Molvízar – History, Landscape and Choto Tradition

The parish church of Santa Ana provides Molvízar with a precise historical opening: it was built in 1785 on the orders of Charles III.

Culture

Santa Ana is a neoclassical work by the architect Ventura Rodríguez. The parish church contains a 16th-century crucifix. The building and the sacred individual artwork offer two distinct approaches to the local culture.

History

La Compañía was formerly owned by the Society of Jesus. The megalithic complex of Loma del Cerrajón is a site from the Neolithic and Copper Ages of particular importance to Andalusian prehistory.

The Roman villa of Loma de Ceres in Molvízar existed from the 1st to the 4th century AD; it was an agricultural complex used for wine production. The Roman villa of Loma de Ceres also included the production of amphorae for commercial distribution.

Trails and Landscape

The Sierra del Chaparral Trail can be started at the entrance to Molvízar via the Río del Pueblo path; this begins behind the municipal cemetery of Molvízar.

The Sierra del Chaparral Trail passes through a landscape of limestone geology and dense scrubland. It also offers opportunities to admire the walls and paths laboriously built from the available stones. You can regard the combination of the trail route, geological surroundings and human-built structures as distinct focal points for observation.

Molvízar therefore brings together various historical layers: sacred architecture, prehistoric sites and the traces of a Roman agricultural complex. The Choto tradition adds a contemporary culinary expression of the municipality to this perspective, without pushing the older evidence into the background.

Local Tradition

In a competition, participants prepare Choto according to the traditional recipe of the municipality of Molvízar. The gastronomic Choto tradition in Molvízar attracts dozens of visitors every year. Molvízar has a vibrant tradition with a history of more than 135 years.

The main themes of culture, history, landscape and cuisine can be given different weight in Molvízar. Those interested in architecture and sacred art will find two clearly distinct points of reference in Santa Ana. Those wishing to compare historical periods will encounter different eras and functions at Loma del Cerrajón and Loma de Ceres.

The Sierra del Chaparral Trail also sets its own tone: the starting point, limestone geology, scrubland, and walls and paths made from available stones are among its visible features. The route therefore belongs to a different thematic context from the buildings, archaeological sites and culinary traditions of the town.

The Choto tradition ultimately provides an independent way of discovering Molvízar. The competition, traditional municipal recipe, annual attention from dozens of visitors and history of more than 135 years combine to form a local theme that can stand alongside cultural history and landscape.

Other Places

Other places: Escoznar, Arenas Del Rey, Jayena, Ugíjar, Gualchos, Albolote, Escúzar, Belicena

For the higher-level travel overview: Granada.