This web page uses its own cookies and the third-party cookies to collect the information which help us make the service as good as possible. By no means is our intention to use it for gathering personal data.

Cookies policy

History of Canillas de Albaida

Diputación de Málaga
Vista general, Canillas de Albaida. Axarquía

History of Canillas de Albaida

History suggests that the origins of Canillas de Albaida to date back to the 13th century. Albaida is the Arabic word for "white", so there is no doubting the town’s Islamic ancestry. In the archives of Al-hwaz (present-day Vêlez) Canillas de Albaida figured as a farmstead belonging to the aforementioned town.

In 1487, Canillas was requisitioned by the Catholic Monarchs in the wake of the reconquest. 1569 saw the men of the village join forces with their neighbours in the Axarquîa region to rebel against the authority Felipe 2nd, an uprising which ended with their defeat at the Battle of El Peñón de Frigiliana. After this, settlers from neighbouring villages and the rest of Andalusia came to Canillas de Albaida and began to cultivate vineyards, cereals and olive groves.

Though the layout of the town centre largely typifies the Arabic design prevalent in the Axarquîa region, it does feature several contrasts. So, we can appreciate the huge difference between the flat Explanada de las Esperillas and the almost-vertical side streets off Calle Estación. The Callejón de Araceli, the narrowest local thoroughfare, is barely wide enough for one person to walk along. The whole town plan winds around the central square that is home to the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) and the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Expectación (a 16th century church renovated in the 18th century). In the upper part of the town, we find the chapel of Santa Ana, while the chapel of San Antón stands in the lower district.

The influence of Cómpeta, which serves as a magnet that attracts business to the area, is clearly felt in Canillas de Albaida. Whereas the agriculture of the towns and villages at the foot of the Sierra Tejeda is of a more austere nature, productivity in the Sierra Almijara is high, a result of the strenuous efforts invested over the centuries. Practically the whole of the area is used for agricultural purposes, with vines, terraced vegetable gardens, almond trees and olive groves all in evidence. What differentiates vine production in Canillas from that of other towns is that here, in addition to wine and raisins, an exquisite muscatel grape is also produced.