The first stretch of the River Guadalhorce crosses the municipality of Villanueva del Rosario from east to west. Despite receiving the waters of the Cerezo and Parroso streams, in this area it is in both volume and width a mere brook compared to the river it widens into just kilometres downstream and that fertilises the broad lowland that bears its name.

Although the Guadalhorce is a geographic feature that certainly defines the scenic character of this territory, the municipal terrain is framed by the El Jobo and Camarolos mountains. They not only hold sites of unexpected beauty but also have the highest elevation in the region at El Chamizo (1,641 metres). The peaks of Alto de Hondonero (1,420 metres) and El Pelao (1,387 metres) are also remarkable for their altitude and great scenic beauty.
The imposing mountain front that can be seen from the village and practically any other point in the municipality greatly enriches an area that is diverse and attractive in its own right. Depending on the altitude one finds pines, live oaks, gall oaks, black poplars, ashes and broad expanses of olive trees. There are also numerous farmsteads and second homes, generally built in keeping with the local architectural tradition, that lend touches of white to the banks of the Guadalhorce and especially to the countless hills and knolls within the boundaries of this municipality, where nature has not stinted her resources.

Since this municipality is one of the natural passes between the coast and the interior of Andalusia it was settled very early. Archaeological sites from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Calcolithic and Bronze Ages have been discovered here. The oldest of all the sites is at Llanos de Salinas, more precisely at El Ventorro del Cojo, and belongs to the Lower Paleolithic period. There are traces of cave paintings in the El Malnombre cave in the Camarolos mountains.
The Romans had a very strong presence in this municipality but no large construction areas from that period have been found. A few historians state that the city of Ulisi was at Peñón de Solís, but the most recognisable site from the Roman period is the ruins of some old bathhouses at the place called La Tosquilla, where there were springs with curative properties. Roman coins and ceramics are still often found in this area but these relics don’t always fall into the right hands despite the fact that there are interesting collections of Roman artefacts from this district.

The Visigoths also were not strangers to this area, as is shown by several Visigothic necropolises (Calerilla, Repiso, Rabia, Picacho). Ceramics, rings and buckles have been found in them, among other artefacts. Beginning with this period the territory seems to have become uninhabited, as there is not even any documentation from the period of Arabic rule. Apparently for several centuries, the present territory of Villanueva del Rosario was not home to any group of people, and the area thus became a vast forest.
Some researchers state that it was in the eighteenth century that the village called Puebla del Saucedo, which was the origin of the present village, began to take shape. When the Upper Guadalhorce began to be repopulated in the late eighteenth century “El Saucedo”-as it is still called by many villagers –was under the jurisdiction of Archidona and remained so until it was separated and its own municipal government was formed and it began to be called Villanueva del Rosario. The procedure freeing Villanueva del Rosario from the jurisdiction of Archidona, which was completed in 1827, was not easy and gave rise to heated litigation between the two communities.

Outstandings Visits:
No itinerary of spectacular monuments awaits the traveller in Villanueva del Rosario, or even of buildings that might be considered of a certain historic and artistic value due to their imposing appearance. This village has existed for very few years; since it dates back hardly beyond the nineteenth century it was excluded from the architectural movements of the Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassic periods from which other villages benefited.
By way of compensation the village has an enormously charming network of streets. They are very irregular since they have to negotiate quite a few steep areas, and they often end at small plazas with an unmistakably Andalusian aspect. The popular architecture, with its traditional imprint and lack of academic pretence, makes itself felt wherever one turns in the village and adds to its distinctive urban layout that uninhibited and irrational touch that sometimes is exactly what is needed, especially when accompanied by whitewash, fountains, flowerpots and the utmost cleanliness.

The Nuestra Señora del Rosario hermitage between El Nacimiento and Hondoneros is a very simple bit of architecture with the exclusive purpose of providing the Saucedeños a place to express their sentiments toward their patron saint.
The Visigothic necropolises at El Picacho, La Rabia, La Calerilla and Repiso, all very close to the village, were unfortunately plundered after being uncovered during farming operations. As for the Bronze Age sites (one on the El Tardón estate and the other at El Peñón del Oso, in the mountain foothills) it should be made clear that although historians from the Universities of Granada and Málaga have carried out studies of them that the sites have little of interest to offer the layman.

 

 

 

How to Get There:
The access route starts at the city of Málaga, which is accessible from any point on the Costa del Sol via the Mediterranean Expressway (A-7; N-340). Take the A-45 (N-331) expressway towards Antequera-Granada. When you get to Puerto de las Pedrizas continue in the right lane towards Granada (there is a fork at this point whose left turn leads to Antequera) and get onto the A-359. After about three kilometres the first sign will appear for Villanueva del Rosario via the A-6119. Four kilometres past this turning there is a second access route to the village, and it doesn’t matter which one you take. Both access roads are very well marked and well paved.

 

 

Interesting Facts:
Surface Area: 43.6 square kilometres
Population: about 3,500
What the natives are called: Saucedeños
Monuments: the Nuestra Señora del Rosario hermitage, Visigothic necropolises, Bronze Age archaeological sites, and Llano del Hondonero natural area
Geographical Location: in the Antequera region. This municipality is one of those comprising the sub-region called Nororma (acronym in Spanish for Northeast Málaga). The village is 700 metres above sea level and is 40 kilometres from Málaga and 27 from Antequera. The area’s average precipitation is 725 litres per square metre and the average annual temperature is about 14º C.
Tourist Information: Town Hall: Plaza de España, 9 (29312). Telephone: 952 742 008; Fax: 952 742 213