This passageway or tunnel vault once connected the Albayzín district to the former Medina – the centre of all commercial activity. The opening on the left hand side was used to bring in goods and provisions, and is the only secondary point of access to the fortified town that still remains.
It is a semicircular structure and part of the old fortified wall was used in its construction. The exact date is unknown but, in all probability, it was built in the 16th century to provide a site for the Church and its atrium.
There used to be three other entry gates which led into the town – all protected by towers; Puerta de la Villa (Main gate), Postigo de Poniente (the Westgate) and Postigo del Mar the (Sea Gate).
If the Church of the Rosary is the main departing point for most Holy Week processions, then the vault is certainly one of the best places to view them.
The old town of Salobreña offers the best setting from which to witness the spectacular and deeply rooted Christian tradition of an Andalusian Holy Week.
The Easter celebrations in our area have their origins in the 17th century. It is a very important event in Salobreña and, amongst the many processions, perhaps the one that stands out the most is the procession of the Virgin of Solitude, in which only unadorned women in mourning can take part.
In 1819 Salobreña’s Holy Week was enriched by a new statue for the Good Friday processions: The Holy Sepulchre, and, on the following year (and for many to come), the Santisimo Brotherhood asked for donations for ‘the burying of Christ’. Alongside the Santisimo Brotherhood there are many other popular brotherhoods, such as The Forgiveness, Our Lady of Hope, and The Humiliation of Christ. These brotherhoods march solemnly through the whitewashed side-streets, carrying their religious statues with a peaceful but imposing air.
With more than more than 2500 people taking part in the Holy Week processions, it certainly makes for a good time to visit Salobreña.
La Bóveda passageway
