It name comes from the phonetic transcription of “marcher ibn Yahya” meaning Yahya’s son’s farm.

• Name of its inhabitants:

Macharatungos.

• Famous personalities:

Josê Gálvez y Gallardo, a man who was close to King Charles III, who was minister for the Indies. In America he founded the city that bears his name, Galveston, in the state of Texas and on his return he was names a Knight of the Order of Charles III, Marquis of Sonora and secretary of the Council of the Indies. His social position enabled his brothers and nephews to have important posts. Matias was viceroy in Mexico and Miguel was Spanish ambassador in Russia; his nephew Bernardo was governor of Louisiana, captain general in Cuba and viceroy in Mexico.

Salvador Rueda was born on the 2 December, 1.857 in Benaque, a district of Macharaviaya. As a poet he was considered the precursor of Spanish Modernism. In 1.910 he was acclaimed poet of the Spanish world in the Philippines and in Havana. He died in Malaga in 1.933.

• Legend:

There is a legend about the flooring of the church, related to the wealthy Gálvez family. This family’s political and financial power lead to some exaggerations which with time became legendary, as, for example, the story that tells how the noble family at the time of laying the flooring in the church decided it should be done using coins instead of the customary tiles. When Charles III heard about this, he forbade it as he did not want the faithful to step on his image; if the coins were placed face-up his effigy would be trampled on and if they were laid face-down then it would be the Emblem of Spain that would be trampled. In order to solve the problem he suggested the coins should be laid down on their side, but apparently this proved too expensive.

Another legend linked to this family’s fortune states that in the church there is a hidden treasure, as a surplus in order to rebuild the church in case it were demolished. This treasure has not been found to date.

An interesting fact is the creation in Macharaviaya of the Real Fábrica de Naipes (Royal Cards Factory), nearly a century before Heraclio Fournier founded his famous factory in Vitoria in 1868. This was one of the many privileges granted by the Gálvez family to its home town. This factory which was founded in 1.775 managed to produce 30,000 packs of cards a year. As a result, all the cards reaching America before 1.815 came from Macharaviaya due to the exclusive contract signed by the owners with the Indies, as shown on the pack’s suit of golden coins.