News
Vehicles disinfected
Salamanca crucifix
Provenance
New light has been shone on one of
Spain’s most popular folk heroes, El
Cid, the 11th century knight and
warlord. A researcher at the University
of Zaragoza says that the Cristo de las
Batallas, a Romanesque crucifix
hanging in a cathedral in Salamanca, is
the artefact which the legendary El Cid
carried into numerous battles.
El Cid was born Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar
in the village of Vivar seven kilometres
from Burgos in about 1043. He won his
nickname in 1091 after the conquest of
Valencia, and died of natural causes in
1099. When his tomb was raided
during the Napoleonic War in the early
19th century, his remains and relics
became scattered across Europe. Many
are still missing while those recovered
have become valuable relics.
Torrox last month installed devices to
disinfect vehicles on approach roads to the
town. Traffic is reduced to 10 km/hour as
it passes beneath a spray of disinfectant
from a pipe which hangs five metres above
the road to accommodate large delivery
lorries. The Town Hall say that it expects
to use 9,000 litres of the solution, which is
normally used in cultivation, each week.
Payments frozen
Nerja Town Hall has suspended the
payment of all municipal taxes and fees
due for payment after March 14, the date
of the start of the State of Alarm. Finance
Councillor Ángela Díaz said flexibility and
extended payment periods would apply
when the situation normalises. She added
that the streamlining of payments due to
suppliers by the municipality has resulted
in outstanding bills of almost €500,000
being settled in the first 20 days of the
crisis.
Unemployment
rockets
The health crisis has had a devastating
impact on unemployment with figures for
March showing a record increase in
Málaga of over 30,000, a rise of nearly
20%. The second largest provincial rise in
Spain after Sevilla brought the total of job-
seekers in the province to almost 184,000.
Nationally, 6.6 million people were
claiming unemployment benefit by the
beginning of April.
Now, Alberto Montaner, a professor of
Spanish literature at the University of
Zaragoza, says that a letter written in
the 14th century and discovered in the
British Museum in London positively
identifies the crucifix. The letter
confirming its origins is signed by King
Alphonso XI and states that El Cid
carried the crucifix with him when he
went to war, a practice typical of the
time which supposedly protected the
bearer from harm.
The crucifix carried by El Cid,
memorably played by Charlton Heston
in the 1961 movie, is not presently on
public display. The artefact suspended
above an altar in Salamanca Cathedral
is a replica, the original having been
taken down for restoration some years
ago.
Nerja Covid false alarm
There was consternation in Nerja on
the last day of March when reports
surfaced that a Madrid man, who was
alleged to have fled from a medical
centre in the capital after testing
positive for coronavirus, had been
picked up in the town.
He was detained by Guardia Civil
officers in plaza Chaparil around
2.00pm and taken to the Hospital
Comarcal in Vélez-Málaga. Gema
Garcia, Nerja’s councillor for municipal
services, deplored the man’s
“irresponsible attitude” which had
created “social alarm.”
However, it transpired that the 29-
year-old had walked out of a
psychiatric hospital, reportedly after
his test for coronavirus had proved
positive. He was first found in the city
of Málaga and taken to the Regional
Hospital, but had then fled from there
before arriving in Nerja. At Vélez
hospital, however, it was confirmed
that he actually tested negative for the
virus.
The previous day, March 29, another
man who had been staying with the
town’s homeless at the municipal
sports centre was seen displaying
symptoms of corona virus. He was
18
found outside in the street, and
reportedly had to be forcibly detained
by police. However, in Vélez-Málaga
hospital later, he also tested negative
for the virus.
Nerja disturbance
A 60-year-old man was detained in
Nerja on April 24 after throwing
furniture, glass and other household
objects into the street from his
apartment.
No-one was injured but damage was
caused to a motorcycle parked outside
in calle Antonio Ferrandis Chanquete
with the street having to be closed for a
time. The suspect, reported to have a
long criminal record, is said to have
shown great resistance before being
subdued and taken away by local police
and Guardia Civil officers.
Knife attack
Three men alleged to have staged a
knife attack on a man in his home on
March 30 have been detained by police
in Vélez-Málaga. Investigators believe
the victim, who required hospital
treatment for injuries to his arm and
leg, owed money to his attackers. One
of the gang members who are now
facing charges is reported to be a
minor.