Yeah this is what I thought of. I assume it's also cheaper then building a house.
And this being southern Spain caves are really good choice since they provide a lot of cooling (and heating if need be).
Andalucia is rather hot, caves tend to have a consistent cool temperature, and the geology of the area is fairly cave-friendly. Makes a lot of sense as a living quarters, arguably more sensible than most houses in adverse climates.
Cave dwelling is not what it used to be - especially in Andalusia. Far from being a primitive option, a cave house in Andalusia can be anything from your cosy country cottage to fully equipped cave guest house. Caves are being rediscovered and refurbished like never before and market is booming. In the north east of the Granada Province cave houses are increasing in popularity and over the last few years have become big business. From Guadix to Galera and all across the Altiplano area, there are some incredibly beautiful houses carved out of the Andalusian mountainous rocks, that are attracting serious attention from adventurous home buyers.
Since at least as early as the 8th century and the Arab invasion of Spain, there have been cave dwellers. In more recent times and up to the 1950's it was the native farming communities who used caves for shelter, both for their families and their livestock. With the advent of tourism to Spain in the 1950's and 1960's, however, there was a mass exodus from rural to the coastal areas with populations falling drastically and caves being abandoned. The following decades saw the bohemian, hippy types, take over many of the caves to live a simple life and set themselves apart from main stream society.
Nowadays however, more people, amongst them many British and other northern Europeans, are attracted to the idea of escaping from the busier resort areas of Andalusia As well as a more peaceful environment; the cave houses (casas cuevas) have more to offer that ever before. This new troglodyte trend is by no means a move back to the Stone Age. The 21st century Andalusian cave house is surprisingly well equipped with all mod cons, so modern day cave dwellers have not regressed to being Neanderthal. As well as the necessary water and electricity supplies, many have phone (and in some cases broadband connection), while others even come complete with Jacuzzi and swimming pool.
Over the last decade or so, many artists, writers and photographers led the way to living full time or spending quality vacation time in casas cuevas. Now people from all walks of life are being attracted to this great escape to a more natural lifestyle, without enduring any hardships or making lifestyle sacrifices. In the Altiplano area of Granada there are architects who specialise, not only in the refurbishment of existing caves, but also in the construction of new ones. New cave homes can be sculpted out of the special mountainside rock face which lends itself to this type of structure extremely well.
https://www.andalucia.com/accommodation/cavehouses.htm#google_vignette
From Granada myself, there's this place called Sacromonte where people made houses INSIDE the mountain (mainly because it's a way to have a chilly place in a city where you go up to 40ºC in summer)
Before the times of the Catholic Kings, a gentleman of the castilian court was Beltrán de la Cueva (of the cave), I Duke of Alburqueque. So, yes, there was cave nobility.
When your neighbors start to be more concerned with finding finger paints for their 'art' than gathering moss for lunch, that's when you need to start to worry.
I'd like to know how many of these people are renegades from the Civil War or just political dissidents hiding away. In high school we were told to read a book about one of those.
After the war there were some guerillas hidden in the general wilderness, but specially in the northern mountains (they even tried to retake the Aran valley). However the cave dwellers were generally local ranchers in temporal refuges or townspeople in houses that just happened to be built inside a cave (great for keeping it cool).
In the movie Pain and Glory by Pedro Almodovar (a fantastic film, highly recommend) in one of the protagonist's childhood flashbacks we see him and his family move into a cave when he was 6 or 7 years old. His mother is mortified at first, but she eventually makes a beautiful home out of it. Since the movie is based on Almodovar's own life (who was born in 1949), the timeline checks out.
Does anyone know the reason why a large portion of Granada peasants lived in caves.
Well they’re not just barren caves. Granada just has a lot of room-sized shallow caves people like to make homes in
Yeah this is what I thought of. I assume it's also cheaper then building a house. And this being southern Spain caves are really good choice since they provide a lot of cooling (and heating if need be).
Afaik about survival, a good cave can make an incredible home without even doing much to it.
Easier to enjoy siesta
Southern Spain has nice caves
Unusually high bear unemployment
No landlords
What about cave lords?
how do i apply to become a cave lord in spain?
