Mollina,
History and Heritage
History and Heritage of Mollina
The first settlers of what is now the municipality of Mollina settled in the Neolithic era in the caves and shelters in the Sierra de la Camorra, about six kilometers from the current urban area. Important vestiges of this period have been found. Neolithic ceramics (because they used this place as a lithic workshop) and the cave paintings found in the Sierra de la Camorra.
In the Iberian-pre-Roman era, we found a small agricultural village on the plain near Cerro de la Fuente and many remains of pottery wheeled and handcrafted.
From the Roman period, a Mausoleum is preserved in the Cortijo de la Capuchina, a Pool or Labrum with a capacity for 8,379 liters of storage, as well as other elements of the oil mill of this Roman villa located near the Berdún stream, another pool small to also store oil in the Cerro de la Fuente – which demonstrates the importance of the olive tree in this area already in ancient times – and a fortified farm “Capiruzón” in Santillán, the only one in Spain of these characteristics. Likewise, near the town, the altar dedicated to Hercules was found, which the Antequera Council placed in the Arch of the Giants of said city in 1585.
The current population dates back to the 16th century. The Cortijo de Mollina – also called the Cortijo de la Ciudad since then – was a farm located in Torre Molina, one of the nineteen districts that were distributed in 1410, with an area of 634.9 hectares according to the Book of Repartimientos. Due to the non-existence of sixty-two peons for which it had been intended, it was reserved as a gift by Alcaide Rodrigo de Narváez, passing into the hands of his successors in office, until it was acquired by María de Córdoba, who in turn He sold it to Pedro del Pino and this to Pedro Verdugo and his wife. In 1581 is when the Antequera council bought the Cortijo de la Ciudad, in Mollina – 670.9 hectares – from Pedro Verdugo, becoming part of the Antequera Cabildo.
In 1575, there was enough population in Mollina to form a parish, which means that Mollina was born as a village belonging to Antequera. The Cortijo de la Ciudad (of Antequera) was renovated in the 18th century and can still be seen in the Plaza de la Constitución. The plowing and cultivation efforts mean that, in less than 100 years, Mollina is the area in the municipality of Antequera with the largest number of olive trees. It is not surprising that the place that Mollina occupied was also called Pago de las Olivas. In 1687 the Parish Church was expanded and its name changed from San Cayetano to Nuestra Señora de la Oliva.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Antequera obtained its municipal independence, with a quite difficult economic situation. Its independence and the creation of its own City Council dates back to 1820. In this century, Mollina stands out for its participation in different workers’ associative movements, highlighting the secret society of Los Garibaldinos, linked to the one promoted by the albéitar of Loja, Rafael Pérez. del Álamo, in the provinces of Granada, Málaga and Córdoba, and that in Mollina there were 300 affiliated parents – out of a total of 500. The events known as the Loja Revolution, of 1861, had their prologue in Mollina with a resounding in which there were several deaths and injuries.
Finally, the second half of the 20th century are the years of emigration and hope. From emigration because the 5,098 inhabitants registered in 1950 became 2,868 in 1975. The vast majority of workers were left without work with the arrival of machines to the countryside and had no other option than emigration. Of hope, because in recent years the people have made such an effort that not only has their physical appearance changed, but they have also known how to build factories with their cooperative effort, organize the distribution of food in the same way and go from being a olive-growing town – without any type of wine-growing tradition – to produce more than eighty percent of the Denomination of Origin “Málaga” wines in just twenty-five years.
Currently, and as a result of the construction of the A-92 Highway, Mollina is perfectly connected to the rest of Andalusia, which has led to significant urban and business growth. Today, Mollina has four industrial estates, of considerable size and importance, completely completed and in operation, and includes among its industries, in addition to agri-food and cooperatives, textile and clothing companies, food, beverages, wood carpentry and metal, paper, plastic, construction industries… Mollina, with more than 600,000 square meters in its 4 industrial estates, is one of the towns with the most industrial land in the Antequera region.
Parallel to this industrial development, a tourism phenomenon has occurred with the arrival of residents from community countries.
