The present-day site
of the village dates back to the late 17th century, when exploitation
of cork from Cortes' abundant cork oak groves stimulated economic
development in the AREA. The village's main architectural structures
also belong to this period: the Town Hall (1784), Our Lady's Church,
the Valdenebro family seat (1763) and a building known as the Stone
House.
In the western part of the village, wedged between the provinces
of Malaga and Cadiz, are the remains of the village of La Sauceda,
once home to bands of 16th-century highwaymen and mentioned in Cervantes'
¨Coloquio de los perros" ("The Dogs' Conversation")
and ¨Vida del escudero Marcos de Obregón¨ ("The
Life of Squire Marcos de Obregon") by Vicente Espinel. The
village was bombed and totally destroyed during the Civil War, and
has remained uninhabited ever since.
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