Page 9 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

HOW T O USE THIS GUIDE  7
CENTR AL SP AIN  383
CASTILLA-LA MANCHA
Guadalajara • Cuenca • Toledo •
Albacete • Ciudad Real
La Mancha’s empty beauty, its windmills and medieval
castles, silhouetted above the sienna plains, was
immortalized by Cervantes in Don Quixote’s epic Introduction
adventures. Its brilliantly sunlit, wide horizons are one of
the classic images of Spain. This scarcely visited region has Spain Area by Area
great, scenic mountain ranges, dramatic gorges and the two 1The landscape, history
monument-filled cities of Toledo and Cuenca.
You will always find a castle nearby in this gorges; on two sides it spills down and character of each Apart from Barcelona, Madrid
region – as the name Castilla sug gests. steep hill sides. Villanueva de los Infantes,
Most were built in the 9th–12th centuries, Chinchilla, Alcaraz and Almagro are
when the region was a battle ground towns of character built between the region is outlined here, and Seville, the country has
between Christians and Moors. Others 16th and 18th centuries. Ocaña and
mark the 14th- and 15th-century frontiers Tembleque each has a splendid
bet ween the kingdoms of Aragón and plaza mayor (main square). showing how the area been divided into 12 regions,
Castile. Sigüenza, Belmonte, Alarcón, La Mancha’s plains are brightened by
Molina de Aragón and Calatrava la natural features of great beauty in its two has developed over the
Nueva are among the most impressive. national parks – the Tablas de Daimiel, and
Toledo, which was the capital of Cabañeros, within the Montes de Toledo. each of which has a separate
Visigothic Spain, is an outstanding Rimming the plains are beautiful upland centuries and what it has
museum city. Its rich architectural and areas: the olive groves of the Alcarria; chapter. The most interesting
artistic heritage derives from a coa- Cuenca’s lime stone mountains; and the
lescence of Muslim, Christian and Jewish peaks of the Sierra de Alcaraz. The wine to offer to the visitor today.
cultures with medieval and Renaissance region of La Mancha is the world’s largest
ideas and influences. expanse of vineyards. Around Consuegra cities, towns and villages,
Cuenca is another attractive city. Its and Albacete fields turn mauve in autumn
and other places to visit, are
Old Town is perched above converging as the valuable saffron crocus blooms.
numbered on a Regional Map.
384  CENTR AL SP AIN C ASTILLA-LA M ANCHA  385
Exploring Castilla-La Mancha
Campisábalos
The historic city of Toledo is Castilla-La Mancha’s major
tourist destination. Less crowded towns with historical ATIENZA Zaragoza
charm include Almagro, Oropesa, Alcaraz and Guadalajara. Maranchón
At Sigüenza, Calatrava, Belmonte and Alarcón there are Sorbe Cogolludo SIGÜENZA Alcolea Embid
medieval castles, reminders of the region’s eventful past. del Pinar Regional Map
Some towns on the plains of La Mancha, such as El Toboso Jadraque Tajuña Virgen de MOLINA DE
and Campo de Criptana, are associated with the adventures
Windmills above Campo de Criptana on the plains of La Mancha Brihuega Cifuentes la Hoz Parque Natural ARAGÓN
of Don Quixote (see p399). The wooded uplands of the
del Alto Tajo
Hanging Houses over the Huécar ravine in Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha GUADALAJARA Tajo Villanueva de Alcorón 2This shows the road net work
Serranía de Cuenca, the Alcarria and the Sierra de Alcaraz
provide picturesque scenic routes. A haven for bird lovers 0 kilometres 50 Lupiana Beteta
is the wetland nature reserve of the Tablas de Daimiel. 0 miles 30 Madrid Sacedón and gives an illustrated
382-383_EW_Spain.indd All Pages 20/07/2015 11:40 LA ALCARRIA Alcocer Priego Cattle grazing on the isolated plains of La Mancha
