Finana in Spain - Building the Multicultural Society

Fiñana is a small village in Almeria, which in turn is a province of Andalucia in southern Spain. It is located 74km from the regional capital city and sits 946m above sea level. The main sources of income for the 2,672 inhabitants of the village are the production of cereals, olive and beetroot food industries and iron mining.

Many cultures have occupied the lands around Fiñana over the centuries and most have left their mark in some way.

Due to its location between Guadix, Baza and Almeria, the area was much in dispute in years gone by as this was a perfect location to control the lands of Abla, Abrucena and Las Tres Villas, all of which originally belonged to the municipality. An Arab fortress, the remains of which can be found just outside the village, was the stronghold but now lies as a silent witness to these troubled times.

The location of the village presents a vantage point with views, which vary greatly depending upon where one chooses to gaze from. On one side is the Sierra Nevada natural park with its mountainous peaks, the Abla valley and the Fiñana passage whilst the other side of the village presents views of the Baza Mountains. The snows of the Sierra Nevada range and the consequential natural springs make this area a fertile land, although it does drop gradually down to a dry and barren plain.

The River (Rio) Nacimiento provides the people of Fiñana with their main water supply. They have used its waters, since time immemorial, to take advantage of the ideal location allowing them to profit from their agricultural activities. They learned to control the flow of the river and used it to drive the mills, which created the food sources in older days, and to provide energy in more modern times. Since the days of Arab rule, people of the Fiñana region have known how to use water. They created an irrigation system consisting of aqueducts and channels to bring the life giving liquid to the points of most necessity thus providing them with running water, fountains and sewage systems.

Thick forests of pines, chestnut, oak and poplars grow can be found on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada which is close to the village. These forests help to protect the natural environment and also provide shade for the homes and gardens that have been built among them.

During the invasions by Christian troops, the village was a Moorish stronghold, resisting the attacks from the 10th century fortress as the invaders tried to reclaim the lands of Al-Andalus.

The town also resisted the attempted invasion of Abdurrahman III in 913, and when the Catholic King and Queen regained power, it was a stop-off point on their travels throughout the kingdom.

Fiñana preserves the signs of its multi-cultural past well, an example of which is the village church. This was a mosque at one time, although it has been of equal importance throughout history in both its guises and stands as a symbol of times when two different creeds of people lived in harmony together.

Eighteenth century maps of the village pictured it as being just one long street of the typical Andalucian whitewashed houses stretching from east to west with the fortress just outside town and other religious buildings dotted around.

Houses here are quite large and made of stone which is a popular material of the area and one which was also used for making decorative items.

Due to the terrain, the streets of the village are mostly hilly and they all converge in the square, the focal point of the village where local people meet to chat. The square is also where the church dedicated to Santiago can be found. Built in the Mudejar style during the 12th to 13th century, it has three naves and impressive pillars which support huge arches leading to the altar. The church and the large tower that presides over it have been declared monuments of great historical value due mainly to the fact that there are very few from the same era that remain almost intact.

Also remaining intact are the towers and walls that surround and once protected the village from its invaders. In fact, many of the homes here are a part of the structure of this ancient Moorish architecture.

The people of Fiñana enjoy one of their typical dishes Zaramandona that is made with pumpkins, dried peppers, tomatoes, olives, onions, cod and olive oil. Other popular dishes are oat tarts with hare, fried rabbit with tomato and pepper or garlic, which are also popular accompaniments for goat dishes.