Unique Documents From the Provincial Historical Archive of Málaga

The Provincial Historical Archive of Málaga houses a wide range of documents from different sources. They relate to the actions of individuals, of the Kingdom of Spain, of judicial, administrative, and notarial institutions and bodies over the years, as well as events in the private sphere.

When conserving and using documents in an archive, the document is not looked at in isolation, but in the context of the collection to which it belongs. This exhibition aims to provide information on the variety of documents held in a historical archive.

These unique documents also reflect the intense, varied history of what is now the Province of Málaga, an area in the south of Spain that has always been a crossroads for different cultures, groups of people, and individuals from different countries (both Europe and the Mediterranean basin, in particular Maghreb). The same is true of the city of Málaga itself; a port that witnessed the comings and goings of ships to and from the Americas and elsewhere.

The documents held in the Provincial Historical Archive of Málaga that are featured in this virtual exhibition cover the period that runs from the late 12th century to 1980.

Certificate of the Governor of the State of Virginia

The discovery of America led to family ties and trading relationships between people living on both sides of the Atlantic. These were reflected in documents issued on both continents which set out rights and obligations.

La Plaza de Alfonso XII (Alfonso XII Square)

Photography was soon included in administrative documents and in the files issued by public bodies. It was used to provide additional evidence in administrative records. However, a photograph's artistic merit is also of interest.

Document from Oran

Trading and economic relationships between the inhabitants of Málaga and North African towns have been a feature throughout history. In fact, the Algerian city Oran had close ties with Málaga from the late 15th century to the 19th century.

Turkish diploma

This is clearly a beautiful document. The surrounding colors and figures give an indication of the status of the people to whom it relates and of the message that it conveys.

This diploma arrived at the Provincial Historical Archive of Málaga along with some title deeds from the Notarial Archive of Málaga.

Sketch of a grille

Numerous contracts were issued between the Church and different types of artists and craftsmen such as architects, sculptors, painters, and goldsmiths, which were legalized in front of a notary. It was for this reason that many of these documents included sketches of the works of art detailed in the contract. This one appears to be for a Plateresque grille, probably for the cathedral or a parish church in Málaga.

Contract between Francisco de León and Antonio Escobar

Francisco de León and Antonio Escobar agreed to build a sugar mill together in Torrox, in accordance with the conditions set out in this contract.

Sugarcane cultivation along Spain's southern coasts—specifically along the eastern coast of Málaga—has taken place since the Muslim era. Following a slump in the 16th and 17th centuries, modernization of the sugar mills in the 19th century helped to drive its resurgence.

Plan showing the location and boundaries of the San Luis mine

Plans showing the boundaries of mines had to be submitted in order to obtain a mining permit. Today they show us how the land has been transformed over the years. This mine in particular was located in what is today one of Málaga's iconic neighborhoods: La Malagueta. The area exemplifies the urban development that the city has undergone.

Signature of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo

Antonio Cánovas del Castillo was a key figure in 19th-century Spanish politics. He was Prime Minister at various points during the late 19th century.
 
Born in Málaga, Cánovas was the Spanish Prime Minister for six terms and a member of the Liberal Union Party. He is also credited as being the architect of the restoration of the monarchy.

In 1876, just days after this document was issued, a Constitution was approved that would remain in force until 1923.

The San Telmo Aqueduct

The San Telmo Aqueduct is a feat of engineering that has been declared a Site of Historical and Cultural Interest. It is considered to be one of Spain';s finest works of 18th-century engineering, and was built to carry water from the river Guadalmedina to the city. It is over 10 kilometers long.

Quotation for the installation of a weather observatory

From the 20th century onward, a large part of Málaga's industrial activity was dependent on companies involved in processing agricultural produce.

The Government promoted a series of measures to boost agricultural production, one of which was the creation of the Agricultural Demonstration Field in Torrox, in the early years of the 20th century.

This part of Málaga had an ideal climate for new agricultural cultivation.

Stirling boiler M.M. 17/20

Stirling boiler M.M. 17/20 with a surface area of 460 m2 with chimney for burning bagasse, installed in the Larios Sugar Factory.

The plan of the boiler is part of the Industrial Registry file in which the sugar mill's activity had to be recorded. The Sociedad Azucarera Larios (Larios Sugar Company) was established in Málaga in 1890, bringing together all the sugar producers of the city of Málaga, the province's east coast and Motril (Granada). The Sociedad Azucarera Larios S. continued producing sugar and alcohol until the late 20th century.

Renovations of Málaga's lighthouse

List of basic costs for daily wages and materials, and average prices per unit of work used in the quotation for renovations to Málaga's lighthouse.

