A village of Arabic origin located where
the Guadalhorce Valley meets La Serrania de Ronda
mountain range, which explains the wide variety of
scenery on offer here, ranging from the slopes of
the Sierra Prieta, home to a delightful spot known
as The Ventanilla, to the countryside of the Valley
itself. Its architecture is typically Andalusian,
with clean, secluded streets of whitewashed houses
decorated with flowers. Alozaina was named the most
beautiful village in Spain in 1977. History Though
Neolithic remains have been found in The Tajo Caves,
in the Jorox Valley, the present-day village dates
back to Roman era, of which relics can be found in
the centre of Alozaina itself and, further out, at
a spot known as Ardite. Alozaina Castle, remains of
whose walls still stand, was built during the Moslem
occupation, and the village’s name is of Arabic
origin, coming from Alhosaina, meaning small castle.
On 21 June 1484, the Marquis of Cadiz captured the
village on behalf of the Catholic Monarchs. According
to the chronicler Mosen Diego de Valera, 5 days after
Alozaina surrendered, he ordered lands to be pruned
and olive trees cut down, particularly in the The
Dehesa and Ardite areas, and that the place be set
alight, measures designed to exact revenge for the
murder of Count Lozano, a relative of King Ferdinand.
As a result, Alozaina was deserted for some time,
before being resettled by Old Christians. During the
morisco - Moslem convert to Christianity - revolts
of the mid 16th century, a key role was played by
Maria Sagredo who, along with other women of Alozaina,
confronted a group of moriscos led by El Zebali while
the men of the village were away working on the land.
Legend has it that feminine ingenuity saw the women
stave off the attack using weapons such as beehives,
which they hurled at the aggressors from the village
walls. Philip II recognised Maria Segredo’s
feat by awarding her land in the Jorox Valley. Alozaina
became an independent municipality on 12 April 1942.
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