Laujar de Andarax, a beautiful heart beating in the Alpujarra of Almeria
Laujar de Andarax , despite having only a little more than 1,500 inhabitants registered, hides a good number of secrets , both historical and heritage and natural, and stands as a perfect place to spend a few days disconnecting of stress and routine.
THE LAST TEARS OF BOABDIL: SHED IN LAUJAR
when the last sultan of grenada ceded the Alhambra to the Christian forces commanded by the Catholic Monarchs, they did not leave the Iberian Peninsula. Boabdil , followed by his family and some of his nobles, he left his beloved city for the new little kingdom that he had managed to wrest from the Christian kings in the peace negotiations: the Alpujarras.
That was how he settled in Laujar de Andarax . That arab legacy can be guessed, today, in the winding and narrow streets descending from the ruins of the old citadel that dominated the town and the surrounding lands.
FBFDH3 Laujar de Andarax.Alpujarras, Almeria province, Andalucia, Spain.
The bellicose and imposing aspect of the old fortification has completely disappeared, leaving only a few rocky walls standing, scattered here and there and invaded by low houses with whitewashed facades.
Boabdil did not stay too long in Laujar de Andarax, because a year and a half after his arrival, his beloved wife passed away, Morayma . The sultan, despondent and damaged in the depths of his being, left for Fez to never set foot on the land of his beloved Al-Andalus again. However, many of his nobles continued to live in these lands for decades and the traces of that people are still present in the ancient irrigation system , the fifteen fountains that appear in the streets and squares, the old mills and an urban layout with an indisputable Moorish air.
THE FAMOUS LOOMS OF LAUJAR DE ANDARAX
Laujar de Andarax can boast of being the** capital of the Alpujarras of Almeria**, but also of having lived through a real golden age for its craft looms . In the 18th century, the waters of the Andarax River – whose source is less than 3 kilometers from the town – sought the hydraulic energy necessary to move the spinning wheels and the fulling mills that were found in the numerous workshops. This is how blankets, clothing, rugs and other high-quality accessories were made.
2CBA0EX Street of traditional houses in Laujar de Andarax, La Alpujarra Almeriense, Almeria, Andalucia, Spain
With the passage of time and the arrival of the industrialization , the artisan looms of Laujar de Andarax were disappearing and falling into oblivion. The skillful hands that were dedicated to such a worthy and beautiful trade were left idle or began to become calloused working the fertile fields irrigated by the Andarax. However, some artisans bequeathed their knowledge to their descendants and thanks to this, in recent years, there has been a timid resurface of the traditional looms of Laujar.
One of the best examples we have in Crafts The Square , a small shop that serves as a workshop and where you can see how the different fabrics to make bags, scarves, handkerchiefs, purses, rugs, blankets, hats and many other things that are exhibited in the premises.
A HISTORICAL WALK AND A TRIP TO THE PHILIPPINES
Wrapped up in Laujar's handmade garments, one can walk through its charming streets even during the cold winter. Wandering through them will lead you to discover secrets like the beautiful Parish Church of the Incarnation , a temple built – on the ashes of the old mosque and the ruins of another church – at the end of the 17th century. With a beautiful Mudejar-style façade and a Baroque interior, there are not a few who give it the nickname "the Alpujarra Cathedral".
The Main Square of the town is presided over by the neoclassical building of the Town Hall, and near it are the two most splendid houses of the town: the Vicar's House and the Palace of the Moya.
The first is a baroque house from the 17th century, which shows the power and splendor of the yanguas family , one of the most renowned in the history of Laujar. However, it is the Moya Palace that keeps one of the most important treasures of the town. And it is that a small museum has been created in it that pays homage to two of the most illustrious characters from the story of Laujar de Andarax: Francisco Villaespesa and Don Pedro Murillo Velarde y Bravo.
Villaespesa, born in 1877, is recognized as one of the Almerian writers more universal. In his works, the influence of the splendid Alpujarra landscapes in which he had played and enjoyed during his childhood was recognized. In the palace you can admire some of his books, as well as the desk where he brought his stories to life and the municipal library, which bears his name.
The greatness of Villaespesa finds its equal in the figure of Peter Velarde . Born in Laujar in 1696, this Jesuit religious He was also a jurist, musician, poet, geographer, historian and missionary. In short, a kind of Renaissance man who spent a large part of his life touring the distant – and more so at that time – Philippine Islands.
Velarde had the honor of producing, in 1734, the first map in history that offered a complete vision of the Philippines. In addition, his work of 10 volumes, Historical Geography , is still consulted and respected by contemporary professionals.
JEDYEP Spain, Sierra Nevada, Laujar de Andarax, senior man exploring old water canal
THE OMNIPRESENT NATURE IN PUERTO DE LA RAGUA
And if the cultural and patrimonial legacy of Laujar de Andarax is present in its urban nucleus, when leaving it, it is Mother Nature that welcomes the traveler in her powerful and tender arms. From the very center of Laujar you can take a small path of just over 2.5 km that leads to the beautiful source of the Andarax river.
However, lovers of hiking They usually travel about 30 km to the Port of the Ragua . Rising some 2,000 meters above the sea, this port belongs to the Sierra Nevada National Park and from one of its nearby peaks you can admire the Adra basin, the virgin beaches of Almeria, the Marquesado plateau, the beautiful peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the natural parks of Mágina, Huétor, Cazorla, Baza and Cabo de Gata.
Several trails start from the port car park. In winter, they are taken by cross-country skiers and children with their sleds, while the rest of the year they pass through here mushroom pickers (autumn) or hikers who want to enjoy routes of different difficulties and lengths.
A simple route is the one that leads to the Col of Cabañuelas , where the views invite you to spend the day. Perhaps Boabdil said goodbye to that same picture of another world more than 500 years ago. If so, his tears would be understood.