La Calahorra

La Calahorra parish
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Andalusia
Province :	Granada
Comarca :	Guadix
Coordinates	37 ° 11 ′  N , 3 ° 4 ′  W Coordinates: 37 ° 11 ′  N , 3 ° 4 ′  W
Height :	1192  msnm
Area :	39.45 km²
Residents :	673 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	17.06 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	18512
Municipality number  ( INE ):	18114
administration
Website :	www.lacalahorra.es

La Calahorra is a small community with 673 inhabitants (2019) in the southern catchment area of Guadix . The municipality of La Calahorra is surrounded by the towns of Aldeire , Alquife , Ferreira , Huéneja , Lanteira and Valle del Zalabí . The area belongs to the province of Granada in the autonomous community of Andalusia in Spain.

Alejandro Ramírez Pérez has been mayor of the municipality since 2011. With a municipal area of ​​39.45 km², the population density is 17.1 inhabitants / km², compared to 96 inhabitants / km² in Andalusia.

The village is 80 kilometers east of Granada and 95 kilometers northwest of Almeria and is well connected with the A-92 autovía. The municipality borders on the north side of the Sierra Nevada ; the highest mountain nearby is the Picón de Jeres at 3094 m, while La Calahorra itself is at 1192 m.

A 60 meter high hill rises above the local level with a rectangular castillo of around 45 × 32 meters, which is reinforced at the corners by round towers with diameters of 10 m and 13 m. This is the Castillo de La Calahorra , which the Marquis Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar y Mendoza, an illegitimate son of Cardinal Mendoza , had built with high demands on the interior of the castle in the short time from 1509 to 1512. The exterior of the Castillo does not suggest that the interior with the early Renaissance style (early in Spain) began to be laborious and with Italian materials, including Carrara marble . Time of construction, architecture and equipment up to the noteworthy library in bygone times make Castillo de La Calahorra not only a sight, but also an important and listed monument for Spain.

The first settlement, so one can speak of it, goes back to Stone Age existence, however, the first agricultural activities with a commercial character are not mentioned until the 13th century. In the late 16th century, La Calahorra suffered from Moorish attacks, which led some residents to flee to the Castillo de La Calahorra, which withstood the attacks. The other inhabitants fled without returning after the warlike times.

A better economic development in the region of Calahorra then arose with the construction of the railway between Almeria and Guadix, which was put into operation in 1895. However, agriculture predominantly determined the income of the people of La Calahorra: a smaller part of the male inhabitants hired themselves out to earn a living in mining in the iron ore mines of Alquife. It was not an easy life without running water in town and little prospects for the future.

After the end of the war, shortly after the 1940s, 2,100 people still lived in the village. In the absence of a job offer, the population's time fell to currently below 700. Residents moved to Catalonia , but also to France and Germany .

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Anunciación, which dates back to 1546, in the center of La Calahorra

In the center of the village is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Anunciación , which was built in 1546. It shows signs of the Mudejar architecture. In addition to the cloister with two chapels, the rectangular tower should be emphasized. Its dominance in the local center makes it the second landmark next to the Castillo on the 60 m high hill of the village. Until the 1960s, women also covered themselves with a veil in order to be able to enter the church and sit on the front seats. The men, however, were allowed to take off their headgear, but contented themselves with the seats in the back rows. close to the door.

Panorama from the town of La Calahorra with the Castillo de La Calahorra 60 higher up (photo 2016)

The old tradition of novillada (bullfighting) was also maintained; The bullfighting celebrations took place on the last weekend in August, for which purpose a provisional arena was built on the last Sunday in August to maintain the bullfighting tradition.

The development of agriculture can not be described as successful despite the subsidies from the European Union for farmers and ranchers. The closure of the Alquife iron ore mines also contributed to the decline in incomes.

The proximity of the Sierra Nevada National Park south of the town does not result in any significant tourism; there is no winter sports infrastructure nearby. The well-known cave dwellings near Guadix do not have a noticeable effect on the revitalization of the hospitality industry in La Calahorra.

Web links

Commons : La Calahorra  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

supporting documents

1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).