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Villanueva de la concepción
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Town history
Gastronomy
  • Villanueva de la Concepción is a village in the district of Antequera filled with whitewashed houses, winding streets and ornate village squares. Close to El Torcal Natural Area it is also one of the best starting places for visiting this whim of nature with its impossible shapes (declared a UNESCO Heritage of Mankind Site).

    Villanueva de la Concepción has retained the ancient customs of the inland villages of Malaga and knows full well how to celebrate. Unique festivities that reflect the idiosyncrasy of the village, located in this special environment. A delightful village which, inevitably, has attracted many foreign, namely British, residents.

    VILLANUEVA DE LA CONCEPCIÓN IS NOT TO BE MISSED

    MONUMENTS

    Villanueva de la Concepción has three bridges which were part of the Royal Way, linking Malaga to Madrid in times gone by. Horcajo Bridge was built in 1787 with ashlar stones from El Torcal. The other two bridges are the Paraíso Bridge and the Garrayo or Siete Ojos (Seven Eyes) Bridge.

    The Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción is the most representative building in the village. It was designed in the 19th century, has only one nave and the façade is crowned by a bell gable. A wooden carving of San Cayetano with the baby Jesus, dated between the 18th and 19th century, and a figure of the Virgen Inmaculada Concepción are the principal works of art.

    The Villanueva de la Concepción also has two typical Andalusian village squares, Andalucía and García Caparrós.

  • Take the A-45 motorway from Málaga. The estimated time of this route is approximately 47 minutes, depending on traffic.

  • NATURAL RESOURCES

    A stone city, full of recesses and rambling passageways. This is how you could describe El Torcal, a limestone landscape with unique features. The village of Villanueva de la Concepción is just three kilometres from this miracle of nature. This makes it an excellent point of departure for visiting this forest of limestone rock, carved by the wind and rain over millions of years.

    There are two footpaths around the Natural Park. In addition, there is a viewpoint known as the Ventanilla. From here you can see the Montes de Málaga, the river Campanillas and even the sea.

    LOCAL FESTIVITIES

    Every August, Villanueva de la Concepción pays tribute to the most typical cultural celebration in Malaga with the Festival de Verdiales. It is the oldest event of its kind in the province and has been declared of National Tourist Interest and of Special Interest to Tourists by the Local Authorities. In addition to performances from the best pandas de verdiales (groups performing traditional songs and dances from the province of Malaga), there is an opportunity to sample typical local products.

    August also sees the celebration of the Fair in honour of la Inmaculada Concepción. Music, dance and all sorts of leisure activities are the highlight of these celebrations, while the streets are decked out for the occasion.

    During Carnival, parades through the streets, fancy-dress competitions, street bands and carnival groups combine with more traditional games and activities such as the traditional dance of the botijo in the streets of Villanueva de la Concepción.

    Other notable dates in the calendar include Holy Week and San Marcos Day, with the traditional eating of bread and egg hornazos. The romería de San Isidro deserves a special mention, as it takes place in the foothills of the Torcal Park.

    GASTRONOMY

    The most typical dishes of the local cuisine in Villanueva de la Concepción include gachas, aliño de espárragos trigueros (wild asparagus salad) (excellent in this region) and snails. The locally bred livestock provides quality meat, and excellent sausages and cured meats. Pastries include egg and wine roscos (a sort of biscuit), cup cakes and tortas de aceite.

  • Town history

    The earliest evidence of human settlements in Villanueva de la Concepción dates from the Middle Palaeolithic. Better attested is the presence of man in the Neolithic, since polished stone axes were found in La Alhaja, El Cortijillo, Pilas de Cobos and Fuente Pareja. Later in time, the Iberians founded a city they called "Osqva". Los íberos fundaron posteriormente una ciudad llamada Osqva, which evolved into one of the Roman cities in Málaga, mentioned by historians Livy and Pliny.

    The lion in the city"s coat of arms is associated with the Roman settlement. However, the fall of the Roman Empire was followed by a period without records. There must have been few residents in those times, and they must have taken shelter in Antikaria (Antequera), which came to be an important city in the hands of the Arabs.

    In the area that is now Villanueva de la Concepción there used to be a castle, Xébar. It was one of the four forts guarding the natural passes connecting the coastline with the hinterland. After King Ferdinand I of Aragon conquered the town of Antequera in 1410, the castle was attacked and plundered by the Arabs. In the end, it lost strategic value and went to ruins, and the local population moved out.

    In the second half of the eighteenth century, with the development of the Royal Road connecting Málaga to Madrid, the area came back to life, with cortijos emerging along the road and giving shape to the modern town. In November 1880, Villanueva de la Concepción was designated as a Rural Town. This meant it enjoyed a few prerogatives, like some tax exemptions. This privileged situation attracted lots of dwellers.

    In 1992, Villanueva de la Concepción became a Minor Local Entity and nine years later, a Self-Governing Local Entity. In 2009, it completed the procedures to be a municipality in its own right.

  • The most representative dishes of Villanueva de la Concepción's local cuisine are the porridge, the dressing of wild asparagus and snail stew. Their locallivestock provides quality meats, as well as excellent cold cuts and curated meats. The standout desserts are the egg and wine doughnuts, muffins and olive oil cakes.


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Characteristics

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

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