Ruinas de la Muralla árabe en el municipio de CasaresThe strategic location of the Costa del Sol, at the gateway to Africa and occupying a sizeable part of the extreme western Mediterranean coastline, has meant many different civilizations living here, and this in turn has made the region rich in archaeological remains.
We can see this in the paintings and objects discovered in the Nerja Cave, dating back 20,000 years, and in the Tesoro Cave in Rincón de la Victoria, and in the interior of the province as well, where megalithic remains in Antequera and other places tell us that we too are passing through.
But it was not until the arrival of the Phoenicians, who founded Malaka, as it was called, in the 8th century B.C., that we can speak of an urban community with any type of social structure. From then on, the Costa del Sol was conquered and colonized many times, each civilization leaving behind evidence of its stay. This has left us with an extraordinarily rich and diverse archaeological and architectural legacy.
Unfortunately, the most effective means of establishing a new civilization has always been to destroy the previous, and for this reason, some of the people that visited these shores and stayed left little to show for themselves. Even so, the Phoenicians left remains of their ancient Malaka underneath the foundations of what is now the epitome of cultural modernity in the present city of Malaga, this being the Picasso Museum.
We have more solid evidence of the Roman occupation of this land, in the 1st century Roman Theatre in Malaga, in the Roman Villa in Río Verde, Marbella, in the 1st century city of Acinipo, 25 kilometers to the northwest of Ronda, where there is a very well preserved theatre, and in numerous villa remains scattered around the province. Many of these are in Antequera, where one can still see the excellent Roman Baths of Santa María.
Of the Moorish civilisation in Malaga province, we have many remains in excellent condition. These include the Alcazaba in Malaga City, the Gibralfaro Castle, which was an exceptional watchtower from which to view the entire bay; the gateway to the Atarazanas market, dating from the 12th to 13th centuries, and the remains of the ancient city wall that once surrounded the medieval city. In Ronda we have the well-conserved Moorish Baths and the Puerta de Almocábar, both structures dating from the 13th to14th centuries, and the Puente Árabe, the Moorish Bridge. Antequera has its magnificent Alcazaba, built between the 11th and 14th centuries and dominating the town, while the strategically built Sohail Castle, beside the sea and at the mouth of a river, is Fuengirola’s great Moorish structure.
Following the conquest of Malaga by Christian troops, many Renaissance buildings went up, such as the Antequera Collegiate and the first phase of the Cathedral in Malaga, among the best examples. Nevertheless, it was the baroque style that coincided with a period of economic bonanza, which is now reflected throughout the length and breadth of Malaga province. Palaces, churches, administrative centers, convents and other magnificent works of Baroque architecture abound on the Costa del Sol. A period of decadence followed, which extended right up to the industrial revolution of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, when tourism heralded in a new era of wealth in the region.
This historical/artistic section would be incomplete without reference to some of the more interesting museums in the region, such as the Print Museum in Marbella, the Pre-Columbine Museum in Benalmádena, the Joaquín Peinado (of the so-called School of Paris) and Bullfighting museums in Ronda, the Municipal Museum in Antequera (which houses an exceptional sculpture from the Roman period, the Efebo), the Berrocal Museum in Villanueva and the new Picasso Museum in Malaga City, which houses more than 200 works of the artist. We also have the Museum of Popular Arts, the Cathedral and the Contemporary Art Centre museums in Malaga City, without forgetting about the numerous small museums in towns and villages all over the province.
