Doña Alaia – El Palacete – Cuevas de Almanzora

The imprint of the lands that Cuevas del Almanzora occupies is very old.

It was an important Phoenician enclave, part of the Roman Empire, of Al-Andalus, and finally joined Spain, although it was as forgotten as an inopportune visiting relative.

The orography of the region contributed to its isolation. A somewhat inhospitable coast guarded by mountains.

Not tremendous, but enough. However, this situation of abandonment ended up playing in its favor, as it was freed from the relentless tourism and real estate speculation that devastated the rest of the Spanish coasts that turned them into a gigantic coastal urbanization, except Cuevas del Almanzora, Vera, Mojacar, Carboneras and Cabo de Gata, which still retain their traditional flavour. Its people got used to living for themselves, to trade among themselves, and to feel proud.

And in the case of Mrs. Alaia even more so.

Doña Alaia had Phoenician ancestry for countless generations. It could not be shown but it was noticeable.

She grew up among market stalls just like her mother, and her grandmother, and her grandmother’s grandmother.

They loved to trade, and tour the towns from market to market with the products they collected in the region.

Doña Alaia, a woman of her own kind, one of those that history tends to ignore with premeditated treachery, organized stalls in different markets. She married several men whom she would divorce if they didn’t measure up and work as hard as she did. She did not accept hindrances in her family. Absolutely none at all. Whoever worked, whether it was a son, niece, brother-in-law or friend, was rewarded with a position or products so that he or she could become independent.

You sow more competition! They accused her.

However, it fed the wealth of the place and made the markets bigger.

Doña Alaia distributed all her wealth and inheritance in life among those who she believed deserved it.

And she was always happy and had everything because she needed little,
she liked her job, she helped a lot and they loved her more.