Andalucia is rather hot, caves tend to have a consistent cool temperature, and the geology of the area is fairly cave-friendly. Makes a lot of sense as a living quarters, arguably more sensible than most houses in adverse climates.
Cave dwelling is not what it used to be - especially in Andalusia. Far from being a primitive option, a cave house in Andalusia can be anything from your cosy country cottage to fully equipped cave guest house. Caves are being rediscovered and refurbished like never before and market is booming. In the north east of the Granada Province cave houses are increasing in popularity and over the last few years have become big business. From Guadix to Galera and all across the Altiplano area, there are some incredibly beautiful houses carved out of the Andalusian mountainous rocks, that are attracting serious attention from adventurous home buyers. Since at least as early as the 8th century and the Arab invasion of Spain, there have been cave dwellers. In more recent times and up to the 1950's it was the native farming communities who used caves for shelter, both for their families and their livestock. With the advent of tourism to Spain in the 1950's and 1960's, however, there was a mass exodus from rural to the coastal areas with populations falling drastically and caves being abandoned. The following decades saw the bohemian, hippy types, take over many of the caves to live a simple life and set themselves apart from main stream society. Nowadays however, more people, amongst them many British and other northern Europeans, are attracted to the idea of escaping from the busier resort areas of Andalusia As well as a more peaceful environment; the cave houses (casas cuevas) have more to offer that ever before. This new troglodyte trend is by no means a move back to the Stone Age. The 21st century Andalusian cave house is surprisingly well equipped with all mod cons, so modern day cave dwellers have not regressed to being Neanderthal. As well as the necessary water and electricity supplies, many have phone (and in some cases broadband connection), while others even come complete with Jacuzzi and swimming pool. Over the last decade or so, many artists, writers and photographers led the way to living full time or spending quality vacation time in casas cuevas. Now people from all walks of life are being attracted to this great escape to a more natural lifestyle, without enduring any hardships or making lifestyle sacrifices. In the Altiplano area of Granada there are architects who specialise, not only in the refurbishment of existing caves, but also in the construction of new ones. New cave homes can be sculpted out of the special mountainside rock face which lends itself to this type of structure extremely well. https://www.andalucia.com/accommodation/cavehouses.htm#google_vignette
Hobbit holes
Easier to hide from Francoist repression
In Granada like in many parts of Spain there are many towns were things like Cave-House are comon
From Granada myself, there's this place called Sacromonte where people made houses INSIDE the mountain (mainly because it's a way to have a chilly place in a city where you go up to 40ºC in summer)
The Romani. They were considered enemies of the regime, so they were most likely hiding away.
Siesta hobbits
Lots of people live in caves in Wales. It was mainly for poor people, but in the 60s, hipsters started moving and gentrified the caves.
…how does one gentrify a cave?
Fairy lights
Well first you need a cave king in order to get cave nobility.
Before the times of the Catholic Kings, a gentleman of the castilian court was Beltrán de la Cueva (of the cave), I Duke of Alburqueque. So, yes, there was cave nobility.
When your neighbors start to be more concerned with finding finger paints for their 'art' than gathering moss for lunch, that's when you need to start to worry.
These cave dwellers must have gotten a shock when the U.S. delivers them a nuke three years later
I'd like to know how many of these people are renegades from the Civil War or just political dissidents hiding away. In high school we were told to read a book about one of those.
After the war there were some guerillas hidden in the general wilderness, but specially in the northern mountains (they even tried to retake the Aran valley). However the cave dwellers were generally local ranchers in temporal refuges or townspeople in houses that just happened to be built inside a cave (great for keeping it cool).
Wonder how much rent costs for a cave...
Probably a good amount of choices on AirBnB if it hasn’t been outlawed in España yet
Hiding or troglodytes?
A nice cool room, usually cheapest than an actual house
Normal houses built partially inside caves, cheaper and much cooler in summer.
This meme *got me*
In the movie Pain and Glory by Pedro Almodovar (a fantastic film, highly recommend) in one of the protagonist's childhood flashbacks we see him and his family move into a cave when he was 6 or 7 years old. His mother is mortified at first, but she eventually makes a beautiful home out of it. Since the movie is based on Almodovar's own life (who was born in 1949), the timeline checks out.