Back in the 13th century it was a case of the Christian armies verses the Moors, who had ruled over Southern Spain for over 700 years. Under the reign of El Infante Don Fernando both Seville and Jaen had been conquered, many Moors were able to stay as long as they converted to Christianity. As the Christian armies pushed further South, Antequera became the next strategic town. Antequera, ruled over by the Moors for seven hundred years, was attacked on the 16th of September in the year 1410. The great Moorish fortress of Antequera fell during the attack, the news of the defeated Moors spread like wild fire to other parts of Spain and also Europe. Antequera was the portal to Granada and after relative calm this newly possessed town meant the commencement of hostilities and a determined drive by the Christians to totally over throw the Moorish rule. Antequera had been attacked on several past occasions but none with total success, in actual fact there had been at least five other previous campaigns to drive the Moors out of Antequera. Namely in 1319, 1326, 1339, in the campaign led by Pedro El Cruel in 1361 the Moors came close to defeat but in the end managed to hold out, Pedro El Cruel’s campaign was to date the most successful, reaching the outer walls of the Medina. 1403 saw another attempt by the Christian armies under Don Fernando, but it was a failure until he returned in 1410, starting with a 6 month siege of the Medina and many skirmishes; eventually the Moors retreated to the inner sanctum of the Medina and were finally defeated. Today in Antequera, every year on the 16th of September the town and its inhabitants celebrate the defeat of the Moors and the inclusion of Antequera in the Castilian realm. Since then this town has grown immensely and now a days plays a key role in local political elections and is considered to be an important player. The amount of churches in this town is quite unbelievable and there are varying styles of architecture strewn over the town, from Mujadin, Moorish, Gothic, Renaissance and of course so called modern architecture, on the outskirts there are massive industrial sites linked on the town’s ring roads. To reach Antequera from Malaga head out on the dual carriageway towards Campillos where you will pick up signs for Antequera, the passing countryside is beautiful, changing from flat coastal plains to rugged mountains. There are public transport services to Antequera but with so much that could catch your curiosity on the way; your best bet is to arrange your car hire Malaga airport in advance.
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