The village has existed
since Phoenician and Roman times, and its municipal boundaries stretch
from the sierra of the same name to the banks of the River Guadalhorce,
most of the AREA within them being devoted to agriculture, notably
olives, almonds, fruit and vegetables.
Monuments of interest include St. Peter's Church and Virgen de
los Remedios Chapel, the latter, built on the site of a former mosque,
attracting pilgrims from all over the region.
HISTORY
The Phoenicians settled alongside local tribes and gave the settlement
the name "Cartha", meaning "hidden place".
The Romans later christened the village "Cartima", fortifying
the location which, standing atop a rugged hill 427 metres in height,
provided a magnificent natural vantage point offering views of part
of the Guadalhorce Valley to the north. The Roman town of Cartama
was one of the most important in what is now the province of Malaga,
already enjoying official town status in 195 B.C.
Cartama was also important during the Moslem occupation, given
the strategic nature of its location and the fertility of the surrounding
land. The Arabs renovated and rebuilt the fortress, turning it into
one of the finest military bastions in the AREA.
It was captured by troops under the Catholic Monarchs in 1485.
This conflict was immortalised by the Mozarabic wood carvers responsible
for the bas-reliefs which adorn the choir of Toledo Cathedral, which
can still be seen today.
Within the municipal boundary stands the district of Casapalma,
once the property of the Count of Casapalma, until an 1811 decree
saw it added to Cartama.
Where to Sleep
Hostal y Mesón El Moya
Avda. de Andalucia,24 Estación de Cártama
Telf +34 952 420269 (Zimmer: 15)
Hostal Salvador
C./ Marbella 4. Estación de Cártama
Telf: +34 952420372 (Zimmer: 14) |
