Antequera
Located a 45 minute drive from Málaga in the province of Málaga, Andalucía, the southernmost out of the 17 autonomous regions of Spain. I was so lucky to visit Antequera twice in early and late spring in 2019. Kurt Hielscher made three photos in Antequera and plenty others in cities like Sevilla, Granada and Córdoba.
Plaza San Sebastián, Antequera, Málaga, Andalucía
Photo: Kurt Hielscher, 1914-'19
Plaza San Sebastián, Antequera, Málaga, Andalucía
Photo: Casper Molenaar, 18th of June 2019
When I was in Antequera for the first time I could not imagine I would be here again in June. I felt very lucky when I could go because of my work quite coincidentally and consequently got the chance to make the same photos again. Here on the Plaza San Sebastián I did not manage to make the photo any better than the first time I did, three months earlier. Because of all the changes it is a quite hard one to rephotograph. The clocktower of the Alcazaba, a 14th Century built Moorish Fortress to stop the advancing Christians from the North, has changed. Allthough the original clocktower dates back to 1582, a guide told me that this is a pretty new one and has nothing to do with the original state of the tower. Somehow a local governmentemployee had decided that it should be up there, the guide told me, when I asked him about this specific difference after showing him the copy of Kurt Hielscher's photo. Later I checked the photo Mr. Nuñez made somewhere in between 1987-1991 and, indeed, it was not there at that time yet. For the rest, the Alcazaba appears to be restored very well. And then there's the Fuente Renacentista, the Renaissance fountain. I don't know the story about the fountain, but I did find a movie in which the fountain is being dismantled and moved (August 2017).
In good company with other old men: Statue on the Plaza de San Sebastián in Antequera.
Photo: Jochem van Weelie, 19th of June 2019
"El arte sin tiempo", the inscription of the statue with both gentlemen, José María Fernández (1881-1947) and José Antonio Muñoz (1909-2009), meaning "Art without time". With both these writers, I am in good company. Kurt Hielscher made three photos here in Antequera and one from this square with a view on the Alcazaba in the distance.
With both these writers, I am in good company.
The square has been reconstructed in 2017 and opened in December of that year. In that month also this statue was placed.
Muñoz Rojas holds a book in his hand: "Las cosas del campo", his most famous work. Fernández, for his part, appears represented with his characteristic hat and glasses, as well in a pose showing a sketch of the Renaissance fountain of the Plaza de San Sebastián.
The Alcazaba from Antequera seen from the south, Málaga, Andalucía
Photo: Kurt Hielscher, 1914-'19
The Alcazaba from Antequera seen from the south, Málaga, Andalucía
Photo: Casper Molenaar, 17th of June 2019
In the footsteps of Kurt Hielscher
When you go to Antequera, the view on the 880 meters high characteristic Peña de los Enamorados, The Lovers' Rock, is something you can not miss. At the time we visited Antequera, we recognized the male silhouette, popularly known as "el indio", The Indian.
The legend of The lovers' Rock
Ofcourse such a mountain comes with a legend: two young Moorish lovers from rival clans, a young man from Antequera and girl from nearby Archidona, threw themselves from the rock while being chased by the girl's father and his men.
View from Antequera towards "The Lovers' Rock", 8th of March 2019
Photo: Casper Molenaar
Built in 1715, with two floors and open galleries this chapel is dedicated among other chapels in Antequera to the Virgen del Socorro, the Virgin of Mercy, you can find the chapel on the Plaza del Portichuelo next to a nice terrace and with the Iglesia de Santa María de Jesús across the square and the entrance to the Alcazaba with its stunning views on the city on a 300 meter stroll.
Capilla de la Virgen del Socorro, Antequera, 1914-'19
Photo: Kurt Hielscher
Capilla de la Virgen del Socorro, Antequera, 8th of March 2019
Photo: Casper Molenaar
A less than half an hour drive from Antequera, you can find these impressive rock formations in full nature. There are several routes to explore this Nature Reservation: El Torcal de Antequera, definitely worth the drive.
Photo below: my boys enjoying the stunning view on the city of Antequera, 8th of March 2019
Photo: Casper Molenaar
