Benamocarra

Interesting facts
Area: 5.70 sq. kms
Number of inhabitants: Approx. 3,000
Descent: Benamocarreños
Monuments: Plaza de El Calvario, Plaza de la Constitución, Church of Santa Ana
Geographical situation: In the interior of the Axarquía, 5 kilometres from Vélez and 41 from Malaga, at 126 metres above sea level
Tourist information:
Town Hall, C/Zarzuela, 46. 29719. Phone: 952 509 534 Fax: 952 509 570

Benamocarra is easy to get to from most surrounding areas. The most direct route from Malaga is by the Autovía del Mediterráneo towards Vélez, turning off at the Macharaviaya or Vélez access and arriving at Benamocarra about half way between both. As we approach we can see the town as a patch of white against the darker mountainside. Its layout is typical of the Axarquía: low whitewashed houses and narrow, winding streets. In the centre of the town is calle Pilar, so named because of the three pillars or fountains in the street, two of them together. Other interesting places in the town centre are calle de Cristo Portal, the Plaza del Labrador and the Barrio de San Isidro, which is the working-class area of the town. Eduardo Ocón, one of the most important of the 20th century Spanish composers, was born in Benamocarra, and last year was the centenary of his death. A series of activities organised to coincide with his birthday, February 28th, was organised around that date
One of the legends of the town concerns its patron saint, the Cristo de la Salud, whose image as the Cristo de Torre del Mar, it is said, saved the people of Benamocarra from a fatal cholera epidemic. It happened at the beginning of the 19th century when cholera broke out in the region. It soon spread to Benamocarra, and helpless in the face of such potential tragedy, the people of the place turned to the Cristo de Torre del Mar and carried the image to the town itself. When they tried to brought it back to its place of origin, they discovered it got heavier as it was carried further, which is not in itself unusual, but on being brought back towards the town, it got lighter. This was interpreted as a sign that the image wished to remain in the town


Outstanding visits
Parish church of Santa Ana
This is situated in the Plaza Eduardo Ocón, and dates from the 16th century. Its interior was built in three naves covered in pointed arches supported on pillars. Of particular interest is the Mudejar-style ceiling of the main nave. On the outside, there is a tower with a rectangular base, built in the Mudejar style. Both upper part and base of the tower suffered reconstructio in 1949, in the process losing much of their original elements. Close to the church are the El Calvario and the Constitución squares, well worth a look at, and in the nearby streets one finds ancient passageways and interior patios, the arched openings leading to them being, in former times, the division between the old and the new town
Well-known personalities
Eduardo Ocón, who died of pneumonia in Malaga in 1901 at the age of 68, was one of the best-known composers of his day. He won the position of second organist in Malaga Cathedral at the age of 18, and later travelled to Paris on a scholarship. He did not stay long there, returning to his native land to take up the directorship of the recently established Conservatory of Music. He was then appointed to his old position as organist in the cathedral once again, and was responsible for restoring the organ of Julián de la Orden. Among his best compositions for the organ are seven masses and a long series of other works of religious music, including his famous Miserere. His non-religious works include the Andalusian Rhapsody and the Cantos Españoles (Spanish Songs). José Manuel Lucena Gordo (1902-1983), who became known as the Poet of the Countryside, was a goat herd who spent his days in the hills with his herd writing poetry. He gave them away to his friends and sold some of them in the local festivals, and in later years dedicated his time to teaching others in the town how to read and write. He lived in a house with a legend. It is known as the Legend of Cristo del Cortijo de Lucena, and tells us that, three centuries ago, an unknown person painted the face of Christ on a holy night, but the painting turned out to be a self-portrait