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Travel and Travel Information from Travel

Friday, June 25, 2004

Discover Malaga!!!!



Malaga, spain, andalucia and offers the opportunity to enjoy both the sea and the mountain. In it you can see the marks left by the many civilisations that have settled these lands, as well as the tangible presence of the artistic genius Pablo Ruiz Picasso.

Malaga and its surroundings have been settled since prehistoric times, but the Phoenicians were the ones who founded colony of Malaka in the 8th century BC, very important because of its geographical position and its natural resources. Towards the end of the 3rd century BC, the city was occupied by the Romansand Malaga became a part of the province of Hispania Citerior. With the coming of the Roman Republic in the 1st century, Malaga and some of its neighbouring towns became a municipality under Latin law. Roman presence can be seen in the many of the ruins found around the Alcazaba and the Roman theatre. After the arrival of the Arabs in the year 711, the Visigoths were expelled. During the time of the Umayyad dynasty, there was a period of prosperity in the city, due to an increase in commerce. The Alcazaba was built because of the continuous wars that took place in the times of the Taifa kingdoms. The Nazarites fuelled the economy and the production of crafts in Malaga, making it a very important city. In the year 1487, the Catholic Monarchs reconquered the city. This event brought as a consequence a significant change in the urban layout of the city, with two new arteries crossing it and meeting in the Plaza de la Constitución. After the expulsion of the Arabs, Malaga became an important commercial centre, giving rise to a thriving middle class. Popular piety increased, with the creation of brotherhoods and fraternities, and many religious buildings were constructed, like the convent of Santa Clara, the college of the Augustinians and the convent of the Barefoot Carmelites. In the 18th century, Malaga was the site of the Coastal Military Command and the Kingdom of Granada. After a slow recovery following the French occupation and several plagues, in the middle of the 19th century there was a period of prosperity due to trading and industrial activity. In the 20th century, Malaga became a place of great interest, both from a cultural and a tourism point of view.

Malaga's Roman theatre remained hidden underground for many centuries.

Malaga's Roman theatre lies at the foot of the Alcazaba fortress in the western part of the city. It was discovered in 1951, after having remained buried underground for many centuries. Dating back to the first century, it was built during the Empire of Augustus. It was used up until the third century. The Arabs used parts of the theatre for their own building purposes. They took capitals and column shafts for their own Alcazaba fortress as support for the horseshoe arches over the doorways. The theatre has a radius of 31 metres is 16 metres tall and has an orchestra of 15 metres. The area has three main stands and gateways that lead into the stands (vomitorium). Also if you want to Car Hire in Malaga there are many place to choose from.

Holy Week (Malaga)
The procession of the Virgin of the Sorrows, which takes place early Friday morning, illuminated only by the long candles of the Nazarenes, is very beautiful in Malaga

Known as the freeing of a prisoner, this tradition goes back to the reign of Charles III, when prisoners from the prison in Malaga, in protest for suspending the Holy Week processions due to an epidemic, revolted and opened the prison doors to bear Jesus of Nazareth on their shoulders. Once the image was returned to the temple, they all went back to their cells. News of this reached the king, who bestowed upon the image, called 'Jesus the Wealthy' since then, the privilege of releasing one prisoner each year. The image comes out on Easter Wednesday. The processional floats, some of them need more than two hundred bearers. Remeber that Malaga Airport is pretty close of the city. Car Hire Spain and Spain advice.



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