Visiting the Cathedral

written by María Dolores Arrózpide Liceaga , Malaga 20.2.2005

I have a special affection for Malaga Cathedral for a number of reasons. I came to Malaga for the first time at the age of seventeen in the month of March or April. We took some photos just like any other tourists, but I also felt an urge to draw the Cathedral, which I did on a blank sheet of paper as I sat in the small garden next to the orange trees. Nine and a half years later, I came to live in Malaga with my family, and I’m still here today.

To me, Malaga’s has never seemed a typical cathedral. Its bare vaults, viewed from above, and its incomplete second tower remind of the shortcomings of a person who always has some unfinished business or other to attend to. Nevertheless, the Cathedral is still the most robust of Malaga’s buildings. “Old one-arm”, as it is popularly known, withstood a terrible earthquake in the XVII century and has survived several floods. And there it stands, more attractive than ever now that the exterior is being cleaned.

Once inside, I am moved by its magnificent reliefs, its slenderness and the warmth of its stone. Why is Malaga cathedral not more famous? The building itself seems not to care. It is quite content to bask in the glorious Malaga sun and be admired by the local populace, not to mention the thousands of tourists who come to visit.

One Tuesday during Easter week, we entered Malaga Cathedral through the southern side door to see the processional float of the Virgen del Rocío. Thousands of others had come with the same intention, so we were very nearly crushed in the process. The float was carried along, leaving the sweet aroma of the flowers that adorned it in its wake. Standing amongst the crowd, we looked on in wonder at the impressive spectacle of the Virgin Mary and the Infant Christ enveloped by candles, flowers and music, saluting from beneath the exquisitely-carved stone of the vaults.
It has to be said that there are some experiences that can only be sampled in this most blessed of regions in the south of Spain.

Often, when we join a guided tour, some members of the group break off from listening to the guide’s explanations, choosing instead to sit down and admire the Cathedral’s serene beauty in total silence. Fortunately, there is always somebody keen (or maybe just polite) enough to carry on accompanying our cicerone.

One of Malaga’s most welcoming enclaves is the Plaza del Obispo, a square situated just opposite the main façade of the Cathedral. Here, there are several terraces where, day and night, we can sit and enjoy a beer as we admire “old one-arm”.