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Casabermeja AREA: 66’40 km²
ALTITUDE ABOVE SEA LEVEL: 547 metres AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL: 590 l/m²  
To the south of the Torcal and Las Cabras sierras, there is a territory of hills and undulations which form the natural corridor through which the Casabermeja domain enters, and from there, to the Málaga mountains. On entering the municipality from the Puerto de las Pedrizas, the panorama consists of cereal fields over undulated terrains with some dispersed olive and almond groves. A smooth landscape through which the road joining the eastern coast of Málaga to the west through the interior of the province, crosses from east to west. On ascending the first foothills of the Málaga mountains, you will find Casabermeja, which adds the singular architecture of its cemetery to the urban landscape presided by a singular church tower. And behind Casabermeja, there is a labyrinthine landscape of hills covered with olives, almonds and scrub, and speckled with farm houses which mark the unmistakable beginning of the mountains. This area is crossed from north to south by the Guadalmedina river, which has formed a narrow valley through which there is the access to Málaga, from las Pedrizas, cutting meanders and crossing hillocks. This location in the accessway to the capital of the province and , above all, to the coast, have converted the lands of Casabermeja into a desirable place since old, as proven by the abundant remains found around the town. In the spot called Piedras de Cabrera there are cave paintings in small caves dispersed around the area. Burials from the period between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age have appeared in the Monte Calvario, to the south of Casabermeja. Megalithic burials have also been found in the hills of Lagar de Villanueva and Chapera, as well as near the Cortijo del Hospital. All these testimonies of human presence grow during the Roman period such as the pottery in the Cerro Alcaide, the ruins of the Parras fountain (in San Sebastian street), and the ruins of Cotonilla (next to the Molinera brook). The actual name of the town could have Arabic origins and come from Csar Bermeja (Bermeja castle). It is known that the Arabs settled near Guadalmedina, and vestiges which credit their presence have been found in that area, among them the remains of a wall built over another older one, and the Zambra tower situated in the hills which dominate the main part of the Montes de Málaga. The present town was founded by the Catholic kings after the conquest, according to confirmed documents by Doña Juana la Loca and Carlos I in 1529 and 1550 respectively. Another important date for Casabermeja is held in the royal letters patent of the 15th of May 1630, which gives the inhabitants permission to buy the village of Casabermeja from the Crown.
In spite of the proliferation of modern buildings, the urban physiognomy still conserves the delight of the old part of town with its primitive configuration of narrow streets and two-storey houses, with whitewashed facades in which some of them have niches for images. The church of Ntra. Sra. del Socorro is an important monument. Built in the first half of the 16th century, the temple experienced important modifications towards the mid 18th century. The interior is formed by three ample naves separated by pillars and arches, with a niche on the left with the Virgen del Carmen, and is worth visiting for its magnificent baroque decoration, and on the right there is a similar space for the image of Jesus of Nazareth. Outside is the great five-bodied quadrangular tower, covered in Arabic tiles, which can be seen from any part of the town. On the outskirts of town is the cemetery, which can be seen from the highway of las Pedrizas with access to Málaga. The singularity of its internments by means of pantheons, burial mounds and pinnacles earned the declaration of National Monument in 1980.
The handicraft which can be found in Casabermeja refers to the traditional pottery and decorative ceramics, esparto weaving and harness making.
There is a wide sample of local dishes which can be eaten all year round, such as the dish of the mountains, rabbit with garlic, and fricassée of kid. In the winter there is stew pot, breadcrumbs fried with garlic, soup, stew, grape juice. In the summer there is cold soup. Then there are confectioneries which are eaten at certain times of the year, like chick pea buns, and 'hornazos' (buns with an egg inside) on San Marcos day. The rest of the bakery products and spirits are aniseed, sticky buns at Christmas, fairy cakes, sponge cake, wine rusks, and oil cakes.
Casabermeja has a good number of festivities and celebrations. On the 20th of January is the patron saint's festivity in honour of San Sebastian and the pilgrimage of San Marcos on the 25th of April, when the people of the town go into the countryside to comply with the tradition of "atar el diablo" (tying the devil) and eat bakery products. The festivity of the crosses in May follows, on the 3rd. In June there are two traditional celebrations, the Corpus Christi and San Juan. The first lasts four days in which the streets and houses of the town are decorated in their best finery and with profuse flowers, and altars are set up to receive the stages of the processions of the Santisimo. The second festivity in June follows the same traditions of burning the "juas" on bonfires during the night of the 23rd and 24th of June. The main fair takes place in August. On the 1st of November is All Saint's Day. Easter takes on greater transcendence each year as a religious manifestation, especially on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Casabermeja conserves some really interesting folklore, such as the dances of Churripanda, La Rueda and Maragata, not forgetting the verdiales which are typical of the Montes de Málaga on which this town stands.
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HISTORY AND LANDSCAPE
Places to Visit
Shopping
Gastronomy
FESTIVITIES AND TRADITIONS