A Lizard in a Bell: The Legend of Finding a Partner in a Village of the Axarquía

No applications or algorithms required. In Árchez, according to legend, one can find a partner thanks to a lizard embedded in a bell. The recipe for love, according to local tradition, is fifteen meters above the ground, inside the minaret of an old mosque that now serves as the tower of the Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation. There, in one of its bells cast in the 19th century, a mysterious relief is supposedly preserved, which for more than a century has been attributed to a lizard trapped in the bronze during casting.

At the end of that century, when the bell was ordered from a workshop in Torredonjimeno (Jaén), a curious story began to circulate: a small reptile accidentally fell into the mold and its body was imprinted forever. Or at least, for those who want to imagine it. True or not (normally the reptile would have disintegrated with the heat), the story has become deeply rooted among the residents of this village in Axarquía. So much so, that a ritual emerged that still brings smiles today: young men and women seeking a partner had to climb up to the belfry and kiss the figure of the lizard to attract luck in love.

Some claim it worked on the first try, and others confess that they needed an extra kiss for it to take effect. With the arrival of Valentine's Day, the story gains prominence again.

However, this legend cannot be understood without the setting where it takes place. The tower that houses the bell is actually the minaret of the old mosque of Árchez, now integrated into the Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation. Built between the 13th and 14th centuries, it is considered one of the finest examples of Mudejar architecture in the province. Made of red brick, with sebka panels, friezes of pointed arches, and an interior staircase covered by small vaults, the minaret was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1979 and is the great emblem of this municipality, the smallest in surface area of Málaga.

In recent years, the City Council has sought to enhance the presence of the legend in the urban landscape. At the foot of the temple, very close to the tower, a corner has been created that has become almost as popular as the bell itself: a bench, red pots, and a ceramic lizard climbing a whitewashed wall under the phrase "Kiss me in Árchez." This staging summarizes the story and invites visitors to take photos or seal the visit with a kiss.

The most romantic still look up towards the bell where they say it all began. Just in case, it never hurts to follow tradition: if on Valentine's Day it's time to try your luck, it's best done in one of the most charming villages of Axarquía and with a supposed lizard that plays Cupid from the belfry if asked.

Visiting Árchez these days with the excuse of getting to know the legend of the lizard and the bell or the minaret itself can be complemented with the Los Molinos hiking trail, a thrilling circular route that leads to Canillas de Albaida using some walkways and old irrigation channels.