Setenil de las Bodegas is a picturesque town located in the province of Cadiz in southern Spain. What makes this town unique is its architecture, which is built directly into the surrounding cliffs and rock formations.
As you walk through the town, you'll see homes and buildings that have been built into the overhanging cliffs, with the rock serving as the roofs and walls. This has given Setenil de las Bodegas a distinct look and feel, as the town's buildings seem to be seamlessly integrated with the natural environment.
The town evolved from a fortified Moorish town that occupied a bluff overlooking a sharp bend in the Rio Trejo northwest of Ronda. The castle in the town dates back to at least the Almohad period in the 12th century. The town's name is said to have come from the Roman Latin phrase septem nihil which means “'seven times nothing”. This is a reference to the Moorish town's resistance to Christian assault, allegedly being captured only after seven sieges in the final years of the Christian Reconquest. Besieged unsuccessfully in 1407, Setenil finally fell in 1484 when Christian forces expelled the Moorish occupants, taking fifteen days to capture the castle whose ruins dominate the town today.
Setenil's strategic importance meant that the victory was celebrated widely in Castile and was the source of several legends in local folklore, including one involving Isabella I of Castile who is said to have miscarried during the siege with the ermita of San Sebastian being built as a tribute to the dead child, who was named Sebastian. However, there appears to be no proof to this story.
The full name of Setenil de las Bodegas dates from the 15th century, when new Christian settlers introduced vineyards (Bodega - wine shop, wine cellar), in addition to maintaining the Arab olive and almond groves. While the latter two crops still flourish in the district, many vineyards unfortunately were wiped out in the 1860s by the phylloxera insect infestation which destroyed most European vine stock.
Nevertheless, Setenil de las Bodegas is known for its delicious wine and visitors can sample some of the local wines in the many bars and restaurants in town. It is also famous for its meat products, particularly chorizo sausage and cerdo (pork) from pigs bred in the surrounding hills.
Overall, Setenil de las Bodegas is a charming and unique town that is well worth a visit!
