ALOZAINA MAY WELL BE THE BEST EXAMPLE WHEN DESCRIBING ANDALUSIAN WHITE VILLAGES. FROM A DISTANCE, ITS HOUSES SEEM AS IF THEY WERE PILED ATOP A HILL, PROTECTED BY A HAUGHTY CHURCH, TRACING THE ETERNAL SILHOUETTE AGAINST THE BLUE AND GREEN.

The village of Alozaina is located on a privileged outlook between the foothills of Sierra Prieta and the Guadalhorce valley, also known as the Dale of Málaga. Its urban layout, made up of inmaculately white maze-like streets, flows towards the centre of the village, towards its emblem: the parochial church of Santa Ana.
This holy building was built between 1770 and 1774, although a ceramic plaque on one of the sides of the temple dates it back to 1622. It is surrounded by the wall of the old fortress, which has lent its name to the village ever since its period of Arab dominion: Alhosaina, which means "small castle of fortress", although others have interpreted it a "good and healthy place". From its lookout, the view loses itself in the horizon in search of the Mediterranean that bathes the bay of Málaga. At our feet, the fertile Valley of the Guadalhorce, which dies here, still has enough strength to feed the orange, lemon and olive trees that lend colour to the land surrounding Alozaina.

The origin of the village dates back to Roman times, as many remains have been found of the civilisation known in this area as Ardite. However, as practically all the other villages of the interior of Málaga, it owes its present physiognomy to the Arab period. After the reconquest by the Catholic Monarchs on the 20th June 1484, Alozaina was repopulated with old Castilians; although those Moriscos who did not participate in the revolts were allowed to stay. Thus, the crown distributed the property between the citizens, who were to pay the "pecho" or tribute; thus the inhabitants of Alozaina are officially known as "pecheros".

The uniqueness of Alozaina
In spite of the fact Alozaina is a typical white village of the Málaga province, its customs and inhabitants have made it especially unique.
The picking of the olive begins in September in Alozaina, coinciding with the festivity in honour of the "Sweet Name of Mary", as opposed to the natural olive season, which takes place in December. This event is known as "verdeo", as the olives are picked still unripe, thus it is the first place in Spain that picks the fruit of these centuries old trees. This type of olives is only prepared here, as it requires a special seasoning, the recipe for which has been passed on from generation to generation. Its exquisite taste has led them to achieve widespread fame among the hospitality industry of Málaga and the rest of Andalusia.

The music band is another of Alozaina's unique features. It is probably the oldest group of the province of Málaga, with 138 years of history. They gave the first concert in 1864 under the direcction of its founder, Francisco Sánchez.
The love of music reached such an extent that for a long time different zarzuelas were represented in the village. Back then, Alozaina was living times of great prosperity and intellectual restlessness, thus is published a newspaper, which had three correspondents in provincial and regional media. Ever since Holy Week is celebrated, the band has accompanied the processions and it participates in the events of the hamlet of Jorox and neighbouring villages.

The bravery of a "pechera"
If there is one person who symbolises this beautiful village, that is the local heroine María Sagredo. During the rebellion of the Moriscos in 1570, this maid saw her father fall from one of the towers of the castle while he was defending it from the attacks. María Sagredo bravely stood up to the Saracens, killing one and injuring several beehives from the fortress at them. The bees began to furiosly attack their enemies, leading to their definitive retreat. In their flight, legend tells that the Moriscos were shouting "María, damned be the flies of your land". The heroic feat of María Sagredo is represented in the village's coat of arms, and she was rewarded by King Felipe II, who named her second lieutenant of the Spanish Infantry Regiment and granted her property in Jorox as dowry for her marriage.
Later, in 1897 the town hall agreed to name a street after the village's heroine.