We begin our walk around Coín at SAN AGUSTIN´S PARK which is the most important park of Coín for its history.
In the second half of the 16th Century, where the park is today, there was an hermitage dedicated to San Sabastian who is the actual patron of the town.Later, close to this hermitage, San Agustin´s Convent was built and, the old hermitage was changed into a church of this convent.But, in the year 1680, an earthquake took place in Coín and the main Chapel of the church and part of the convent fell down. So, in this bad conditions, the convent was finally destroyed and this beautiful park was built on the remains of it.Nevertheless, this park has recently been reformed as you can see. These are centenary trees and the monument that you can see there in the shape of obelisk, was built to honour people who died during the Spanish Civil War.From the rail you can see the “Principe de España” Square which was recently reformed. In the roundabout, the sculpture, HELLO, of the famous sculptor “Santiago de Santiago” was placed. This sculpture symbolizes the welcome to the tourists and visitors to Coín.Also in this place, the current bus station is located and at the bottom, there is a general view of San Fernando ´s Cementery and the countryside of Coín.Now, we are going to cross the San Agustín´s square to get the……OLF CHARITY HOSPITAL AND SAINT ANDREW´S CHURCH At the moment, we cannot visit the interior of the Old Charity Hospital because it is being reformed as building of Cultural Interest for the Municipality. The holes that you can see on the wall are the tests from “Junta de Andalucia” to prove how ancient is the building.
According to the historians, this hospital came to replace de previous one placed in San Andrés square.
The most prominent feature of this church is its front facade finished in the middle of the 18th Century in a Neoclassical design. It is important because it is one of the few ones that exist in Andalusia with this form and probably, say the historians, is the best in Málaga.The most characteristic of the church is its floor plan based on an L shape, which helped separate patients of the hospital from the well people of the parish.In the Mayor Chapel, the currrent altarpiece is of Reanissance style and substitutes the original one which was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War.Now, we go out to continue on along Doctor Palomo y Anaya street to visit ONCE CONVENT AND CHURCH OF SANTA MARÍA DE LA ENCARNACIÓN.This church was the first dilegence of Catholic Kings when they arrived at Coín in the 15th Century. The same than in other towns, the Catholic Kings ordered to built a Christian Church on the former Arabic mosque. Even if you look at the facade, the current tower had previously been the “alminara”of the arabic mosque.This one, was the first Parish that existed in Coín.The name of SANTA MARÍA DE LA ENCARNACIÓN was given to this church because the Queen Isabel has great devotion to the virgin of this name. Later, in the 18th Century, the Convent was built on a former cementery near to the church. So the nuns of “Santa Clara” Order have been living here until the 80s.The current building has recently been restored and it is used for cultural department of the town hall.The wonderful conventual cloister is two floors with arches of bricks and four irregular sides. Around the patio you can visit some different exhibition rooms that normally changes.The church has three separated areas with rectangular pilars. Its intirior stands out for the simplicity of the spaces, in contrast with the baroque of the exterior. Upstairs you can visit the ethnographic room where you can have an idea of how was a typical andalusian house many years ago.Continuing our walk, we are going to visit, “PLAZA DEL PESCAO”BERMUDEZ DE LA RUBIA SQUARE. PLAZA DEL PESCAOThis squere is known by all Coín citizens as “Plaza del Pescao” (square of the fish) because in the 50s there was a market here where fish were sold. This market was here for 20 years and later was moved to that building where the Flamenco Association is currently situated.This square was reformed last in 1994 and it is considered one of the most particular because the traditional New Year´s Eve of Coín is celebrated here where everybody comes dressed in fancy dress.The most important monument of this square is the church of SAN JUAN BAUTISTA that you can visit from here.This church was built, the same than others, on the orders of Catholic Kings although its construction wasn´t completed until the middle of the 16 th Century.In this time the growing number of catholics made necessary the construction of this new church because the first one, Santa María, was too small.Again, this church was built on part of the plot where the Moslem Castle was and also here, they used the remains of a tower of the old castle for the construction of the current belfry.The church has three different access doors; this one with a huge staircase is the main one and two more in each side. We are going to entry by El Compás, in La Feria street.This is the only entrance that the church has at the same level of the street.If you look up, you can see that this church consists of three areas. The central, which is the hightest and two more both sides which are lower. These areas are separated by columns that supported on pointed arches. We can say that the general style is the Mudejar style combined