The place is Andalucia - the deep south of Spain. In the mountains
between Competa and Frigiliana, in the National Park "Sierra de Tejeda",
an unsurfaced mountainroad leads into the valley, where an
atmospheric white washed village is surrounded by pine trees.
This is the "Lost Village", the "Abandoned Village" or "Pueblo el
Fantasma” among Spaniards - The Ghost Village.
Just a few years ago the village was extinct - and had been since
1949.
There many stories about Acebuchal. The story most often told is that
Acebuchal was where the resistance - who fought against Franco,
hid, and that those who survived, was chased out of town by
Franco's men.
Others say that the city was abandoned because the residents
simply wanted more comfort and a better life.
Fact is that the village consisted of ruins only until 1998 when
Antonio "El Zumbo" returned with his wife; Virtudes, to make a
lifelong dream of rebuilding Acebuchal come true.
Living just in the next valley between Torrox and Compèta I went on
a quest to find the truth about El Acebuchal.
In the local bar I meet Antonio Garcia Sanchez, behind the bar. It was
his parents, Virtudes and Antonio, who came back in 1998 to realize
the dream of rebuilding Acebuchal.
The young Antonio is only 30 years, but he can tell the story of
Acebuchal.
- The village has always been a part of my family's life, he says - they
have never abandoned their dream of returning. My grandfather was
born here and my mother took me along numerous times through my
childhood and told me what house my grandfather was born in, etc.
I ask which one of the rumors about Acebuchal I should believe.
- People call the village many different names, says Antonio, -
Spaniards call Acebuchal “Pueblo el Fantasmas” – The Village of
Ghosts, because it has been deserted and abandoned for nearly 50
years.
The citizens left the village in 1949 because of Franco, who
introduced the law that the villagers could stay in the village during
the day, but had to leave before it turned dark ... in other words,
they had to obtain another place to live at night ... No one had cars
back then, so the residents had to walk from Frigiliana, Torrox or
Competa and all the way to Acebuchal every morning and back again
in the evening ... because they still had all their livestock and their
vegetables to look after in the village.
When asked whether the occupants were resistance fighters or
supported the resistance, Antonio answered; - They were just very,
very poor farmers. If they had been active against Franco, or had
supported the resistance movement, they would have been killed.
The reason that Franco forbade them to stay there at night, was that
there was constant fighting between the Guardia Civil and the
resistance movement, who hid in the mountains, and the Guardia
Civil wanted to obtain a full strategic control of the area.
The constant conflicts and restrictions that were imposed on
residents of Acebuchal finally forced them to leave their village.
- But all took a small piece of Acebuchal with them in their hearts,
says Antonio, - and all continued to dream of returning to the place
that used to be their home.
between Competa and Frigiliana, in the National Park "Sierra de Tejeda",
an unsurfaced mountainroad leads into the valley, where an
atmospheric white washed village is surrounded by pine trees.
This is the "Lost Village", the "Abandoned Village" or "Pueblo el
Fantasma” among Spaniards - The Ghost Village.
Just a few years ago the village was extinct - and had been since
1949.
There many stories about Acebuchal. The story most often told is that
Acebuchal was where the resistance - who fought against Franco,
hid, and that those who survived, was chased out of town by
Franco's men.
Others say that the city was abandoned because the residents
simply wanted more comfort and a better life.
Fact is that the village consisted of ruins only until 1998 when
Antonio "El Zumbo" returned with his wife; Virtudes, to make a
lifelong dream of rebuilding Acebuchal come true.
Living just in the next valley between Torrox and Compèta I went on
a quest to find the truth about El Acebuchal.
In the local bar I meet Antonio Garcia Sanchez, behind the bar. It was
his parents, Virtudes and Antonio, who came back in 1998 to realize
the dream of rebuilding Acebuchal.
The young Antonio is only 30 years, but he can tell the story of
Acebuchal.
- The village has always been a part of my family's life, he says - they
have never abandoned their dream of returning. My grandfather was
born here and my mother took me along numerous times through my
childhood and told me what house my grandfather was born in, etc.
I ask which one of the rumors about Acebuchal I should believe.
- People call the village many different names, says Antonio, -
Spaniards call Acebuchal “Pueblo el Fantasmas” – The Village of
Ghosts, because it has been deserted and abandoned for nearly 50
years.
The citizens left the village in 1949 because of Franco, who
introduced the law that the villagers could stay in the village during
the day, but had to leave before it turned dark ... in other words,
they had to obtain another place to live at night ... No one had cars
back then, so the residents had to walk from Frigiliana, Torrox or
Competa and all the way to Acebuchal every morning and back again
in the evening ... because they still had all their livestock and their
vegetables to look after in the village.
When asked whether the occupants were resistance fighters or
supported the resistance, Antonio answered; - They were just very,
very poor farmers. If they had been active against Franco, or had
supported the resistance movement, they would have been killed.
The reason that Franco forbade them to stay there at night, was that
there was constant fighting between the Guardia Civil and the
resistance movement, who hid in the mountains, and the Guardia
Civil wanted to obtain a full strategic control of the area.
The constant conflicts and restrictions that were imposed on
residents of Acebuchal finally forced them to leave their village.
- But all took a small piece of Acebuchal with them in their hearts,
says Antonio, - and all continued to dream of returning to the place
that used to be their home.
| Canvas Prints & Jigsaws by Robert Harding |
| Canvas prints & jigsaws from the white village of Frigiliana made by the artist Robert Harding. Prices from: £3.92 - £78.30 Depending on size. View them all |
| Acebuchal – The Story of "Pueblo el Fantasma” – The Ghost Village. (Part One) by Dorte Holm Jensen |
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| Acebuchal - The Story of "Pueblo el Fantasma" |
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