Patrimonio del agua, poder y corrupción en Antequera (España). El Convenio de Aguas del río de la Villa de 1854

In Antequera, in 1833, a textile industry emerged without guild control. Especially since that year, the development of this and other industries thanks to the Villa River, whose water emanates from a spring in the Sierra del Torcal, intensified water needs, and thus, conflicts over its supply. This article analyzes the 1854 Villa River Waters Convention, the only one approved for that municipality by the Antequera city council and the provincial government of Málaga in the 19th century, in force at least until 1924. We intend to answer the following questions: who signed it and why was it signed on July 4, 1854? And how did it affect the distribution of water, was it fair, was there corruption?. The research is based on unpublished documentation from the Municipal Historical Archive of Antequera.