I dreamed of restoring an old House because I love the traditional way to bring to life the soul of the House.
People used to build in a very natural way with the materials they had around which gave harmony to the places where they lived; caring for small details which lent a special energy to their homes.
The energy of all the people that have inhabited the House for centuries gives it a very positive added value.
For me reviving the House has been a happy and such a healing process that we have shared with all the people involved in it.
Antonio thought of naming it ALMAGRA because in this place we wanted to bring to life again things that belonged to another time and another way of living.
ALMAGRA or Almagre, a Spanish Arabic word from the classical Arabic mag [a]rah meaning ‘red earth’. A natural red ochre pigment, it’s use for decoration and painting has been documented since pre-historic times. In Frigiliana ‘almagra’ has been used by many generations for colouring and protecting floors, doors, windows and pottery…. Blood of the earth which lent warmth to the white souls of our homes.
Today it shelters many treasures of the past and crafts and works of artists so people can find something of lasting beauty for their homes.
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Starting Our Organic Huerto
Together, for a very long time we have been longing to create an organic orchard on the land Antonio Inherited from his family and that had been abandoned for more than twenty years. Now we have time.
The ‘ HUERTO’ is not just an orchard or garden, it is a place that represents Heaven on Earth where there is water – and so fruit trees, vegetables, herbs and flowers can grow but It is also a peaceful space where we enjoy the scents and the beauty of nature.
HUERTO EN LIZAR
Minima
Insula
Cosmica
Donde rie mi infancia
Bajo el rumor de las acequias.
De Antonio
Last year our friend David started clearing the brambles covering even the trees to free space to plant vegetables and flowers. The generous help of David and Dorrie in sharing our land has made the ‘Huerto’ come true.
This orchard means a lot more to us than just growing food, it also fills our spirits with joy and harmony. The animals, plants, the precious bees and other insects belong to this land. Poppies and ladybirds are back.
PARA ANA
Ser semilla en tu mano,
palpitante corazon
A la orilla de la nada
De Antonio
Antonio talking to the fox
We have discovered that more friends and neighbours around are also going organic.
Sharing vegetables, fruit, seeds and experience between alike spiri ts is another really fulfilling side of the ‘Huerto’.
Ana Ortiz Cortés and Antonio