Sacromonte
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Sacromonte, sometimes also called Sacramonte, is a traditional neighbourhood in the eastern area of the city of
Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
in Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the six neighbourhoods that make up the urban district of Albayzín and borders the neighbourhoods of Albayzín, San Pedro, Realejo-San Matías, El Fargue and Haza Grande. It is located on the hillside and in the valley of Valparaíso, opposite the
Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ar, الْحَمْرَاء, Al-Ḥamrāʾ, , ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the ...
– emblem of Granada. The neighbourhood occupies both banks of the
Darro river The Darro is a river of the province of Granada, Spain. It is a tributary of the Genil. The river was originally named after the Roman word for gold (aurus) because people used to pan for gold on its banks. This name was then changed by the Arab ...
, whose name seems to be derived from the phrase "''d'auro''" ("of gold") because of its famous gold-bearing
sediments Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand a ...
. Traditionally the neighborhood of the Granadian
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
, who settled in Granada after the Christian conquest of the city in 1492, it is one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods of the city, with cave houses installed in whitewashed caves. The Romani of Sacromonte have a
mixed language A mixed language is a language that arises among a bilingual group combining aspects of two or more languages but not clearly deriving primarily from any single language. It differs from a creole language, creole or pidgin, pidgin language in that ...
known as '' Caló'', which has seen a rapid decline in use over the past century. It is derived from India, where the Romani originated. The Romani of Sacromonte were famously portrayed by the poet
Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...
in his book of poems '' Romancero Gitano''.


Etymology

The neighborhood owes its name to an episode which occurred between 1595 and 1599 on the hill of Valparaíso: the supposed discovery of
relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
s and the so-called " lead books" or "Lead Books of Sacromonte", containing indecipherable drawings and texts in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and Arabic characters, which came to be interpreted by some as the fifth
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
. These findings were declared a forgery in the 17th century, but nonetheless led to the construction of the
Abbey of Sacromonte An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nuns ...
, where the supposed relics of Saint Caecilius (co-patron of Granada) and the lead books are now kept.


Origin of the caves

The origin of the houses excavated on the slopes of Sacromonte, the traditional dwelling type of the neighbourhood, is not very clear. It is assumed that they began to be built from the 16th century, after the Jewish and
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
populations were expelled from their homes, and intermixed with the
nomad A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...
ic Romani, adopting some of their customs. The caves became housing for the marginalised, located outside the walls of the city, which meant being outside of administrative and ecclesiastical control, particularly the
Spanish Inquisition The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition ( es, Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición), commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition ( es, Inquisición española), was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand ...
. To dig a cave it was necessary to carve away a part of the face of the hill where they wanted to build, making a vertical cut that served as a facade. The builder then inserted an
arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...
at the midpoint to serve as a door. They then excavated as much space for rooms as the terrain would allow. The forms and limits of this unique house type are determined by the terrain, altitude and extent of the hills where the excavation takes place, so there are no two identical caves. These elements, along with the paths, gullies, small squares, whitewashed facades and interiors form a unique landscape, alongside the customs and crafts of their inhabitants, giving the neighbourhood a unique character. In addition to the troglodyte houses, another important feature of the neighbourhood is the legends that relate to all corners and places, one of the most well-known being the Ravine of the Blacks. File:"Les grottes des gitanos, au Sacro-monte" (19929759032).jpg, ''The caves of the Gipsies at Sacromonte'' by
Gustave Doré Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré ( , , ; 6 January 1832 – 23 January 1883) was a French artist, as a printmaker, illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor. He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engraving ...
in ''L'Espagne'' File:Marín Gares Isidoro el trato.jpg, ''El trato'' by the Granadan Isidoro Marín Gares (1863 - 1926) File:Antonio Gomar y Gomar Abadia del Sacromonte.jpg, ''Dome of the Abbey of Sacromonte and caves dwellings'' by Antonio Gomar y Gomar (1849 - 1911). Currently this dome of the Sacromonte Abbey is derelict. File:Recuerdos y bellezas de España - bajo la real proteccion de la reina y el rey; Obra destinada á dar á conocer sus monumentos y antiguedades en láminas dibujadas del natural y litografiadas por F.J. (14766313724).jpg, View of the Alhambra from the cactuses of Sacromonte by Francesco Xavier Parcerisa in 1850, in ''Recuerdos y bellezas de España''.


