The Treasure of Antequera

The area around Antequera, one of the most charming and historic towns in Andalucia, has in recent years seen a small–scale invasion of British house buyers, attracted by the low house prices (relative to the Costa del Sol!) and the genuinely Andalucian atmosphere of this beautiful region.

However, the British are by no means the first to be attracted by the delights of this part of Andalucia. Some 5,000 years ago, during the Bronze Age, some of the earliest-known inhabitants of Andalucia settled in the fertile vega at the foothills of the Sierra de las Torcales, irrigated by the waters of the Guadalhorce River. They left behind two monumental burial mounds or ‘dolmens’, constructed from massive stones weighing up to 180 tons, which are the largest examples to be found in Europe. Undiscovered until the mid seventeenth century, these remarkable megalithic structures now attract visitors from all over the world.

The Antequera area continued to attract new settlers over the next few thousand years. Known as Antikaria by the Romans, Antequera was an important olive oil-producing centre during the Roman Empire, a tradition that still continues today! The town’s museum, set in a beautiful eighteenth-century palace, contains many treasures from the very earliest days of Andalucia.

From the early eighth century the town, by then known as Medina Antaquira, became part of the Moorish civilisation of Al-Andalus. The Arabs built the castle which still dominates the town. Some of the houses in Antequera’s old quarter still contain tunnels dating from the Arab occupation! The town fell to the Christian armies of the Reconquista in 1410 and over the next three hundred years became the showcase of religious architecture that it is today. There are more than thirty beautiful churches and convents in Antequera, and many are magnificent examples of Renaissance workmanship, in particular the church of San Sebastian and the Real Colegiata de Santa Maria.

It is this treasure that still draws visitors here today. The bustling centre of Antequera is in many ways a typical Andalucian town, with all the lively bars, shops and traffic that you would expect! However, just a few steps up from the Plaza de San Sebastian brings you in to the historic quarter, another world of whitewashed houses and quiet streets where, as you walk up to the Moorish castle, you are truly taking a step back in time. Those who visit the old town are rewarded with stunning views over the old terracotta rooftops of Antequera towards the vega and surrounding hills beyond. No doubt these treasures will continue to attract ‘invaders’ to this beautiful part of Andalucia for many years to come!