One of the reasons why I bought FuegoBlanco was an instant connection and love for Alora. The village is charming with its narrow streets, beautiful light in the evening and the local people out for dinner. The church “La Encarnacion” is defenitely a visit worth. You enter the church and immediately you get amazed by the beautiful decorations and the atmosphere.
Álora is a village in the Guadalhorce valley with a rich historical heritage. Its Phoenician castle was used as a fort by the Romans, the Visigoths and the Arabs. The latter left their mark in the houses of whitewashed walls, and the deeply rooted customs and traditions. The main tourist sights are the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, the Convent of Virgen de las Flores and the Rafael Lería Town Museum. In addition, the village is set in a great environment in central Málaga, with access to some of the province’s most famous natural areas, like Los Gaitanes gorge.
Álora Castle
The Álora Castle was built by the Phoenicians, and renovated and expanded several times afterwards. Designated as an Asset of Cultural Interest, it has kept part of its walls, the keep and the watchtower, and a horseshoe arch that is the only one of its kind in the Western world – a vestige from the days of Al-Andalus. The viewpoint affords fantastic views of the Guadalhorce valley. Diego Gómez de Ribera, governor of Andalusia, died in front of the castle en 1434. This historical event is the seed of the Spanish romance, ‘Álora, la bien cercada’.
Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
The Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación is the second largest religious building in Málaga Province. Construction work began in 1600 and finished almost 100 years later. The church has a nave and two aisles, separated by Tuscan columns. Inside there are valuable works of art: a sculpture of Jesus on the Cross on the high altar, a seventeenth-century image of Our Lady of Sorrows and an image of St Francis of Assisi. The tower, with padded pillars, is the most remarkable exterior feature.
Convent of Virgen de las Flores
The sixteenth-century Convent of Virgen de las Flores is 2km from the town centre. The main chapel is a fine example of Baroque architecture in Málaga. The sculpture of Our Lady of the Flowers – who, together with Our Lady of the Head is Álora’s Patroness – is the most valuable work of art inside. Next to the convent, the Humbling Cross commemorates the handing in of the keys to the village by the last Islamic mayor after the victory of the Catholic Monarchs.
