Pampaneira shares from start to finish the history of other villages in the Alpujarra of Granada, like Bubión or Capileira. The Moors maintained their customs and culture in the mountains of this region after the conquest of the Catholic Kings. And they also kept their religion, because although they had been forced to convert to Christianity, they continued to practice the Islamic rites indoors.
The thing is that this situation was not easy at all, and in the second half of the sixteenth century, it became even more complicated: the official conversion to the Catholic faith was no longer enough. Now they could no longer speak Arabic, wear their traditional clothes, sing their songs, or anything. Things went so far that a rebellion took place, but the struggle led by Abén Humeya, who began by denying his false Christian name, did not end well for the Moors.
This community had to leave the Alpujarra, and the area was later repopulated by families from León and Galicia. But no, do not think that the name of Pampaneira was the idea of someone from Galicia. According to scholars, the toponym already existed long before Isabel and Fernando decided to control everything.
The village, with or without the Reconquest, still maintains today a very Berber image. Its flat roofs, or terraces, are as characteristic as the famous tinaos, a kind of corridor or porch that you will see continuously in this fascinating place.
The parish church dates from the sixteenth century and, of course, still retains certain traces of Islamic art. Take a look at it, and stroll down Calle Real to find tinaos full of flowers. You should also stop at the Paseo de García Lorca to admire the views of the mountains and of Capileira and Bubión, the sister villages of Pampaneira of which you can also enjoy our audio guides.
And since we are talking about Lorca, you should know that in the Arabian wash houses located under the Cerrillo fountain, scenes from the film Yerma, based on the writer's novel of the same name, were shot. But that is not the only fountain with something to tell, because the one of San Antonio, next to the church, explains the powers of its waters with words engraved on the wall. If we trust them, the bachelor who drinks from these pipes, with a desire to marry, will immediately get a partner. No dating sites, no mobile phones and no need to download any applications... let's see who can beat that!
