One hundred years since Torremolinos became a part of Malaga

In 1851, the British traveller Louisa Tenise described Torremolinos as follows: "At the far end of the Sierra de Mijas is the little village of Torremolinos where, like Churriana, most of the bread consumed in Malaga is made. No one can beat the cleanliness of its houses. The river that runs through it drives several mills that are constantly at work. The utmost care is taken in the preparation of the grain before it is milled. It is carefully washed in running water and dried again in the sun, several times, before being sent to the mill. A gentleman, who is known as Parodia, has a lovely cottage here, where visitors can arrange to stay for a while and it really is an enviable place to spend a short period of time in the spring or summer months."

According to Pascual Madoz, in 1849 there were 785 inhabitants living in Torremolinos in 234 houses. As Louisa Tenise observed, the bakery industry was important in Torremolinos, to the extent that it was the town that supplied Malaga with this staple food. When it rained heavily and there was flooding, it was impossible to cross the Guadalhorce and the city ran out of bread. In some extreme cases, Malaga city council had to send a boat to Torremolinos to bring bread, as happened in January 1856.

The first boarding accommodation in Torremolinos was run by Nicolás Parodi, a former army officer (who our traveller refers to as 'Parodia'). This military officer owned an orchard and a house which was located where what is now the house of the Barrabino family, opposite the entrance to Calle San Miguel. Juan Trujillo, who has just published 'Historia de Torremolinos' (history of Torremolinos), has documented this pension in 1845, which brings it some 75 years ahead of the legendary Hotel del Inglés, which began operating around 1920. Parodi's country house must have been quite comfortable and elegant, as the English consul, the proto-tourist of the millions who would visit in the following century, often stayed there.

In Torremolinos there were as many as nineteen mills, from the Inca mill to the Peligro (dangerous) mill, so called because of its proximity to the sea at a time when this location was not an advantage, as there were many dangers, from pirate attacks to storms. Torremolinos was crossed by a natural river that fed the mills, of which there are traces in the toponymy of Calle Cauce (gully), parallel to Calle San Miguel. Many houses opened their back doors to this stream. For centuries, the cascade of water from the springs of Torremolinos was visible from the sea and attracted all kinds of boats to take on water.

In 1760, sixteen mills were working at full capacity in Torremolinos. The construction of the Santa Clara castle in 1763 meant peace of mind for the millers and the residents in general, as it protected the coast from undesirable incursions. The industrial exploitation of the water from the springs can be considered the origin of Torremolinos.

However, there was a lack of water in Malaga and the springs of Torremolinos were able to guarantee an abundant and continuous supply. After six years of construction, the Torremolinos water supply was inaugurated on 19 June 1876. It was a historic day for the capital but marked the beginning of the decline of the mills, as it led to the compulsory expropriation of the water usage rights previously enjoyed by the millers. Nevertheless, the management of this service was riddled with irregularities.

In 1913 a mass demonstration took place, led by the Marquis of Larios and José Álvarez Net, "to seize (sic) the waters of Torremolinos that supply the city". But Torremolinos was an independent municipality. If Malaga absorbed it, it would be easier. It so happened that Torremolinos' municipal coffers were depleted, apparently because some of the large landowners refused to pay their taxes. The town council's debt amounted to 252,288 pesetas, equivalent to five years' budget.

In 1905, Malaga had annexed Churriana, overwhelmed by its municipal debt. The mayor of Torremolinos, Miguel Fernández Alcauza, announced at the end of 1923 the unanimous municipal agreement requesting annexation to Malaga. This was made official on 7 January 1924. In 1923, work had begun on the second water pipeline, which was inaugurated three years later. As Juan Trujillo explains, it was clear that the Malaga bourgeoisie was particularly interested in annexing Torremolinos because of the water business. Torremolinos did not secede from Malaga until 1988.