-
JEAN SERMETO (1953), geographer, French scholar and diplomat appointed to the School of Hispanic Studies:
"A detour takes us to the foot of the Sierra de Gador, a Berja, capital of the grape. In its hollows spreading everywhere the tender green carpet of the vines. Wealth of new shoots to replace the mine, belonging to the past. You can tell the welfare everywhere, beautiful farms, ponds, fountains. "
-
GERALD BRENAN (1933), British Army officer who left his company and profession to expand their cultural level and educate yourself as a writer:
"Berja is a town of some importance, situated in the Sierra de Gador, and is an important center of the grape industry. Green grapes, hard skin, which are envied each fall from Almeria to London, growing up in vines, which give the landscape, or rather the part covered by them, a strange aspect of crushing, as if covered by a green canvas . Around these vineyards are small limestone hills rise, white and almost completely naked, because it rains very little in this region. "
-
JOHANNES J. REIN (1899), German geographer named honorary member of the Royal Geographic Society in London:
"The Arabic name means Gentle Berja Beauty, and Arab writers compared to the medina with a paradise in the middle of hell, being surrounded by a mountainous and steppe, almost completely devoid of vegetation. Berja enjoys a mild climate and healthy, excellent water and a well-watered valley. As sericulture time of the Moors, the mining of the Sierra de Gador has been the main source of wealth for this population. The sleek and refined look of their villas testify to the splendor. The stately homes have all beautiful garden with fruit trees who gave their generous supply of fresh fruit. In 1569 there was a bloody battle, the most atrocious of all the rebellion of the Moors, Aben Humeya, which had recently been crowned king in Granada Albaicín are faced here with his army of followers in faith and fellow citizens, but without guns or cavalry, the dreaded Marquis of Vélez, better armed. Velez walked with the rest of his forces to Adra, Aben Humeya, with the few rebels who survived returned to Valor, the seat of his dominion. "
-
RUBIO ANTONIO GÓMEZ (1880), Granada teacher with literary leanings, was a writer and a leading promoter of cultural entities:
"In the midst of a plain surrounded by mountains, and on the banks of the delightful river Adra, the distinguished Orientalist Simonet, was Berja, with a strong castle and a flower garden in every home. The Prince of Arabic literature, Granada, Ebn-Aljathib, greatly commends Berja and their wives' teeth to smile with flowers. " 'Among their homes, she says,' hurried the horses run for the Zephyrs, without complaining of the narrowness of his footsteps, or the disclosure of the sparrow. " The charms and delights of Berja exercised a powerful charm on the mind of man, and fond of delicacies of the world. Commends the increase of his village, his many dealings with other nations, its flowering groves, fertile plains, home of the auras, its sweet sources, the picturesque aspect of its contours, and its valleys and forests. As for its inhabitants, is celebrating its crowd and riches, the benign nature of their condition and attitude of its people distinguished principal. Bards had every reason Muslims to dedicate these and other attentions to the lovely city, set like a pearl in the rich ring
that forms the mountains, and had more reason to revel in its aromatic gardens, lovely in its plain, with its salutary sources and crystal clear streams of silver and finally to its general appearance, reflecting softness and welfare. "
-
PEDRO ANTONIO DE ALARCÓN (1872), Granada with a literary, studied law and church:
"Berja, beautiful people lovingly sheltered in the heart of the Sierra de Gador and surrounded by dark forests, green crops, the shimmering waters of the charms of a favorable nature. It was the wealthy Berja, Virgi ancient Romans, the Medina Barcha of the Moors, who was said that centuries ago every house had a garden, which also happens today, one whom the great Arab poet Ebn-called Aljathib 'cheerful site for viewing pleasure and seduction loop for thought; tag fertilizing, Daraina of precious aromas, rich field, harem safe manifest and hidden beauty. " Do you see that delicious people bleaching and glitters in the light of the sun, among the thick masses of vegetables, such as half-hidden gem in a basket of fragrant herbs and flowers gayas? It is Barcha Medina, whose doors were scolded that bloody battle between the Marquis of Vélez and Aben Humeya, where both armies were destroyed. "
-
DAVILLIER CHARLES BARON (1862), a member of a major British banking family, Groom of Napoleon III and Commander of the Order of Carlos III, was a large Hispanic:
"Near the foothills of the Sierra de Gador up the beautiful village of Berja, whose industrial activity contrasts with the peaceful aspect of the patriarchal and villages of the Alpujarras.
-
DAVID THOMAS ANSTED (1853), renowned economic geologist and English with great skills to study and analyze areas with potential for exploitation of the subsoil:
"Berja has been greatly enriched by the success of mining in the Sierra de Gador, and there are some modern houses of impeccable construction. The place is really modern, as the old town was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake early this century, there are few Muslim features, other than the general style of the buildings, clearly adapted from the ancient inhabitants. The customs of these people are also Asian, but the likes of the Moors are clearly not present in the church and town hall or public buildings that grace the market square. Having a reasonably good water supply, vegetation and landscape are very interesting. "
-
NICOLAS DE RODA (1839), Granada travel:
"In Berja, which Verjel called Arabs, are still preserved remains, and its age and its rulers Greeks, Romans and Arabs. Berja, with its mild climate and good, their sources of pure water and abundant gardens, and orange flowers, castles and rich Arabs, dominated by the Sierra de Gador, which looks like a presiding genius charity and protecting the village, and giving hands full richness and elegance. In one conserves the surrounding hills, like a jewel which aims to hide the remains of the Roman city, the gateway to a circle of pillars and the beasts, soon to expand on the ground, encuéntranse jars with bands embodied China and other ancient treasures. "
-
BOISSIER PIERRE EDMOND DE (1837), Swiss botanist, member of the Physical Society of Natural History Geneva:
"Berja, cheerful town of white houses surrounded by a green oasis and irrigated. This little town has become very important due to the proximity of the lead mines of the Sierra de Gador. Berja is where supplies are made of the large population of workers who live in the mountains, it is also where the mine owners have been established and its agencies, therefore, is crowded and lively, and the many foreigners who frequent have introduced a degree of civilization. "
-
CHARLES DIDIER (1836), writer, journalist and diplomat, Switzerland:
"From the plateau of San Roque, down to the beautiful golf Berja, ie passed suddenly and without transition from Africa to Italy, say Italy because I have found in Berja countryside scenes and sites that I have not seen anywhere else part of Spain. Here the villages and farms are coquettishly arranged as in Tuscany and half hidden under the shade of the fig and the olive, the vine is supported by white pillars and falls into garlands laden with grapes, pomegranates and oleanders and serve about form clumps in some charming roadside. The moon brings to this fresh and lively nature of mysterious lights, with the Sierra de Gador highlighting in black against the starry background of the sky. "
-
RICHARD FORD (1833), London aristocrat, lawyer, writer, artist and art historian:
"Berja is an active, thriving and growing at the foot of Sierra de Gador, in the heart of the lead mines."
-
EDWARD SAMUEL COOCK (1829), known as "writer of Spanish subjects." English lover Marine Geology and elected to the Royal Society and the Royal Geographic Society:
"Berja is a beautiful place, situated in a valley surrounded by towering mountains, well watered, with a moderate altitude, is a healthy and prosperous. Is the intermediate station of all the mules and donkeys are used for the transport of supplies and material for the saw and to haul ore to Adra.