Page 393 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

C ASTILLA-LA M ANCHA  391

e Montes de Toledo
Castilla-la Mancha’s
Toledo. @ Pueblo Nuevo del Fiestas
Bullaque. n Parque Nacional de
Cabañeros, 926 78 32 97. 8 La Endiablada (2–3 Feb)
∑ turismocabaneros.com Almonacid del Marquesado
(Cuenca). At the start of the
To the southwest of Toledo two-day-long “Fiesta of the
a range of low mountains Bewitched”, men and boys,
sweeps towards Extremadura. gaudily dressed as “devils”, with
In medieval times the Montes cowbells strapped to their
de Toledo were owned by backs, gather in the house of
bishops and the kings. They their leader, the Diablo Mayor.
cover some 1,000 sq km They accompany the images
(386 sq miles). of the Virgen de la Candelaria
(Virgin of Candlemas) and
The attractive nature re serve St Blaise in procession. As
Traditional embroidery work in Lagartera, of the Parque Nacional de the devils dance alongside
near Oropesa Cabañeros (see pp34–5) encloses the floats bearing the saints’
a sizable area of woodland and images, they ring their bells
w Oropesa pastures used for grazing sheep. loudly and incessantly.
The easiest access to the park is
Toledo. * 2,900. £ n Calle
Hospital 10, 925 43 02 01. ( Mon & from Pueblo Nuevo del Bullaque.
Thu. _ Virgen de Peñitas (8–10 Sep), From here it is possible to
Beato Alonso de Orozco (19 Sep). make four-hour guided trips in
∑ oropesadetoledo.org Land Rovers, during which you
may spot wild boar, deer and
Oropesa’s medieval and imperial eagles. In the pasture-
Re naissance splendour as one lands stand chozos, conical
of Toledo’s satellite com munities refuges for shepherds.
has left a charming old quarter In the eastern foothills of the
at the centre of today’s small Montes de Toledo is Orgaz,
farming town. A circular Ruta with a parish church which
Monumental starts from the contains works by El Greco.
massive, mainly 15th-century Nearby villages, such as Los
castle on the top of the hill. A Yébenes and Ventas con Peña
Renaissance extension – thought Aguilera, are known for their
to be the work of Juan de Herrera, leather goods and restaurants
co-architect of El Escorial (see serving game. One of the so-called “devils” in
pp334–5) – was added to the On the plains stands the small La Endiablada fiesta
castle in the 16th century by the church of Santa María de Melque,
wealthy and influential Álvarez believed to date back to the Romería del Cristo del
Sahúco (Whit Monday, May/
family. Part of the castle has 8th century. Close by is the Jun), Peñas de San Pedro
been converted into a parador. Templar castle of Montalbán, a (Albacete). A cross-shaped
The Ruta Monumental con- vast but ruined 12th-century coffin bearing a figure of
tinues around the town, taking fortress. Nearer to Toledo, at Christ is carried 15 km (9 miles)
in a number of churches, con- Guadamur, there is another here from its shrine by men
vents, a small ceramics mu seum handsome castle. dressed in white.
and the town hall which presides La Caballada (Whit Sunday,
over the main square. early Jun), Atienza (Guadalajara).
Horsemen follow the route
Environs across country taken by
The area around Oropesa is the 12th-century muleteers
excellent for buying handicrafts. of Atienza, who are said to
Lagartera, just to the west of the have saved the boy King
town, is famous for the Alfonso VIII of Castile from
embroidery and lacework by his uncle, Fernando II.
the women in the village, and Corpus Christi (May/Jun),
Toledo. One of Spain’s most
El Puente del Arzobispo, 12 km dramatic Corpus Christi (see
(7 miles) south of Oropesa, is a p42) proces sions. The cathe-
good source of painted ceramics dral monstrance (see p396)
and esparto (grass-weaving) is paraded in the streets,
work. Ciudad de Vascos, further whose walls are adorned
southeast, is a ruined 10th- with 48 17th-century
century Arab city in splendid A chozo (shepherd’s cabin) in the Parque Flemish tapestries.
countryside around Azután. Nacional de Cabañeros

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