Marchena and Osuna, Andalucía

In recent weeks I've visited Marchena and Osuna as part of my survey of municipal archives throughout the province of Sevilla. To give an idea of what some of these towns are like, I have posted a few pictures here.

Marchena

Marchena reached its splendor under the control of the Ponce de Leon family, better known as the Dukes of Arcos. One of several gates to the old city, this archway dates to the Moorish period but was modified by later Christian occupants.

City halls (ayuntamientos) : old and new
Parrish churches dating to the immediate post-conquest period.
The municipal archive/library

Osuna

Originally the Roman colony of Urso, Osuna once boasted its own university. As with the case of Marchena, Osuna owes much of its Baroque splendor to an aristocratic household. Patrons of the arts and education, the Dukes of Osuna built much of the city's monumental zone with an impressive private fortune.

Courtyard of the municipal archive/library
The old university
Inside the Colegiata
Residence of the Marquess of Gomera
Ancient graveyard

Pueblos Blancos de la Sierra de Grazalema, Andalucía

One hour south of Seville the agricultural fields lining the Guadalquivir River suddenly slope upward to form the Sierra de Grazalema in neighboring Cádiz province. Like Ronda, see an earlier post, the towns of this region are know as the pueblos blancos. An outdoor paradise, this stretch of frontier was for centuries the "no man's land" between Cristian and Moorish garrisons. Though sheep still dot the hills as they have for centuries, the area is now a natural park and host to some of the best hiking in southern Spain.

In the last town, Arcos de la Frontera, I took the opportunity to try a seasonal favorite with dinner, caracoles, or freshwater snails. In case you're wondering, they taste exactly like you'd think they would, but I'd have them again.

First stop: Zahara de la Sierra
The town of Grazalema
Benamahoma
Entering cliffside Arcos de la Frontera

Málaga, Andalucía

About two and a half hours from Seville by train, Málaga lies at the heart of the coastal resort region known as the Costa del Sol. The hometown of Antonio Banderas and Pablo Picasso, the city was known as a bastion of the liberal cause in the early nineteenth century. Like many cities in the region, at its heart lies the remains of a former Moorish palace and fortress complex. At its base lay the ruins of a Roman amphitheater. Surely one of the finer perks of a visit to this town is the wealth and variety of fresh seafood found in nearly all the bars, always served seared with locally-grown, chilled white wine - not a bad way to pass a Sunday!

Corrida de la Plaza de Toros de Sevilla

Though bullfighting season begins on Easter Sunday, the height of the annual hype occurs during the week of Feria when bullfights (corridas) are held daily, always starting promptly at 6:30pm. Corridas typically involve three matadors facing six bulls; two bulls for each matador. Points are awarded on style and are given at the end of the fight in the form of one or two ears, plus the tail in rare circumstances. Before a matador goes head to head with a bull, the animal faces a picador, on horseback with a spear, and two or three bandilleros, on foot with smaller colored daggers. At the end the animal is drawn by horses to the butcher.

This was my third bullfight, and I can honestly say I'm beginning to note the differences in the crowd and quality of the matadors. Sadly, by all marks this was mediocre corrida. The band only gave music, a privilege for a matador performing well, once for a picador and then a secondtime for one of the matadors. In all fairness, it was a young bunch; one matador was only 20 years old!