IN THE HEART OF THE GENAL VALLEY, IN THE RONDA MOUNTAINS, GENALGUACIL WELCOME THE VISITOR TO UNIQUE SURROUNDINGS WHERE THE TRADITIONS OF THE WHITE VILLAGES ARE FUSED WITH THE MOST CONTEMPORARY OF THE ART WORLD AND THE MOST PECULIAR OF THE NATURAL WORLD.

Genalguacil is not just another village. It's true that its lattice-work maze of steeply-sloping streets and alleys with snow-white frontages, testimony to its Moorish origin, and its position right in the valley, like a balcony giving onto the natural world, are not unique. This doesn't distinguish it from any of the other villages in the area. Its little squares and balconies overflow with flowers and its inhabitants lead peaceful, silent lives that are historically and economically dependent on the extraction of cork. But neither is this heritage exclusive to Genalguacil.

What makes it different, original, is that this little mountain village, which still maintains the traditional uses and customs of yesteryear, turned several years ago into an outdoor museum, home to an array of sculptures belonging to artists of the five continents. The figures in stone, iron, wood and clay surprises the visitor in the most unlikely of places. The most innovative and vanguardiste art cohabits here with the potted geraniums, reed chairs and grass hats, the most typically Andaluz. But we'd better start at the beginning.

Origins:
Within its local boundaries, in the so-called Reales Chicos, handmills have been found that were made by the Phoenician and Hellenic cultures. There were once rich gold and silver mines here, today exhausted. These handmills were used to crush precious metals so that they could subsequently be purified.
Its name comes from the Arabic Genna- Alwacir meaning "Gardens of the Vizier". After the arrival of the Reyes Católicos (Catholic kings), the Moslem population remaided in the village a bloody rebellion in the mid 16th century ended this peaceful coexistence. This uprising is a milestone in Genalguacil's history, worthy of mention, not only for the repercussions it had, bur also for the atrocities committed.
According to chroniclers, five hundred soldiers were sent at that time to clear the Sierra Bermeja (mountains) of people. Some of them sacked villages and took slaves, incurring the wrath of the Moors who came down from the mountains to defend their women and children.
The Arab rebels laid siege to the ancient church of San Pedro Mártir de Verona where the leader of the militia, Pedro Bermúdez, had left some of his men inside to look after the Moorish women, children and old people. The Moors go out those who had been imprisoned within and set fire to it with the soldiers inside, giving them no chance of rescue. After the expulsion of the Moslems, Genalcuacil was repopulated with Christians from nearby areas. As late as 1856, the village was made part of the Duque de Arcos's estate, until a law took away this medieval privilege.

Sculptural streets:
Bring together a heterogeneous group of artists and give an evocative climate, surround them with nature, though inserting them into a small, close-knit community. Give them materials; enable them to exchange ideas and opinions and let creativity and coexistence do the rest.
And afterwards, when the works have taken shape and form, leave them there, so that they end up forming part of that place, of its streets, its squares, its countryside, its memories and those that live there. Since the idea was firts realised in 1994, many artists have used the magic formula of Genalcuacil.
This white village is already a museum with its own array of art works and is an example of how art, nature and the day to day life of a small community can be linked.

In the heart of nature:
Set in the midle of the Genal Valley, a stone's throw from the sea and one of the highest mountains in the Ronda mountains, the woods of Genalguacil are of enormous value and beauty, populated by chestnuts, corks and pines, including the Blue Spanish Fir, a botanic relic that is found nowhere else in the world.
In its immediate vicinity is a wide network of paths and tracks that lead through totally unspoilt countryside below high mountain scenary. These paths are ideal for excursions on foot or bike which can be complemented, in summer, with a dip in the crystal-clear and clean water of the rivers Almachar and Genal.

Useful information

Access: From the Costa del Sol, starting from Estepona, you come across the road that leads here and which passes through Peñas Blancas and Jubrique on the way.
The distance is some 40 kms.

Basic data:
Size: 31,60 Km²
Population: Approx. 600
Residents known as: Genalguacileños
Monuments: Parish Church, Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja, ancient mines, Museum of Los Encuentros de Arte (Art Biennale) in the Genal Valley.
Geographical situation: In the lower Genal Valley region of the Ronda Mountains, 158 kilometres from Malaga and 45 from Ronda, at 517 metres above sea level.
Tourist information: Town Hall, C/. Real, 3. 29492.
Phone: 952 152 003 Fax: 952 152 129

Places to be visited
Art Biennale: Since 1994, an art biennale has been taking place in Genalguacil every two years during the first fortnight in August, attracting artists from all over Spain and Europe to this spot for two weeks of painting, sculpting and the creative exchange of ideas. They are put up by the Town hall and have all their materials paid for, along with a catalogue being published, and the resulting works of art become the property of the town itself. All aspects of art are included in the programme, with sculptures in wood, metal and ceramics, and murals and photography forming part of what becomes the town’s permanent collection. Many of the works are out in the open, as planned, while others are housed in Town Hall property until work on the old oil press, to become the new municipal museum, has been finished.

Urban Centre: Genalguacil is a typical small mountain village whose only ancient work of architecture is its church, dating from the 17th century and built in honour of St. Peter of Verona (San Pedro de Verona). Its interior is divided into three naves, separated by semicircular arches supported by columns and covered in a timber ceiling. On the outside, its most interesting element is the octagonal-based tower.
Trekking: The countryside surrounding the village is quite beautiful and ecologically important, and the best way to get to know it is to walk. Of particular interest to nature lovers is the Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja area, where one can see the rare pinsapo trees - a species of Mediterranean pine – and animals and birds like the mountain deer and the various species of hawks and eagles. Interesting too is the area known as Los Morterestes, situated in the middle of a pinsapo woods where the first settlers here mined gold.

FIESTAS
One of the most traditional festivals in Genalguacil is the Festival of the Castaña, the toasted chestnuts, which takes place in the month of November. There are also many different events taking place during the Encuentros de Arte del Valle del Genal, such as theatrical and musical performances and competitions. Of a more religious character are the Carnival in February, the Huerto del Niño, the Holy Week celebrations and the festival in honour of the patron saint, San Pedro Mártir de Verona, which takes place on April 29th. A special 24 hours of sport is held in August, in which most of the young people from the village participate
GASTRONOMY AND CRAFTWORK
Among the culinary delights of Genalguacil are the broths, the tomato soup, the hot gazpacho, the mushroom omelettes and the delicious pork dishes. Many excellent pastries are made here too, most of them by the people of the village themselves, using local produce.