finally get off at the A-7100 exit that leads you into town.

  • NATURAL RESOURCES

    Located in the vicinity of the Sierra de Canucha, in the Natural Park of the Sierra de las Nieves, Monda is a unique destination for lovers of active tourism and nature activities. In this area, we recommend you to visit the places of Moratán and Giamón. In Sierra Alpujata, you can discover doing the trekking, the creek of the same name and discover the views from Cerro Gordo.

    The Natural Park of Sierra de las Nieves has been declared as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and awarded with EDEN ""European Destinations of Excellence 'award in the category of Tourism and Intangible Heritage. This park has more than 20,100 hectares and is one of the richest in ecological products of Andalusia, thanks to its 3,000 hectares of pinsapo, an endangered species.

     

    POPULAR FESTIVALS

    Intangible heritage is equally rich in Monda, and the festival calendar is full of activities, events and celebrations. On the occasion of the Day of Andalusia, Feb. 28, you can enjoy a great amount of rice on the streets of Monda. On these same dates, Carnival celebrations also take place. And in March, the star of the festival is the cuisine on the Day of Mondena Soup, declared of Provincial Tourist Singularity. This traditional soup is made from bread and local produce.

    Easter is also an excellent time to visit Monda and discover Catholic tradition. One of its most unique moments is the Via Crucis, which ends at the monument of El Calvario. Holy Thursday is the most relevant night, with processions of the Crucified and Our Lady of Sorrows. Other traditional festivities of Monda are the Pilgrimage of San Roque in the month of May, Corpus Christi and San Juan.

    In summer the music takes to the streets of Monda with the celebration of the Cultural Week, the Flamenco Festival Villa de Monda, Night of Jazz and San Roque Fair in August.

     

    CUISINE

    The traditional cuisine of Monda has combined the local products over the centuries according to the seasons, to provide a rich and balanced diet. Among its most outstanding recipes, you will find the mondeña soup (tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, potatoes and egg), the typical marinated olives in the area, stew vigil (made from chickpeas, cod and chard), salmorejo cod (recipe of cod, parsley, olive oil, garlic, salt and lemon) and chivo al ajillo. And for the sweet tooth, we recommend the fried donuts and cookies.

  • Town history

    According to some historians, Monda could have been the place where Julius Caesar defeated Pompey in 45 BC. No historical records support this view, though. The hypothesis is based on the similarity between the name of this village in Sierra de las Nieves and the Battle of Munda.

    From the Romans, Monda has kept a stretch of the old road running parallel to the coastline and the remains of the bridge across Arroyo de la Teja. In the days of Islamic Spain, Umar ibn Hafsun had theAl-Mundat Castle built on Cerro de la Villeta. The castle became one of the bastions of the Christina uprising against the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba.

    Part of the defensive system along the Guadalhorce valley, the castle was razed to the ground by strongman Sain Ibn Al-Mundhir in 932. It was built again in the eleventh century, and renovated in the days of the taifas and under Nasrid dynasty. It was finally dismantled during the Reconquista. Today it lies within the premises of a hotel.

    The Christian conquest was followed by a period of stability and peaceful coexistence, which was brought to a close by the Moorish riots in the mid-sixteenth century. The rebels were crushed and expelled, and 80 old Christian families were brought to settle in the area.

    Legend has it…: Monda

    Legend has it that the daughter of the warden of the castle of Monda, Beatriz, fell in love with Arturo, the son of the warden of neighbouring Tolox. They lived a passionate love story but then the boy sailed to America. Before leaving, he gave Beatriz an almond blossom which should stand for his heart. Some time later, when she saw a drop of blood staining the flower, Beatriz realised her beloved was dead. She died of grief soon afterwards. Since then, her ghost has been haunting the Al-Mundat Castle.

  • Among its most outstanding recipes are the sopas mondeñas, the area's traditionally seasoned olives, Vigilia stew made with chickpeas, cod and Swiss and chard, cod Salmorejo and garlic kid goat. Then, for dessert, enjoy the doughnuts (roscos) and fried biscuits.


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Characteristics

  • Inland area
  • Inhabitants (2,501-5,000)

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