La Viñuela is a municipality in the province of Málaga in the

autonomous community eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

in southern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It belongs to the ''

comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...

'' of

La Axarquía LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

. The village of La Viñuela is situated from the provincial capital of Málaga and from the coast at

Torre del Mar Torre del Mar is a locality on the southern coast of Spain, part of the municipality of Vélez-Málaga, Axarquía, located in the province of Málaga. It is a popular summer tourist resort for Spanish people. History There is archaeological e ...

. The village sits at a height of above sea level. Inhabitants are called ''viñoleros''. One of its hamlets is Los Romanes. La Viñuela is dominated by the landscape of

La Maroma La Maroma, also known as Tejeda, at an altitude of 2069 m, is the highest peak of the Sierra de Tejeda, Penibaetic System, Spain. The summit is located in the region of Axarquía on the border between the provinces of Granada and Málaga. The na ...

, which belongs to the mountain range known as

Sierra de Tejeda Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain range i ...

and at a height of is the highest mountain in Axarquía. Another dominant feature of the landscape is that of the reservoir known in English as Lake Viñuela; it holds 170 million cubic metres of water and is surrounded by picnic areas, some with barbecues. Swimming and non-motorised water sports are also permitted here.

Climate

* Average temperature: 17 °C * Hours of sun per year: 2900 * Rainfall: 568 L/m²

History

The village grew during the 18th century around a building called La Venta La Viña, which fed and watered weary travellers en route between the coast and inland Granada, which is still a centre for the old men of the village to meet for a game of dominoes. The village was named after the vines that grow in the area and from this building where local wine was sold. In 2011 the population was 1980 inhabitants according to data from the INE, the Spanish Institute of National Statistics. It became a town in 1764 with its first appointed mayor Juan Lucas García del Rey, however, this was not the first time the area had been inhabited: when the excavation work to create the reservoir began, 14 archaeological sites dating back to Neolithic and Roman times were found, including the remains of wattle and daub huts, a smelting furnace and an abundance of stone tools and ceramics.

Politics

Monuments and places of interest

* Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows * San José Church * Embalse de La Viñuela (Lake Viñuela) * Atalaya Tower * The Miraculous Chapel

Local festivities

The local fiestas begin at Easter, usually mid-March or April. In May there is the pilgrimage from the village to the hamlets of Los Gómez and Los Romanes. In mid-July they celebrate the Feria de Los Gómez in honour of the

Virgen del Carmen Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Ca ...

. At the end of July/beginning of August are the celebrations for the feast day of the town's patron saint, the Virgen de las Angustias (the Virgin of Sorrows) at the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows which is located in the area of Los Ramírez. Mid-August sees the fiesta of Los Romanes, which honours the Virgen de la Milagrosa (Virgin of the Miraculous). Finally, in mid-September, they celebrate the Feria de la Pasa, to coincide with the harvesting of grapes to be made into raisins.

Gastronomy

Some typical dishes from La Viñuela are sopa de tomate (tomato soup),

gazpachuelo Gazpachuelo is a soup originating in Málaga, Spain and is a typical fisherman's dish, consisting of mayonnaise, garlic, egg yolk and olive oil. The white of egg is added to thicken the mixture along with cubed potatoes. Although it is cons ...

(similar to hot gazpacho), potaje (vegetables and pulses cooked in water),

migas Migas () ("crumbs" in English) is a dish traditionally made from stale bread and other ingredients in Spanish and Portuguese cuisines. Originally introduced by shepherds, migas are very popular across the Iberian Peninsula, and are the typical br ...

with orange and pomegranate,

ajoblanco Ajoblanco (sometimes written ajo blanco) is a popular Spanish cold soup typical from Granada and Málaga (Andalusia). This dish is made of bread, crushed almonds, garlic, water, olive oil, salt and sometimes vinegar. It is usually served with gr ...

gazpacho Gazpacho (; ) or Gaspacho (), also called Andalusian gazpacho, is a cold soup and drink made of raw, blended vegetables. It originated in the southern regions of the Iberian peninsula and spread into other areas. Gazpacho is widely eaten in Sp ...

, asparagus omelette and

Russian salad Olivier salad ( rus, link=no, салат Оливье, salat Olivye) is a traditional salad dish in Russian cuisine, which is also popular in other post-Soviet countries and around the world. In different modern recipes, it is usually made with ...

with orange.

Leisure Activities

There is a local football club aptly named Aston Viñuela which has male adult team in the local league and a male veteran side for over 35's. Recently, they have become involved in Walking Football for anyone aged 60 or over and are currently competing in Spain's first walking football league. Training and home games are played at the municipal football pitch located on the A402 (turning for the Hotel La Viñuela). There is also a local photographic club called Lake Viñuela Photographic Club.

References

External links

Ayuntamiento de La Viñuela
(La Viñuela town hall)
La Viñuela guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinuela Municipalities in the Province of Málaga