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History of Montejaque

Diputación de Málaga
Fuente Nueva, Montejaque

History of Montejaque

The village of Montejaque is of Arabic origin, as well as its name, which means "montaña perdida"(lost mountain)

It is known that in the Medieval Era there was a “alcazaba” (fortified castle) in this village. It had minarets which acted as lookout towers to control the mountains during a period when it was an important locality. This building disappeared completely and only the name was kept as the Finca El Castillo.

The spot known locally as “El Puente” is from the Roman Era and consists in the remains of a Roman bridge over the Campobuche river. According to tradition, the locals won a small battle against Napolean’s troops under the leadership of Josê de Aguilar, a local from the village.

Montejaque was under the control of the wife of Miguel de Mañara, who is buried in the 16th century church “Iglesia de Santiago el Mayor”. The village can be divided up into two parts; the upper part, known as "El Castillo", is a labyrinth of narrow streets which reflect the Arabic influence in the village and where one of the village four street fountains can also be found. The houses all have gabled up and down roofs and red roof tiles and this way they are similar to all the other mountainous villages. Then, there is the lower part, which has a more regular layout with parallel and symmetrical streets. Both the church and the Plaza Mayor, which is the central link between the two parts, are found here.

It shares its history and land space with its neighbour Benaoján (only two kilometres from the village). The drinking water of Fresnedilla and the caves at Hundidero (in Montejaque) and at the “Gato” (in Benaoján) are also part of both villages.

The almost 4800 hectares of land that makes up the municipality varies a lot and some particular areas have especially rough terrain and as such the climatic conditions are also sometimes quite changeable. The gradual depopulating of the village that had been going on ever since the end of the XIXth century has been halted thanks to the existence of businesses that restore old disused properties for sale and occupation, either by people who rent for a short time, or buyers. The small industries that exist in the village are also important for the local economy as agricultural work is very limited due to the fact that only 25 percent of the land is suitable for crop farming, in fact only four hectares are able to be irrigated. Of the little activity that does exist the most important crops are the olive and various cereal crops. There are also some herds of goats, sheep, pigs and cows, which add variety to the economic income for the village. Rabbit hunting has been traditionally accepted over the years, although it is not a popular activity with the inhabitants of the Parque de Grazalema, who do not approve.