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History of Macharaviaya

Diputación de Málaga
Iglesia de San Jacinto. Portada, Macharaviaya. Axarquía

History of Macharaviaya

Macharaviaya is of Arabic origin as is its name, which is derived from the phonetic transcription "Machar Ibn Yahya", which means "el prado o la alquerîa de Abu Yahya" (the meadow or the farmhouse of Abu Yahya)

The village was officially founded in 1572. However, the village church was built some seventy years before in 1505 by the Archbishop of Seville and officially recognised by King Fernando in 1510. It was funded by the money from the playing cards factory, which was also in the village, and had the monopoly on the sale of cards for the Indies. The aristocratic families that lived in the area, led by the Galvez family also added from their personal wealth. The church was rebuilt during the reign of Carlos 3rd in the year 1785 also with the funding of the aforementioned family. The creation of the Banco Agrîcola and the good use of the local wealth, always supervised by the Galvez clan, led to spectacular growth for Macharaviaya. The local wines were once tasted by the mythical queen Catalina “the Great” thanks to the cleverness and administration of Miguel Gálvez, the nephew of the Minister.

At the beginning of the 18th century Macharaviaya had a total of 57 houses, which made up the urban centre. The Philoxphia plague that hit the village’s vineyards at the end of the 19th century led to the rapid depopulation of the village. The village’s past history can be seen reflected in that of the Galvez’s, the most influential and wealthy family’s own accounts. Some of them held important positions in the political expansion in the West Indies.

It was also the home of the great poet Salvador Rueda, who was born on 3 December 1857. His birth certificate is still kept intact.

There is a small pavilion at the entrance of the village that was built in 1786 to publicly thank the Galvez’s for the numerous donations that they made over time.

Benaque, the neighbouring hamlet which overlooks Macharaviaya for a height of some 305 metres above sea level, is situated in a privileged position above the streets and countryside.

A stroll through the streets of Macharaviaya will reveal narrow cobbled streets which are lined by white-washed stone-walled houses. The Iglesia de San Jacinto, built on the site of the original parish church in 1783, is the most outstanding buildings in the village. Under the vaulted ceiling lies the crypt of the Galvez family. The playing card factory was turned into independent houses.

The local economy is based on the olive and almond crops, although there is a small vegetable allotment next to the river. There are a few artisans who work with pottery in the village and others who work with decorative coloured cloths.