later with others such as Gothic, Reinessance and Baroque.Of great cultural value is the main gold alterpiece which was destroyed in the Civil War and reconstructed later. Also important are the statu of Santa María de los Ángeles which is the oldest in this church made in wood and the image of the Patron Saint “Nuestra Señora la Virgen de la Fuensanta”. It is a very special statu with only 9 cm high that usually resides here except in May when is moved to her hermitage.Now, you can go out for “Teniente Coronel de la Rubia” street to visit LOS MOLINOS STREET.This, los Molinos, is one of the most typical street of Coín and gets this name from the existence of several oil and flour mills in this street many years ago. These mills were powered by the waters of the rivers “Nacimiento” and “Pereilas”, the biggest in Coín.Along this street, we arrive at PLAZA LA LUNA ( The moon square).PLAZA LA LUNA (THE MOON SQUARE)This square is one of the most unknown corners of the Old City. What is striking about this square is the house with semicircular section and end in a terrace because there is a theory that associates this construction with a circular tower that existed attached to the Old City wall. Nevertheless, this information hasn´t been confirmed yet.The fountain was installed during the First Spanish Republic thanks to the economic contribution of the neighbours and the town hall. It is made in blue marble with grey veins produced by Coín´s quarries.From here, we you can walk towards PLAZUELA SAN ANDRES (SAN ANDRES SQUARE)
PLAZUELA SAN ANDRÉS.
This square takes its name from the missing “San Andrés” hospital that existed here in whose chapel the apostle San Andrés was venerated.In the center of this square which is entered by four different streets, we can see a small tower that was built at the beginning of the 19 th Century.The Crhist who is inside had previously been in the front of a house that fell down in the same place and this was the reason because they made this tower. Again here, we can see a Mudejar style which is characterized by the red bricks and coloured ceramic tiles that finish off its roof.The current fountain which is placed at the foot of the tower was initially a rectangular container of iron that, later, was replaced by a fountain of white marble which was placed in Santa María Square. Now, you have to go out for “San Andrés” Street to ALAMEDA SQUARE. The main square in the Town.ALAMEDA SQUARE.This square is the biggest common space of Coin where several festive acts take place throughout the year; The most important being the fairs in May and August. Also, it is the starting point of “La Romería”, which is a religious celebration that takes place in June. It is also part of the route of Easter Processions.In the oldest square in Coín we can see the last two Town halls. The current Town hall was inaugurated in February 2005. The plot where it is currently located was, until 1978, the headquarters of the Guardia Civil in Coín.Nevertheless, the most relevant element in this square is the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that popularly is known as ” El Santo de la Alameda”. This figure was made in bronze and installed in the 20s. Recently it has been restored to be more in keeping new image this square presents from its remodeling last year.Another important element is the marvelous marble fountain that presides the Alameda. We can say that this marble fountain is the most beautiful and monumental of Coín. It represents the arrival of drinkable water to Coín and its public squares.If you notice, the base and the principal body of the spout are made of blue marble with grey veins produced from Coín’s quarries, and it is finished off by an angel of white marble.Finally, you can visit THE TRINITARIAN’ S TOWER.
TRINITARIAN´S TOWER
Nowadays, this tower is the last standing vestige of what was the convent of Trinitarians that existed in Coín and that was finished in the middle of the 18th century. The special feature is its triangular shape with only two others the same in the whole of Andalusia: the tower of the church of “Santa Ana”, in Archidona, and the tower of the convent of “las mínimas y marroquíes”, in Écija.Originally, this Trinitarian´s Convent was located in “Pdo. Los Angeles”, in Coín’s suburbs.After the Christian Conquest, two religious men who belonged to the Order of the Trinitarians built an hermitage in the same place where, later, the Queen “Doña Juana” ordered building of the Trinitarian´s Convent. Because of various problems like distance from the town, drought and endemic disease, the Trinitarian monks were moved to the houses of “La Cruz” street where we are at the moment.Once here, the monks began the construction of the Convent that finished in the middle of the 18Th Century, almost one century later. Later, in 20th Century, and already with the arrival of the Franciscans to Coín, this building began to be used as a school being kept in good condition until 1936, the year in which the Spanish Civil War starts. From this date, this building began its decline, ending in its current state where only the bell tower remains. After the Spanish Civil War, a primary school was built on the same plot. This is currently Ximénez de Guzmán´s Primary School.So, THE TOWER is the last standing vestige of what Trinitarian´s original Convent was and , today, it is considered to be an emblematic monument of this town.