Ávila Pastrana Buendía Tragacete
Sights at a Glance Embalse de Cañaveras
Buendía
1 Atienza Madrid Villalba SERRANÍA DE CUENCA overview of the whole region.
2 Sigüenza Escalona Madrid Tajo Ciudad
3 Molina de Aragón Tiétar Maqueda ILLESCAS Huete Júcar Encantada
4 La Alcarria Alberche Guadarrama Carrascosa CUENCA Cañete All interesting places to visit
del Campo
5 Guadalajara TALAVERA Aranjuez Tarancón UCLÉS Teruel
6 Serranía de Cuenca Lagartera DE LA REINA Ocaña Saelices Guadazaón Moya
7 Cuenca pp388–9 Cáceres OROPESA Alcaudete Bargas TOLEDO SEGÓBRIGA San Lorenzo Carboneras Key
de Guadazaón
8 Segóbriga El Puente del de la Jara Tajo Guadamur de la Parrilla Cardenete Motorway are numbered and there are
9 Uclés Arzobispo San Martín de Lillo Corral de Almaguer Embalse de Mira Major road
Montalbán
0 Illescas La Nava de Menasalbas TEMBLEQUE Villaescusa Alarcón Secondary road
q Talavera de la Reina Ricomalillo Sevilleja de Orgaz de Haro Honrubia Scenic route also useful tips on getting
w Oropesa la Jara MONTES DE TOL E D O Los Yébenes EL TOBOSO BELMONTE ALARCÓN Minglanilla Main railway
e Montes de Toledo Anchuras Retuerta Mota del Cuervo Valencia
r Toledo pp392–7 Parque Nacional Pueblo Nuevo CONSUEGRA Iniesta Minor railway
del Bullaque
CAMPO DE CRIPTANA
t Tembleque de Cabañeros Urda Alcázar de Socuéllamos San Clemente Cabriel Regional border to, and around, the region
y Consuegra del Bullaque Puerto Lápice San Juan Júcar Alborea Summit
u Campo de Criptana C A S T I L L A - L A M A N C H A Mahora ALCALÁ DEL
i El Toboso Puebla de Guadiana Porzuna La Roda Jorquera JÚCAR
o Belmonte Mérida Don Rodrigo TABLAS DE Daimiel Tomelloso Munera La Gineta Casas de by car and public transport.
DAIMIEL
p Alarcón Agudo Piedrabuena LAGUNAS DE ALBACETE Juan Núñez
a Alcalá del Júcar Ciudad Real Manzanares La Solana RUIDERA El Bonillo
s Albacete Abenójar Moral de Cueva de Balazote Chinchilla de Valencia
Montesinos
f Alcaraz Chillón Almadén ALMAGRO Calatrava San Carlos Monte Aragón Bonete Almansa
g Lagunas de Ruidera Puertollano VALDEPEÑAS Viveros Robledo Cañada Pozo Alicante
del Valle
h Villanueva de los Infantes Alamillo Caudete (Alacant)
j Valdepeñas CALATRAVA Santa Cruz VILLANUEVA DE ALCARAZ Ontur
k Viso del Marqués Plaza del Judío 1106m LA NUEVA VISO DEL de Mudela Las LOS INFANTES Guadalmena Liétor Hellín
VALLE DE ALCUDIA
l Calatrava la Nueva MARQUÉS Virtudes Mundo Ayna
z Almagro Jaén Ubeda SIERRA DE ALCARAZ Murcia
Elche de la Sierra
x Tablas de Daimiel Yeste
c Valle de Alcudia Arguellite Férez
Letur Fiesta boxes highlight
Tours
d Sierra de Alcaraz Nerpio
the best traditional fiestas
Getting Around
Castilla-La Mancha is best explored by car in the region.
as it is well endowed with a network of
motorways radiating outwards from Madrid.
