Culture
The municipality of Torvizcón’s cultural heritage is reflected in its monuments, agricultural heritage, folklore, delicious cuisine and its very unique popular fiestas.
Typical Cuisine
The food in Torvizcón features delicious soups and broths from the Sierra de la Contraviesa. Olla de San Antón is a stew made with chickpeas, pigs’ tails and trotters, morcilla (similar to black pudding), pork backbone and water. The municipality is famous for its sweet delicacies made with dried figs, such as pan de higos, a sort of fig cake made with almonds, cinnamon, aniseed and aguardiente (a strong spirit).
History
The history of Torvizcón dates back to Roman times, when it was known as Turidianum. It was most prosperous during the Al-Andalus period, when the whole of the Alpujarra was a major farming area specialised in the production of silk. As it is close to the Río Guadalfeo, and because people had to pass through it to head inland into the Alpujarra from the coast, it became the main town in the judicial district at the end of the 16th century, and continued in this role until the 19th century, when it became a villa (royal borough).
Torvizcón was already known for its irrigation channels and wells as far back as the 16th century. In the 19th century, there were a great many farms throughout the municipality. The name of the village may come from the Spanish word torvisco, which refers to daphnes, a type of shrub that grows in great numbers throughout the area and is traditionally believed to cure the evil eye. At one time, Torvizcón was thought of as the capital of the Sierra de la Contraviesa.