A neighbourhood legend: Ravine of the Blacks (''Barranco de los Negros'')

Popular legends hold that after the loss of Granada to the
Catholic Monarchs The Catholic Monarchs were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of Spain. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being bot ...
in the
Granada War The Granada War ( es, Guerra de Granada) was a series of military campaigns between 1482 and 1491 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, against the Nasrid dynasty's Emirate of Granada. It e ...
, the formerly ruling Arabs – who made their way in exile to African lands – never gave up hope of someday returning to the city of their parents and grandparents, where they and their children were born. Afraid of being preyed upon by
bandit Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, and murder, either as an ...
s or groups of renegade Christian soldiers on the roads to the ports of
Almuñécar Almuñécar () is a Spanish city and municipality located in the southwestern part of the comarca of the Costa Granadina, in the province of Granada. It is located on the shores of the Mediterranean sea and borders the Granadin municipalities of ...
or
Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...
, where they embarked for Africa, they hid great treasures among the olive groves which at the time covered Sacromonte. At the same time, they granted freedom to the many
slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
owned by the noble Arab families, because of the expense and difficulty of performing the journey with a large entourage. Many of these slaves were
black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
, and had noticed the comings and goings of their former owners to Mount Valparaíso (as the area was then called), were aware of their former owners' fears and had overheard many conversations between them regarding burying their possessions. Granted their freedom but without work or belongings, many decided to climb the mountain and recover for themselves the treasures that had once belonged to their former owners. They dug and dug into the slopes of the ravine reportedly without success, and exhausted by the effort but left with no alternative shelter, decided to condition the resulting caves and make them their homes. This gave the area the name of "Ravine of the Blacks", as these were believed to be the first inhabitants. In later years, as
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
began to settle in the area, they supposedly attempted to use many
spells Spell(s) or The Spell(s) may refer to: Processes * Spell (paranormal), an incantation * Spell (ritual), a magical ritual * Spelling, the writing of words Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Spell'' (1977 film), an American ...
in search of the exact places where the treasures were hidden. Many older
witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...
es, known as ''ferminibí'', were reported to try talking with water and others with fire, or staring unblinking into basins of water, trying to get some clues to the locations of the lost treasures. To this day it is unknown whether any were discovered and secretly taken away by treasure seekers, or if the treasures remain hidden in the area.