The region is also served by high-speed AVE
trains which run between Madrid, Seville,
Toledo and Albacete (via Cuenca). Otherwise,
The tranquil Montes de Toledo public transport is infrequent and slow. The village of Alcalá del Júcar
For keys to symbols see back flap
390  CENTR AL SP AIN C ASTILLA-LA M ANCHA  391
R Hospital de la Caridad e Montes de Toledo
Calle Cardenal Cisneros 2. Tel 925 Castilla-la Mancha’s
54 00 35. Open Mon–Sat. & 7 Toledo. @ Pueblo Nuevo del Fiestas
Bullaque. n Parque Nacional de
Cabañeros, 926 78 32 97. 8 La Endiablada (2–3 Feb)
Each area of Spain can be quickly q Talavera de ∑ turismocabaneros.com Almonacid del Marquesado
(Cuenca). At the start of the
la Reina
To the southwest of Toledo a
two-day-long “Fiesta of the
identified by its colour coding, Toledo. * 89,000. £ @ n range of low mountains sweeps Bewitched”, men and boys,
gaudily dressed as “devils”, with
C/ Ronda del Cañillo 22, 925 82 63 22.
towards Extremadura. In
cowbells strapped to their
medieval times the Montes de
( Wed & 1st Sat of month. _ Las
shown on the inside front cover. Mondas (Sat after Easter), Feria de San Toledo were owned by bishops backs, gather in the house of
their leader, the Diablo Mayor.
Isidro (15–18 May), Virgen del Prado
and the kings. They cover some
They accompany the images
1,000 sq km (386 sq miles).
(8 Sep), Feria de San Mateo (20–23
of the Virgen de la Candelaria
Remains of a Roman building in Segóbriga Sep). ∑ talavera.org Traditional embroidery work in Lagartera, The attractive nature re serve (Virgin of Candlemas) and St
of the Parque Nacional de
Blaise in procession. As the
A ruined 15th-century bridge
Cabañeros (see pp34–5)
8 Segóbriga from 1174, because of its cen tral across the Tagus marks the near Oropesa encloses a sizable area of devils dance alongside the
floats bearing the saints’
location. The austere building you entrance to the old part of this woodland and pastures used
Saelices, Cuenca, CM-310, km 58. see today is mainly Renaissance busy market town. From the w Oropesa for grazing sheep. The easiest images, they ring their
Tel 629 75 22 57. Open Tue–Sun. bells loudly and incessantly.
Museum: Closed some public hols. but over laid with Baroque detail. bridge you can walk past the Toledo. * 2,900. £ n Calle access to the park is from
& 8 by appt. ∑ visitclm.com It has a magnificent carved surviving part of the Moorish Hospital 10, 925 43 02 01. ( Mon & Pueblo Nuevo del Bullaque.
From here it is possible to make
wooden ceiling and staircase.
and medieval wall to the 12th-
Thu. _ Virgen de Peñitas (8–10 Sep),
Detailed information The small ruined Roman city century collegiate church. It Beato Alonso de Orozco (19 Sep). four-hour guided trips in Land
Rovers, during which you may
has a small but beautiful Gothic
of Segóbriga, near the town
∑ oropesadetoledo.org
of Saelices, is located in open, 0 Illescas cloister, and 18th-century belfry. Oropesa’s medieval and spot wild boar, deer and
unspoiled countryside close to
imperial eagles. In the
Talavera’s ceramic work shops
3 All the important towns and the Madrid–Valencia motor way. Toledo. * 23,500. £ @ n Plaza still produce the blue and yellow Re naissance splendour as one pasturelands stand chozos,
Mercado 14, 925 51 10 51. ( Thu.
of Toledo’s satellite com munities conical refuges for shepherds.
azulejos (tiles) which have been a
The Romans who lived here
_ Fiesta de Milagro (11 Mar), Virgen
trade mark of the town since the
has left a charming old quarter
exploited the surrounding area,
In the eastern foothills of the
de la Caridad (31 Aug). ∑ illescas.es
other places to visit are described growing cereals, felling timber Illescas was the summer 16th century; but nowadays at the centre of today’s small Montes de Toledo is Orgaz,
and mining minerals.
farming town. A circular Ruta
with a parish church which
they also make domestic and
location for Felipe II’s court.
contains works by El Greco.
decorative objects.
