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The town of Canillas de Aceituno

A fantastic venue for the first ever RAFFA film festival.
The dates are now confirmed. 9, 10 and 11 July 2021.

The town of Canillas de Aceituno extends along the slopes of the Sierra Tejeda to the La Maroma peak, the highest in the province of Malaga. For its location alone, this town in the Axarquia region of Andalucia is the perfect place to enjoy both nature and culture.

OjoFoto Canillas de Aceituno

Founded in the Al-Andalus period, and now classed as one of the gateway towns into the Axarquia, the town conserves its Arabic roots through the layout of its streets and various interesting architectural sites. This historical legacy means Canillas de Aceituno forms part of the Mudejar Route, which has been declared as Tourist Interest in Andalusia.

Must See Sights in Canillas de Aceituno

When walking through the town one can see the Casa de los Diezmos, also named the Casa de la Reina Mora, which sports a tower with blind twin arches. The building, an example of the areas’ typical Mudejar architecture, was the place from which the silkworm and mulberry leaf trade was overseen.

Another example of the towns’ historical architecture is the Casa Esgrafiada. It was built in the 16th century and is decorated with Moorish motifs and horseshoe arches. The building also boasts a lookout tower erected in the 17th century. Currently whitewashed over, the image shows the house as it was in 1934.

Canillas de Aceituno has various reservoirs, showing the importance of water in the town. El Aljibe Arabe is from the 16th century and can be found on Calle Huertezuelo and more modern examples include El Pilar Grande in the town hall and El Chico.

The church of Nuestra Senora del Rosario y San Leon Magno dates back to the 16th century and is in a Gothic-Mudejar style. Its’ interior has two Baroque chapels and an image of the Virgin de la Cabeza with various valuable silver-plated features, as well as other interesting pieces of artwork.

From the viewpoint of the Plaza de Castille, and at the top of Calle Calzada, you can see the ruins of the fortaleza de Canillas de Aceituno. Occupied by the Christians during the reconquest of 1487, some remains of the wall of the original complex fortification that used to protect the town, are conserved.

Text crafted by Tracy https://canillascasas.com/