Leisure and culture in Marbella

The cultural offer of Marbella is vaster than we could think in the beginning. The old part of town preserves a lot of signs that talks about the historical changes suffered by the city.

We find historical remains of the first centuries of Roman Rule in the capitals used to build the towers of the Medieval Alcazaba, which is located on Calle Trinidad Street.

But the old part of town is just the proof of the Muslim presence on town, because here we can find several architectural remains and a lot of archaeological vestiges. In this period, population was cooped up/stuck by a city wall that created, more or less, a kind of oval area. With the Alcazaba as starting point, and clockwise, we can check this perimeter following the course made by the next streets: Arte, Muro, Alameda, Fortaleza, Huerta Chica, Isaac Peral and Solano.

Also, some remains stands out behind Isaac Peral Street.

The Muslim city layout was organized in neighbourhoods and paths that connected each neighbourhood to other, and also with the city gates. As the town centre was The Mosque, place that today is occupied by the IGLESIA DE LA ENCARNACIÓN church.

The PUERTA DEL MAR gate played an important role in this period, forasmuch as it connected the Mosque and the Alcazaba: it was the place used for people and goods, landed on port, to reach the city, providing the area of a highly commercial character. This sector fits in today with the following streets: San Juan de Dios, Gloria, Misericordia y Carmen, which is still the place where the commercial activities are concentrated.

The Arab Castle remains, a Tenth century construction ordered to be built by Abderramán III, shows us how they used in its construction some Roman remains from a nearby building. After the Reconquest of the city, some improvements were made to the castle in order to adapt it to the artillery weapons.

Regarding to the PLAZA DE LOS NARANJOS square, its origin dates back to the Middle Age, when it was a market place square. After the conquest it became the PLAZA MAYOR (Main Square) due to the construction of the Town Hall. That’s the reason why this point became the epicentre of the political and economical power, as testify the fact that in the same point were also built the jail and the market (los sinónimos que he econtrado para alhóndiga son depósito, almudín, feria, mercado, lonja, pósito. Por lógica he usado Mercado, sí crees que es otra cosa cámbialo). In this way, in the same plot occupied by the Mosque were built the IGLESIA DE LA ENCARNACIÓN church.

To visit the CONVENTO DE LOS TRINITARIOS CALZADOS monastery is a must. The building, which is delimited by PLAZA DE LA IGLESIA square and TRINIDAD, VIENTO y SALINAS’s streets, dates back from Sixteenth century. The monastery is quite smaller than the original one, maintaining just one of the Cloisters and the SANTA CATALINA chapel.

Another two emblematic constructions are, in one hand, the HOSPITAL REAL DE LA MISERICORDIA hospital, very refurbished regarding the original one, and which construction took place in/on the first half of Sixteenth century. In other hand, the HOSPITAL BAZÁN hospital, head quarter of the GRABADO ESPAÑOL Museum and built between Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries.

To visit the SAN JUAN DE DIOS chapel is a must as well: inside the building is preserved a wonderful mudejar armour. Also, we must emphasize the stone-cut, gothic style outside façade.

The HERMITA DE SANTIAGO hermitage, located at PLAZA DE LOS NARANJOS, is probably the oldest religious building on town, traced back to the 15th century. From the SANTO CRISTO DE LA VERA CRUZ hermitage we shall emphasize its chorus, placed at the bottom, which uses as support a Tuscan column sunken/stuck on the baptismal font.

Besides the city’s Historical Heritage, we shall not forget the parks and gardens’ city offer. In the city centre, the PARQUE DE LA CONSTITUCIÓN Park stands out for its dense vegetation, nice grass, the children’s playground and the astronomical observatory. In the same place we find the City Auditorium, which offers a huge variety of musical, theatre spectacles along the summer.

EL ANGEL Botanical Garden stands out because it has an outstanding, very important tree species’ plantation. Another spot to visit is the VIGIL DE QUIÑONES Park, populated with the shire autochthonous vegetation. The park has barbeques, tables…etc, being an ideal place for leisure and sports.

And last, but not least we have NAGÜELES Park. Located in the SIERRA BLANCA estate, it has picnic tables, barbeques, a large parking, playground areas… etc.

On the other hand, we cannot forget to go round the archaeological remains of the area: - The Roman vaults and baths, from the Third century, discovered on 1.926. - The BASÍLICA PALEOCRISTIANA VEGA DEL MAR, considered one of the most important paleochristian (Fourth century) churches in Spain. - The VILLA ROMANA DE RÍO VERDE roman village, built on the First and Second century A.C., and with an astonishing mosaics pavement.

If we talk about the museums offer, we must pay some attention to the very important COLECCIÓN MUNICIPAL DE ARQUEOLOGÍA, the CORTIJO MIRAFLORES Museum, the MUSEO DEL GRABADO or the so odd MUSEO DEL BONSAI.

The outskirts of town have been gradually filled with luxury estates, astonishing and fantastic properties, and wonderful landscapes with beautiful vegetation. Above all, we must highlight the mansions located at the so called Golden Mile (MILLA DE ORO MARBELLÍ). It’s really a spectacle to go for a walk among the well-cared streets of these prestigious, overlooking-the-sea real estates: LAS LOMAS DE MARBELLA, MARBELLA HILL, SEÑORÍO DE MARBELLA, LOMAS DEL REY… etc.

Finally, we must say that the city has a countless offer of cinemas, theatres or galleries: a huge leisure offer, at the end. From highly-refined restaurants to typical tapas bar or restaurants on-the-beach called chiringuitos, very common in the COSTA DEL SOL beaches. Also, we have to mention the pubs, discos and specially the internationally known Flamenco Shows.

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