Around 90 per cent of primary school pupils in Torre del Mar and their families are unaware that the town they live in grew up around a castle. The Interschools commission (to which all the area’s schools belong), the local business people’s association, the Friends of Culture Society and teachers’ association have decided it’s high time they did something about this general lack of knowledge of local history. To do this they have launched a campaign aimed at encouraging awareness of the history of Torre del Mar.
The campaign includes twice-weekly guided tours for schoolchildren of the remains of the castle which was built in the 15th century as a coastal watchtower, but ended up being a customs house, a military detachment and a store for the exportation of the main farm produce of the area, raisins and lemons.
According to María Victoria Naranjo, one of the professionals behind the campaign, their aim is to help conserve the few remains of the castle that still stand today. These include one of the two towers the castle once had and a small section of wall.
During the guided tours the teachers stress the importance the castle had in the raisin and lemon export business as well as its role as a commercial port. They also encourage the children to tell their families about the castle to keep the local history alive.
The Interschools Commission has called for Vélez-Málaga Town Hall to set up a castle visitor centre inside the tower that still stands in the Plaza de la Axarquía. They have also called for better conservation of the ruins and have organised a drawing and model making competition for local primary school children.