Other sights

Sacromonte Caves Museum, Darro Valley Interpretation Centre. This Museum opened its doors in 2002 and occupies a space of 4800 square metres in which up to 11 caves have been recovered for viewing in their original state as maintained by their inhabitants. The aim of the museum is to make known and help understand the culture, history and natural environment of the Darro River Valley (a Site of Cultural Interest since 2016). Through these '' 11 caves'' visitors can recognize the cave-house, the stable, the traditional trades (basketry, forge, loom, pottery), a cave exclusively dedicated to the history of flamenco in the Sacromonte and another one specialized in troglodyte architecture in the world. Escuelas del Ave María. They were founded by ''Don'' Andrés Manjón – better known as "Father Manjón" – at the beginning of the 20th century to teach gypsy children and whose
pedagogical Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and Developmental psychology, psychological development of le ...
innovations are still in force. Abadia del Sacromonte. Another monument of the Sacromonte is
Abadía Abadía () is a Spanish municipality located at an altitude of 442 metres above sea-level in the Autonomous Community eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat auto ...
, built by the archbishop ''Don''
Pedro de Castro Pedro Castro may refer to: * Pedro Castro Nero (1541–1611), Spanish archbishop * Pedro de Castro, 1st Duke of la Conquista Pedro de Castro y Figueroa, 1st Duke of la Conquista, 1st Marquess of Gracia Real, Order of Santiago, KOS, Order of S ...
in the 17th century where the supposed relics and other testimonios of what would have been the first Christians of Granada appeared, among them San Cecilio, who was made his first bishop, as early as the first century, and some other apostolic men, companions of
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
. A very important library, with numerous incunabula and manuscripts, has been preserved and is now closed, as have the forgeries of the so-called "Lead Books", in which Cecilio was presented as a disciple of Santiago and the first bishop of Granada. The abbey is the canonical seat of the gypsy brotherhood. There is a mass every Sunday at 12:00. Next to the abbey are the
catacombs Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etymology and history The first place to be referred ...
or holy caves where various
chapels A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...
are preserved, one of which tradition says that Santiago el Menor came to officiate. The
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
of San Cecilio takes place there on the first Sunday in February.
Zambras:
Cueva de Curro Albaicín. FRANCISCO GUARDIA CONTRERAS, gypsy singer, known by the artistic name of CURRO ALBAICIN, was born in the Sacromonte neighbourhood, Granada, on 22 January 1948, into a family with a long flamenco tradition, "Los Cabreras", and grew up among the local artists Mario Maya, Manolete, Los Heredias, Los Habichuelas and Los Amayas. Curro Albaicin has also been asked to sing or organize parties for a number of personalities from the world of politics and culture, the kings of Spain on several occasions and those of Syria, the former kings of Greece, Bill Clinton, Antonio Gala, Ian Gibson, Luis Rosales, Pedro Almodovar and Paco Rabal among many others. In 1985, in a personal attempt to recover the almost extinct Zambra of Sacromonte, Curro gathered all the veteran artists of Sacromonte. In 1992, he edited the book Cancionero del Sacromonte. This first book was followed by "Zambra y flamencos del Sacromonte" and he has prepared the edition of another one entitled "La decadencia del Sacromonte". He has written opinion columns for the newspapers Ideal and La Opinón de Granada. In 2002, his book "Cartas de amor y odio" appeared in which he gives his personal vision of politics, feelings and art. He is also the author of a tragicomedy entitled "Los amantes del Fracaso" Cueva de la Rocío. was one of the first gypsy villages in Sacromonte, a district of Granada. Founded by Andrés Maya Fajardo and Rocío Fernándaz Bustamante in 1951, this cave is still in the hands of the Maya family, one of the most important families in the flamenco world. In Rocio's cave, a show called "Zambra Gitana" is produced every night, a musical and dance genre inspired by Sacromonte's flamenco rituals, such as gypsy weddings. Fiestas Pilgrimage of San Cecilio In Granada, San Cecilio is celebrated (first Sunday in February) with a pilgrimage to Sacromonte. The
carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...
– in February – and the Day of Mariana Pineda – in May – acquire more importance every year and the
Semana Santa Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...
Holy week has reached a spectacular development. The Sacromonte district celebrates its festivals in the first ten days of August. Popular Festivals of the Sacromonte Organised by the Sacromonte Neighbourhood Association, one of the oldest in the city, they are held on the first weekend in September, and among the festivals and popular meals, the old and famous ''Pasacalles de Disfraces'' (Costume Parade) is held on Sunday, where, accompanied by a group, the neighbours parade in costume through the whole neighbourhood, invading the neighbouring Albaicin with music and a lot of cheek.


Famous Sacromontines

* '' Chorrojumo''


See also

* Sacromonte Caves Museum, Darro Valley Interpretation Centre
Sacromonte Caves Museum
* Sacromonte Abbey * Leads of the Sacromonte * Zambra Mora. Originally from this neighbourhood in Granada. Definition of zambra in the DRAE. * Sacromonte omelette * La Coracha (Málaga)


References


External links


Sacromonte Caves Museum


External links

* http://www.sacromontegranada.com/?lang=en Museum caves of the Sacromonte's website
Flamenco recording from 1962 in Sacramento

''The Wise Men of Sacromonte'', 2013 documentary
* http://granadamap.com/abadia/indexsp.htm (in Spanish) * http://servicios.ideal.es/guia/abadia.html (in Spanish) * http://granadainfo.com/canastera/cdesacroen.htm (on the Romani caves)


See also

*
Zambra ''Zambra'' (), (from Andalusi Arabic ''zamra'', originally from classical Arabic ''zamr'') is a style of flamenco dance, typical of the Roma of the provinces of Granada and Almería (Andalusia, Spain). It is believed that the zambra is a continua ...
, a dance which originated in this Granadian neighbourhood{{cite web, url=http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltGUIBusUsual?TIPO_HTML=2&TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=zambra, title=Definición de zambra en el DRAE


Notes

*Translated from the Portuguese and Spanish Wikipedias Buildings and structures in Granada Granada Romani communities in Spain Spanish legends Spanish slave trade Black people in European folklore Semi-subterranean structures