<<I am in favor of not touching a work of art unless its loss is imminent>>

A book on Churriana De la Vega is only possible if you feel the same as Salvador Raya Retamero (1963). Raya is a doctor and a professor-editor. He has captured the rich cultural heritage this municipality of the Vega de Granada provides its residents and visitors. Salvador has more than 20 publications to his credit related to Alhama. He plans to share his vision of the place where he grew up under the title History, art, and popular religiosity Churriana de la Vega'. This book he started writing in 1999.

Why write about Churriana

We have not considered the history of the population in the past decades. It's a review of the defining elements of population, organized chronologically to give an overview of its entire historical-artistic profile.

-The current name of Churriana is Roman.

-J. M. Pabon did it in 1953 and before that, Luis Seco de Lucena. These references lead us to Ibn al-Jatib's naming of it Yurliyana. There will be many documented references to Juriana and Jurillana as well as Chiuliena and Juliana after the conquest. Marcial de Castro Sanchez pointed to how, in the first parish documentation around 1510 the place name was Jurliana and Jurriana. This is because the date of 1520, when Churriana's current name was officially created, was the place name.

It is a historic town. Which part of the town do you want to keep after it is finished?

It is hard to separate a part when they all share the same commitment to the author. But it is true that the one that leads to me to classify its two main monuments in a Living Museum is the Parish and Hermitage.

-Which section do you think is the most secretive, or the one that no one knows about the municipality?

The 'Living Museum,' is the most expensive. The Mudejar temple, the collection of imagery and canvases that the parish and hermitage keep.

Religion is an important issue in the municipality.

The life of the people seems to revolve around a well-constructed and articulated religious structure that runs from the base to the top of the diocesan hierarchy. It is a reflection of established social order. In the daily life of the towns that supported them, the work of the brotherhoods in Churriana would take up much of the time. We will examine the religious act in order to better understand its solemnity and the festive moments. In some cases, it is a social distinction against the human race and, in others, it can be considered permanent ostentation. The celebrations are spread throughout the year according to a detailed religious calendar, both parochial as well as that of each Brotherhood. This is one of the principles that Machiavelli outlined in The Prince when he stated that he should entertain his people at the right times of the year. The Archbishop approves the religious festival and it is often confused with civil demonstrations. The brotherhoods will continue to use them to promote their wealth and weight, and to show their relative position in the community.

-Which sculpture would you prefer?

The work of Rafael Martin Hernandez, the image maker, covers the entire spectrum of the Nazarene's acquisition to the Ecce Homo (4th Chapel on the Epistle Side). It would be hard to choose between terracotta or polychrome in olive, as they were both made in terracotta.

It also reviews personalities.

We wanted to include Frascuelo (1976-2014), the most well-known and young disappearing Cesar Molina Maegias (1976-194) in the chapter on outstanding children. A self-taught sculptor and a Churriana de la Vega native, we stopped at Sanchez Mesa, Archbishop Montero, or Martin Sierra, who were all part of the revolution of 36 in Motril.

-Regarding popular architecture. Are you a believer that historical elements should be preserved?

They should be protected. This would be the only way to keep the medieval flavour of Churriana alive as a farmhouse. Otherwise, we'd only have a small town.

-The artistic legacy of the medieval thermal baths is indisputable.

They are an example of Middle Ages architecture in the land. The use of a variety of contractive materials (bricks, plaster, and wood) gives them their unique flavor. His recovery was a significant milestone.

The title of the result is exactly represented by the cover. Are you satisfied with the result?

Yes, we are. We have always believed in total history. A holistic approach has always intrigued us. Archaeology and Ethnography, as well as legends, traditions, and legends, to the extent the media and sources allow.

It contains images of original paintings without restoration.

These photographic reproductions of documentary nature are dated from years before the recent restoration. They preserve the original flavor and centennial tradition. You can find the explanation legends for each miracle on their labels. This will allow you to always know the condition of the paintings before they are restored. It is now visible to visitors once it has been restored. If it is in danger of being lost, I would recommend not touching an art work.

What do you expect from this publication?

I expect nothing. I am proud to have modestly helped future generations gain a better understanding of the Granada Plain. I know they will be grateful. We have contributed to the human challenge ahead by having done our bit. The knowledge that our time will be of benefit to others generations, even if we are not there yet.