Armilla

Armilla, on the banks of the river Dílar, is situated in the area known as La Campana of Granada, the lands formerly having been under the jurisdiction of that parish, it was said in a somewhat romantic way that the parish covered all the lands where the ringing of the bell of the Torre de la Vela de la Alhambra could be heard. The reference to the proximity of Granada could also have been used in the case of the city of Alambra, as it is only 5 km away.

Historical references to Armilla are obscure and vague. We know that it existed as a village before the Roman occupation, although the first traces of occupation are Arabic.

The true story of Armilla seems to begin during the time of Arab domination. It was at this stage when the town began to flourish economically, with the development of the irrigation system with irrigation ditches and cultivated plots of La Vega. Armilla was called Armillat al-Aflum or Armilla del Rio during years of the caliphate and played an important role within the Kingdom of Granada. Many merchants and industrialists used the road to the coastal area which was rich in culture and had good arable land and irrigation for the cultivation of the high quality fruit and vegetables grown at the time.

During the 11th, 12th and13th centuries the mills of the kingdom of Granada supplied the Christians with all manner of goods derived from silk, and in the late fifteenth century the development of the silk industry was so significant that it was known as “the industry of the veil”, due to the painstakingly woven silks of the Armillian craftsmen.

The prosperity that the industry offered was cut short by the Reconquista, after the battles between Moors and Spaniards, which left the town of Armilla uninhabited and with barren fields.

By the year 1574 began Armilla had been repopulated by old Castilian families, and these families are generally considered to be the founders of the current population.
Of all the cultures that passed through Armilla, the most prominent and most advanced was the Arab culture, which led to economic development that left a very advanced infrastructure for the period, although later cultures were not able to take full advantage of this.

Al-Aflum Armilla, as it was known during the 800 years of the caliphate, had a prominent role within the Kingdom of Granada for the cultivation of crops, having good arable land and irrigation, which allowed for good quality fruit farming. Also, Armilla had many merchants passing through on their way to the coast.

During this period, taking advantage of the long period of peace was when the silk industry grew and prospered, and continued until the end of the 15th century.

With the reconquest of Granada, this prosperity began to decline. The military Christians in their quest to complete the conquest of the Kingdom wiped out the sources of livelihood of the Arabs. Trees were felled indiscriminately, crops were destroyed and the population left with barren, dead fields.

All of these events had a negative effect on Armilla. Nearby, many battles were fought, as in the case of the taking of Alhendín tower, after which the Muslims fled across the plains of Armilla and were fiercely persecuted and expelled from the land.

Upon completion of the Reconquista, which resulted in the capitulation of the Armilla on November 25, 1492, the Catholic Monarchs offered safe conduct to the Nazari royal family. Boabdil evacuated Alhambra and left with the Catholic King to go to nearby Armilla. Muhammad XI gave the keys of the city to Don Fernando saying - "Rejoice Majesty for many years this has been the best kingdom in the world, but this is the will of God. I hope you have more good fortune than me" -
Boabdil continued to Armilla, where he met Queen Isabel. They met both rulers, and the Catholic Queen handed over to Zoraya, wife of Boabdil, their son who had been held hostage.

Those times ended the best period of the economy and culture of Armilla. During that period a water cistern had been built beside the Church of San Miguel. This cistern is remembered with nostalgia by the oldest inhabitants in the town. Today, it is covered by a block of flats built over it.

After the expulsion of the Muslims, the few remaining inhabitants decided to leave their land, but surrender was agreed on, and they kept the land and property, and were able to resume their agricultural activities and crafts.

But as time went on, because they are not allowed to join together or speak Arabic and profess their religion, many left for the Alpujarras. Others, however, submitted to Christianity and its language, and were called Moors or Moorish.

Later, during the reign of Philip II, the Moors of the Alpujarras decided to rise against the impositions to which they were subjected by the monarch. But the power of Philip II was very strong and many were massacred.

For the Moors of Armilla, the consequences were extremely serious; they were robbed of land and homes and expelled by royal decree. Although they were then peaceful, the King was taking no chances of another uprising.

Following this expulsion, the fertile fields are deserted. Only two families remained in Armilla ( Leon and Castillo) descendants of the Spaniards who had been following the Reconquista. 34 other Arabs were expelled from the peninsula. In total there were 50,000 people who left the Kingdom of Granada.

Meanwhile, they began to recruit volunteers from northern Spain to repopulate the land and empty houses. By the year 1574 these had reached 20 families who settled and formed the start of the population which today is around 19,000 inhabitants.

Monuments
Parish Church of St. Michael (XVI century).

Archaeological Sites

The site of the Andalusian Gardens (Roman and Arabic water cistern)

Gastronomy

Granada soup. ‘Granada’ soup with rice. Soup with meatballs. Almond soup. Stuffed artichokes. Fried celery. Celery casserole. Stuffed eggplant. Cold zucchini. Beef rolls. Chicken ‘Granada’. Cooked Rabbit. Partridge with cabbage.

Directions

Leave Granada. At the roundabout, take exit 4 Continue along: E-902 / A-44 direction: Armilla - Motril. Take the exit towards: Exit 132 - Ronda Sur - Sierra Nevada - Alhambra. Follow directions: Exit 132 - Armilla - Ciencias de la Salua. Arrive at Armilla.

Distances