Marbella

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We were surprised to hear that long ago in Wind Street, stones were thrown at the walkers. And to make things worse, a ten-year-old girl with a fringe, dressed with a communion dress is seen more often than not like a ghost over farmhouse Miraflores. It is utterly creepy! To make a long story short, I have to confess that I loved this tourist visit because I could enjoy its vivid streets,&nbsp;smell the essence of its flowers and have an unforgettable stroll through its picturesque and tiny houses in every single corner. It is worth visiting Marbella!

Legend has it that an enchanted Moor called Mustafa, who knew the secret to access the fabulous treasure hidden in the Barbican of the Marbella Castle, locked in large clay pots. The ghost whispered that it would only reveal the secret to whoever showed their bravery and was able to visit for three consecutive days, at midnight, the "hollow" of the Barbican, challenging its impenetrable darkness, and what awaited. 

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Going around the city made me remember how Marbella has changed since I have lived here. Such a street next to the main wall of the castle,(C/Arte) used to be called "la Barbacana" because of the remains of a wall that used to be there as part of the castle, and which, of course, has already disappeared.

Very close to there, in the north of the street there used to be “ Garden Center Puerta” (nowadays it is placed near Piruli).&nbsp;

Only when the enchantment was broken and the treasure was given, could Mustapha finally be free to travel to the Prophet´s paradise. This is how the official chronicler of the city, Fernando Alcalá, tells us the story in the appendix of his work “Muslim Marbella”, based on what was reported by Pedro Vázquez Clavel, in his book “Conjectures of Marbella” (18th century).&nbsp;

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The hermitage of Santiago is the oldest religious monument in Marbella. It is located to one side of the Plaza de los Naranjos and it is believed that the Hermitage of Santiago predates the square . The construction of this Catholic temple seems to have taken place in the 15th century, just after the capture of the city by the Catholic Monarchs in 1485. Previously, the hermitage was an Arab mosque. Its architecture is simple, with a single rectangular shed with a double cover with tiles of Arab origin. Outside the church, next to Plaza Fernando Alcalá, you can see the small Chapel of Santiago again. The Brotherhood of Santo Cristo del Amor, María Santísima de la Caridad y San Juan Evangelista today has its headquarters in the Hermitage of Santiago.

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In times of the Second Republic of Spain, in Viento Street of Marbella a series of paranormal events took place. As many witnesses reported in those years, an unexplained and recurring “rain of stones” came to pass in the area of Viento Street. After some investigations, a suspect of throwing the aforementioned stones was hunted down and taken to court. The funny thing was that while the defendant was being tried, the shower of stones was happening simultaneously, which undoubtedly proved that the suspect was not guilty of the charges. Surprisingly, these paranormal phenomena persisted. Still nowadays, a logical explanation of that vertical rain of stones has not been found.&nbsp;

“The Strange and Unexplained Phenomenon of Raining Stones ”&nbsp;

On Thursday the 30th of January, a few students from the EOI took a guided English tour through the old town in Marbella.We discovered appealing places and unusual facts that happened in this town and which were unknown to us. The guide, the teachers and a group of a few students made the visit absolutely pleasant and fascinating. We started the tour at the Alameda Park, considered as the lung of the city because of its stunning green areas. Then we wandered to the city centre where we soaked up Marbella’s history. Also we had the opportunity to see interesting places such as Santa Maria de la Encarnacion`s church, the remains of an Arabic castle and its defensive walls, Chapel of St. John of God, Royal Hospital of Mercy, Hospital Bazan, Orange Square in which we found three remarkable buildings; the Mayor’s House, the Chapel of Santiago, and the Town Hall and all that jazz....

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One of the entrances to the city from these stone walls was located at Puente de Ronda (junction between Peral Street and Ancha Street). At one of the corners of this square we find our 1st niche in bars, so as to preserve it. The Dolores Virgin niche is located nearby. Should we walk into the vivid but narrow streets of Remedios Street, we will get to see her. Due to the fact that it is located at a first floor level facade, there is no grid this time. Let ́s go down now in direction to the City Hall. At the front of this building on the first floor level, Inmaculada Conception Virgin niche is found with no grid. Finally &amp; once crossing the Orange square, to your right handside you will find out an Hermitage in which Santiago Saint niche lies down .&nbsp;

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5. In the original city wall ,at Church Square, we can see two pieces of old Roman capitels of and earlier Roman palace or temple. 6. C/ Aduar (“beggar” in Arab) was named so, due to the fact it was the place where beggars joined and C/Ancha because it was the widest of all streets. 7. From the Trinitarian Convent from XV and XVI centuries, only the cloisters and a chapel are preserved. The Town Hall wants to transform it into an Archaelogical museum of the-city.

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Strolling through the old town we can find one of the most singular streets of Marbella. In addition to being one of the busiest streets since it counts with the ancient convent of Trinity and the engraving Museum, this street ends at the Church of the Incarnation, which is another relevant monument of the city. However, this street is also well known because the locals tell that, in the past, paranormal events took place, such as the appearance of ghosts or something as strange as stones rain. Although no one has been able to prove this, it is a fact that its narrow and gloomy appearance leaves the visitor with a feeling of intrigue.&nbsp;

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Viento street is a special place in Marbella's town. Not because it is the longest one, actually it is very short; not because it is the most lustrous one, it is actually very simple. However, never have I seen a street surrounded by so many legends. It is said, that a long time ago, the lights there turned on and off by themselves. Moreover, people used to hear noises, as if there was someone knocking at the door, in spite of the fact that nobody was there. Besides, Viento is also known as the street where children were abandoned next to a windows at the end of the street.

From our great guided visit to Marbella with Javier, I would underline some aspects I liked: 1. Christians conquered Marbella 1485, writing letters to each other to come to an agreement and when they entered the city, the Medina ́s narrows streets were torn down to give way to the current Orange Square. 2. There, an irregular chapel reminds us of an earlier Mosque, looking towards Mecca. And in the corner, a cannon of Napoleon´s battle is placed to prevent cars from driving . 3. In the Orange Square, under a Catholic king ́s shield we can see a commemorative plaque of when the kings brought the water supply to Marbella. 4. A lot of palaces can be seen along the Old Town like the Town Hall or Altamirano's Palace.

Despite living here and knowing the city quite well, it was great to visit Marbella with our classmates as if we were tourists and listening to a tour guide explaining us the features of the most important Marbella’s landmark, which is the historical center.

Niches are decorative statues set into a wall for religious purposes. There are up to 12 all along the old Town of Marbella &amp; it is recognised as one of the most relevant symbols of Marbella. As we all know, in ancient times the city was fortified by stone walls all along the old Town. Citizens presumed that adding niches to this fortification, would also protect them. By this point, I must confess that I still do not know the exact location for all the niches, that ́s the reason why I am going to only focus on 4 of them. Neverthess, I urge you to hang around in the heart of Marbella and discover the rest!&nbsp;

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