Monumental starts from the
Many parts of the city can be
explored. The 1st-century theatre While there is little to see of its A good selection of azulejos massive, mainly 15th-century Nearby villages, such as Los
individually. They are listed in – which has a capacity of 2,000 Old Town, the 16th-century can be seen in the large Ermita castle on the top of the hill. A Yébenes and Ventas con Peña
Hospital de la Caridad,
de la Virgen del Prado by
people – is sometimes used for
Renaissance extension – thought Aguilera, are known for their
near the Iglesia
to be the work of Juan de Herrera,
leather goods and restaurants
the river. Many of the
perform ances today. Segóbriga
order, following the numbering also had a necropolis, an amphi- de Santa María interior walls have 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
(12th–13th cen tury
superb 16th- to 20th-
theatre, a temple to Diana and
La Endiablada fiesta
century tile friezes
castle in the 16th century by the small church of Santa María
and reno vated in
public baths. The quarries which
wealthy and influential Álvarez
Romería del Cristo del
the 15th), has an
de Melque, believed to date
supplied the stone to build the
of religious scenes.
Sahúco (Whit Monday, May/
on the Regional Map. Within each city can also be seen. important art collec- Ceramics in Talavera century convent, the family. Part of the castle has back to the 8th century. Close Jun), Peñas de San Pedro
Housed in a 17th-
tion, including five
by is the Templar castle of
been converted into a parador.
Nearby, a small mu seum has
(Albacete). A cross-shaped
Montalbán, a vast but ruined
Museo Ruiz de Luna
late El Grecos (see
The Ruta Monumental con-
some of the site’s finds, although
coffin bearing a figure of
workshop
houses the private
tinues around the town, taking
12th-century fortress. Nearer
p395). The subjects of
the best statues are in Cuenca’s
Christ is carried 15 km (9 miles)
Talavera pottery
town or city, there is detailed Museo Arqueológico (see p388). three of these are the collection and personal works in a number of churches, con- to Toledo, at Guadamur, there here from its shrine by men
vents, a small ceramics mu seum
is another handsome castle.
Nativity, the Annunciation and
dressed in white.
of ceramist Juan Ruiz de Luna.
and the town hall which
the Coronation of the Virgin.
9 Monasterio de
La Caballada (Whit
presides over the main square.
Sunday, early Jun), Atienza
information on important Uclés Environs (Guadalajara). Horsemen
follow the route across country
Uclés, Cuenca. Tel 969 13 50 58.
Open 10am–6pm daily (till 8pm Jul & The area around Oropesa is taken by the 12th-century
excellent for buying handicrafts.
muleteers of Atienza, who
buildings and other sights. ∑ visitclm.com Lagartera, just to the west of are said to have saved the boy
Aug). Closed 1 & 6 Jan, 25 Dec. &
King Alfonso VIII of Castile from
the town, is famous for the
The small village of Uclés, to the
his uncle, Fernando II.
south of the Alcarria, is domi- embroidery and lacework by Corpus Christi (May/Jun),
the women in the village, and
Toledo. One of Spain’s most
nated by its impressive castle- El Puente del Arzobispo, 12 km dramatic Corpus Christi (see
monastery, nicknamed “El Escorial (7 miles) south of Oropesa, is a p42) proces sions. The
de La Mancha” for the similarity good source of painted ceramics cathedral monstrance (see
of its church’s profile to that of El and esparto (grass-weaving) p396) is paraded in the
Escorial (see pp334–5). Originally work. Ciudad de Vascos, further streets, whose walls are
an impregnable medieval for tress, southeast, is a ruined 10th- adorned with 48 17th-
Uclés became the monastery century Arab city in splendid A chozo (shepherd’s cabin) in the Parque century Flemish tapestries.
