Benamargosa stands at the heart of the Velez-Malaga
area and is a veritable paradise of orchards and subtropical
crops, surrounded by the dry hills and peaks typical
of the Axarquia region.
Benamargosa dates back to the 15th century, to the
time of the moriscos - Moorish converts to Christianity
- .
History
Like other villages in the Axarquia area, Benamargosa
sprang up around a few early dwellings inhabited by
settlers farming adjacent land; this growth really
took off in the long period of stability which followed
the Moslem occupation. Both its name and its urban
layout bear testimony to the undeniable link between
this enclave and mediaeval Arabic culture. The village
fell into the hands of the Catholic Monarchs after
the fall of Velez-Malaga in 1487. In 1496, 45 Mudejars
- Moslems permitted to live under Christian rule -
lived in the village and it began to gain in importance.
In 1949, Benamargosa belonged to the tahá -administrative
district- of Comares, forming part of a group known
as The Four Villages, along with The Borge, Cutar
and Almachar. In 1546, during the reign of Philip
II, it became a parish. The Christian reconquest marked
the start of a process of progressive abandonment
on the part of the local population, mainly Moorish
converts to Christianity, in the face of difficult
living conditions. The last remaining Moors were definitively
expelled in the wake of the 1569 uprising which had
a major effect in the whole of the Axarquia region.
In 1810, the village swore allegiance to the King
of Spain, Joseph Napoleon I, a turn of events that
was to lead to the War of Independence with France.
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