Genalguacil, with its unusual urban design, bequeathed by its Arabic founders, is stepped to accomodate the steep terrain on which it has stood for centuries, a splash of white on a green horizon of chestnut trees, holm oaks and cork oaks. The architectural highlight of this Moslem-influenced village is St. Peter of Verona Parish Church, with its characteristic octagonal tower.
Though clearly of Arabic origin, archaeological remains dating back to prehistoric times have been found in the village.
Its name comes form the Arabic Gema-Al Wacir, meaning “the gardens of the vizier”.
In his “Historic Malaga Conversations”, Medina Conde mentions the existence in ancient times of gold, silver and copper mines, and traces of the exploitation of these minerals can still be found at a location known as Los Morteretes.
After the capture of the village by the Catholic Monarchs, its Arabic population continued to live here until joining the morisco (Moslem converts to Christianity) uprising which took place in the mid 16th century; chronicles tell us that in the resulting battles, the Castilian nobleman Don Alonso de Aguilar died at the hands of the morisco leader Feri de Benestepar. In 1570, the moriscos were definitively expelled and the area was repopulated by Old Christians from Extremadura and other parts of Andalusia.
Genaguacil was later incorporated into the estate of the Duke of Arcos,
belonging to this dukedom until such territorial privileges were
abolished.