seat of the Order of Santiago Part of a frieze of tiles in Talavera’s Ermita del Virgen del Prado countryside around Azután. Nacional de Cabañeros
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp570–71 and pp595–7
396  CENTR AL SP AIN T OLEDO  397
Toledo Cathedral 390-391_EW_Spain.indd All Pages . Transparente VISITORS’ CHECKLIST 20/07/2015 11:40
This Baroque
The splendour of Toledo’s massive cathedral . Sacristy altarpiece of marble, Practical Information
reflects its history as the spiritual heart of the El Greco’s The jasper and bronze, Calle Cardenal Cisneros 1.
by Narciso Tomé,
Church in Spain and the seat of the Primate of all above the marble is illuminated by Tel 925 22 22 41.
Denuding of Christ,
∑ catedralprimada.es
Spain. The Mozarabic Mass, which dates back to altar, was painted an ornate sky light. Open 10am–6:30pm daily For all top sights, a Visitors’ Checklist
Visigothic times, is still said here today. The present especially for the It stands out (from 2pm Sun), last entry 1 hr
cathedral was built on the site of a 7th-century cathedral. Also from the mainly before closing.
Gothic interior.
church. Work began in 1226 and spanned three Titian, Van Dyck provides the practical information you
here are works by
5 8am, 10am, 10:30am, 5:30pm,
centuries, until the completion of the last vaults in and Goya. 6:30pm Mon–Sat, 8am, 9am,
11am, noon, 1pm, 5:30pm,
1493. This long period of construction explains the 6:30pm Sun (Catholic); 9am Mon–
cathedral’s mixture of styles: pure French Gothic – Sat, 9:45am Sun (Mozarabic). will need to plan your visit.
complete with flying buttresses – on the exterior; Choir, Treasury, Sacristy and
with Spanish decorative styles, such as Mudéjar Chapter house:
Open as above. & ^ 7 9.
and Plateresque work, used in the interior.
Chapterhouse
Above 16th-century frescoes Spain’s top sights
by Juan de Borgoña is this
View of Toledo Cathedral multicoloured Mudéjar ceiling,
Dominating the city skyline unique in the city.
is the Gothic tower at the 4 These are given two or more
west end of the nave. The
best view of the cathedral,
and the city, is from the
parador (see p571). full pages. Historic buildings
KEY
1 The Puerta del Mollete, on the are dissected to reveal their
west façade, is the main entrance to
the cathedral. From this door,
mollete, or soft bread, was
distributed to the poor. interiors. The most interesting
2 The belfry in the tower contains
a heavy bell known as La Gorda (“the
Fat One”). towns or city centres are
3 The Cloister, on two floors, was The polychrome reredos, one of the
. High Altar Reredos
built in the 14th century on the site Entrance via Puerta Llana most beautiful in Spain, depicts
of the old Jewish market. scenes from Christ’s life.
4 Capilla de Santiago shown in a bird’s-eye view,
5 The Capilla de San Ildefonso
contains the superb Plateresque
tomb of Cardinal Alonso Carrillo with sights picked out
de Albornoz.
6 Puerta de los Leones Monstrance
In the Treasury is the
7 The Puerta del Perdón, or Door 16th-century Gothic and described.
of Mercy, has a tympa num decorated silver and gold mon-
with religious characters. strance. It is carried . Choir
8 The Capilla Mozárabe has a through the streets of The carvings on the wooden lower
beautiful Renaissance ironwork grille, Toledo during the stalls depict scenes of the fall of
carved by Juan Francés in 1524. Corpus Christi cele- Granada. The alabaster upper ones
brations (see p391). show figures from the Old Testament.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp570–71 and pp595–7
396-397_EW_Spain.indd All Pages 20/07/2015 11:40
006-007_EW_Spain.indd 7 27/09/17 10:10 am