Benamargosa stands at the heart of the Velez-Malaga area
and is a veritable paradise of orchards and subtropical
crops, surrounded by the dry hills and peaks typical of
the Axarquia region.
Benamargosa dates back to the 15th century, to the time of the moriscos
- Moorish converts to Christianity - .
History
Like other villages in the Axarquia area, Benamargosa sprang up around
a few early dwellings inhabited by settlers farming adjacent land; this
growth really took off in the long period of stability which followed
the Moslem occupation. Both its name and its urban layout bear testimony
to the undeniable link between this enclave and mediaeval Arabic culture.
The village fell into the hands of the Catholic Monarchs after the fall
of Velez-Malaga in 1487. In 1496, 45 Mudejars - Moslems permitted to live
under Christian rule - lived in the village and it began to gain in importance.
In 1949, Benamargosa belonged to the tahá -administrative district-
of Comares, forming part of a group known as The Four Villages, along
with The Borge, Cutar and Almachar. In 1546, during the reign of Philip
II, it became a parish. The Christian reconquest marked the start of a
process of progressive abandonment on the part of the local population,
mainly Moorish converts to Christianity, in the face of difficult living
conditions. The last remaining Moors were definitively expelled in the
wake of the 1569 uprising which had a major effect in the whole of the
Axarquia region. In 1810, the village swore allegiance to the King of
Spain, Joseph Napoleon I, a turn of events that was to lead to the War
of Independence with France.