The lighthouse in Málaga is known as La Farola, making it the only lighthouse whose name is in the feminine form in Spanish. It lends its name to the city's iconic promenade and is located in an area with a long maritime history, La Malagueta.

Its construction began on June 15, 1816, as decreed in a Royal Order. The project's architect was the naval engineer Joaquín María Pery y Guzmán, who was also Director of the Port of Málaga at the time. Work was completed on November 16, 1817. At that time, its light was produced by seven Argand lamps burning olive oil, each one intensified by a parabolic reflector made from polished silver.

The Compañía Española de Minas del Rif (Spanish Mining Company in the Rif)

The Compañía Española de Minas del Rif (Spanish Mining Company in the Rif) in North Africa requesting authorization from the Chief Engineer of Public Works in Málaga to transport ore to the dock using the railway line connecting the sites with Melilla.

Mining required an associated transport infrastructure, and the mines were soon linked to the progress of a new method of transport—the railway—and all related transport systems.

Here the Compañía Española de Minas del Rif, established in 1907 to mine iron from the mountains of Uixan and Axara, had to seek permission for any works to the Port of Melilla from the Delegation of Public Works in Málaga, which was the organization responsible for granting permission. In July 1926, the Compañía Española de Minas del Rif opened a dock for unloading ore in the port of Melilla.

Second Alora International Rural Cinema Event: exhibitions

In the late 1970s, a group of farmers from the valley of the river Guadalhorce developed a cultural festival with the aim of portraying rural life and eradicating the perception that people in rural communities were illiterate.
 
Thus, the Alora International Rural Cinema Event was born, with three successful events held in 1979, 1980, and 1981. The initiative had significant cultural repercussions throughout the region.

Telegram from Amigos de las Artes Nuevas (Friends of the New Arts, or ADLAN

Telegram asking the President of the Visual Arts Department of the Economic Society of Friends of the Country, José González Edo, how many catalogs the institution would like for an exhibition about Picasso being held in Málaga

José González Edo, a Madrid-born architect living in Málaga, worked tirelessly as an architect at his own architectural studio. He also held the positions of Architect at the Urban Land Registry of the Treasury Office, and Director of School Building Work for the Ministry of Public Education.

He also played a part in other areas of the city's cultural scene. As a member of the Economic Society of Friends of the Country, he put on an exhibition of works by Pablo Picasso in Málaga.

Catalog of the First Exhibition organized in Madrid by the Amigos de las Artes Nuevas

On January 13, 1936, a Pablo Picasso exhibition was opened in Barcelona, featuring 25 works created between 1908 and 1935, which included paintings, pastels, watercolors, and papier collé. The works were chosen by Picasso himself, with most of them from his own personal collection. Others belonged to people living nearby.

The exhibition, organized by the association known as Amigos de las Artes Nuevas, traveled to Bilbao in February and Madrid in March. It was intended that the exhibition would then travel on to Málaga and Tenerife, but this was not possible due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

Quran

Quran found within the walls of a house in the town of Cútar, which belonged to the faqih (expert in Islamic jurisprudence), Muhammad ibn al-Yayyar.

Text from the professional notebooks of the faqih Muhammad ibn al-Yayyar, of Cútar

The concealing of documents from Al-Andalus between walls to preserve them was what led to the discovery of this volume in the town of Cútar, in the Axarquía area of Málaga.

These documents on paper were preserved within a wall from the early 15th century until their discovery in 2003. The two volumes that were found contain documents written or compiled by the faqih in the town of Cútar.

Professional notebooks of the faqih Muhammad ibn al-Yayyar

This drawing is understood to be the Seal of Solomon and is from the professional notebooks of the faqih Muhammad ibn al-Yayyar, from the town of Cútar.

Multiplication table from the professional notebooks of the faqih Muhammad ibn al-Yayyar.

Gregorian score from the 16th or 17th century

Reusing documents was common once they had ceased to be of use for their original purpose. Many documents were used for bookbinding. Parchment documents, especially the pages of hymnals, were used to add consistency in bookbinding.

Torre de los Ladrones (Thieves Tower)

Watchtowers were used for the surveillance of the maritime border, although this also meant that Málaga's inland area could be monitored.

Most of these towers were built in the early 16th century to prepare the defenses against Berber and Turkish attacks, although many of them were built during the Nasrid era.

This one is located in Marbella, on the Artola dunes. Its name is derived not from the Spanish word "ladrones" (meaning "thieves"), but from the protective machicolations, which are known as "ladroneras" in Spanish.