rutas quijote en 2005

8/14/2019 Rutas Quijote en 2005

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EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

European RegionalDevelopment Fund

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an imposing specta cle.Furthermore, in an effo rt torevive the mo st graph icaspects of local lore a ndmemo ry, the entire itineraryhas been routed along

highwa ys and b ywa ys in thepublic dom ain, i.e., catt letrails, traditional ways andpat hs, riverbanks and disusedrailway stations.

Classified a s the long est greenw ay in Europe, the route ca nbe covered o n foo t, horsebackor b icycle, in tha t it is perfectlyeq uipped w ith 100 car pa rkslocated at po ints along theregiona l roa d netw ork, 50mo unt a in-hut -like restfacilities situated in the midstof the countryside, plushundreds of map panels,

explanato ry notice bo ards andsignpo st ma rkers. Indeed , t hisis an itinerary tha t could in alljustice b e rat ed ha ndicappe d-accessible ,since 70% of th e rout e is

purpose-designedto affo rd access

to disabled

peo ple. Tra vellers w illthus be a ble to visit as

many as 2,000 points of touristinterest on a route thatcombines art, spirituality,culture and cosmopolitism inthe right proportions. It is nocoincidence that, on gazing

a cross th e limitless horizons ofCastile-La Mancha, the writer,Jean Coctea u, exclaimed, Atlast I ha ve seen the plan et!

THE GEOGRAPHIC SETTING OFDON QUIXOTE

To explore t he Ma nchega ngeog raphy is the ideal w ay tocomprehend the f iner det ailsof Cervantes universe,embodied in the character ofDon Quixot e, roman tic heropar excellence, w ho strove toatt ain ultimate knowledge

an d w isdom , by riding inpursuit of his sta r along theroads of a region, w hich atthe t ime w as dot ted w ithhostelries, country ho uses andinns, and is now o verflow ingw ith litera ry, cultural a ndenvironme nt al values. Theknight ly cha lleng es and duels

of that nobleman ofincommen surab le chivalry a ndbonhomie, unfailinglyaccompan ied by the ever loya land practical Sancho Panza,make for a mixed ba g of t alesand anecdotes set a ga inst a

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kilomet re (1550-mile)ecotourism conservationistcorridor, delimited anddefined bycaad as (ancientw ays used by themestas medieval guilds or

associations of livestockbreeders- to drive their flocksand herds to the w inter andsummer pa stures)

, catt le trailsan d histo rical rout es, andamounting to a n aw esomecross-section o f scenic ge msand a r t with a capital A .A mosaic of plurality and lifetha t runs through 144 tow nsin Castile-La Mancha andforms the backbone o f thevery core o f t his region,faithfully following the trail ofall the main geo graphicallandma rks linked to thead ventures of Do n Quixote , a

literary character that has

taken on a life of its own, tothe point of becoming asymbo l of th e countrysidentity.

The Do n Quixote Route is

conceived as agroundbreaking regiona lmodel, for Spain and theEuropean Union as a w hole,intended to become a culturalodyssey on a par w ith the age-old Pilgrims Way t o Sant iagode Compostela (Camino d e Santiago ) or evo cat ive SilverRout e (Rut a de la Plata ).It a ims at connecting thecountless tourist resourcesboth natural and artistic-scat tered a cross the lengt hand breadth o f the Castilian-Manchegan Region, in anorderly manner. Divided into

ten stretches or legs t hatare designed t o betoured a ndenjoyed at t he

measured pace ofthe journeys of

yesteryear, the purposeof t he route is to join

monumental ensembles and

rural area s, sights o f scenicinterest a nd spacestransformed by nature into


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parish church, Don Quixotew as to utter to Sancho thefamo us phrase, w e havecome up ag ainst t he church ,w hilst the w indmills w ho inhis imagina tion a ssumed th eguise of perfidious giant s,belonged to the tow n ofCampo de Cripta na . And th ereis more to come for theMont esinos Cave also a ppearsin the book. Indeed, it w ashere that he met the w izardMerlin, who explained t o him

the o rigin of t he RuideraLakes, claiming t ha t theseha d a risen by virtue of DoaRuideras da ught ers an dnieces being t ransformed intothe f am ous lago ons. Likew ise,the River Guad iana is theresult of a spell cast b y thew izard o n Duranda rtessquire [Gua diana by nam e],whose grief accounts for

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backdrop w hose lega cy to usis all the g lory of its ancientroots. A gratifying patchwo rkof h isto ric tow ns and villages

distinguished by the g oldenrichness of t heir ston e, a stonetha t exudes a flavour trappedon the palate ofremembrance.

The g allan t a nd implausiblyfa nciful episodes of the m ostinternationa lly renownedSpanish w ork of literatureare framed ag ainstsettings such a s theMedrano Cave.This w as t heformer prisonin the tow n ofArgamasillade Alba ,

w here, tradition ha s it ,Cervantes beg an w riting DonQuixote, the man fat ed to bedubbed a knight in a w ayside

hostelry in Puerto Lpice,thanks to a ceremonyperformed by th e inn-keeper -mista kenly assumed by t henoble Don to be a g reat lord-in the presence of t w o Seville-bound w enches or mo zas de partido (a light ly veiledeuphemism for wo men of

ea sy virtue). His belo vedan d idealisedDulcinea , a

certa in Aldon zaLorenzo ofmodestorigins, livedin El Tobo so,where,

opposite the

the fa ct that t he river appearsand disappears at will.Accordingly, t he pano ply ofcharacters and situations thatconstitute the essence of Do nQuixote occupies a specialplace in Ca stile-La Ma ncha sroll of hono ur.

Don Quixotes thirst for glory,a dreamer at constan t oddsw ith rea lity, is still very muchalive in this territory haloed inancestral legend and memory.

A region w ith its ow naesthet ic, converted -tha nksto the nob lehidalgo - into acultural fo cal point ofuniversal renow n (hidalgo ;literally, son of somet hing ,i.e., ge ntry). As the ide a listicManchegan knight-errant sogra phically demo nstrated inhis w anderings utopias areat ta inable.

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From Toledoto San Clemente via

El Toboso and Belmonte

The Don Quixot e Rout e begins in the venerable city o f Toledo,capital of Castile-La Man cha and UNESCO Wor ld Herit age site.

In this initial section , w alkers w ill have th e chance to discoverth e famou s w indm ills, to w n squares, castles and varied pop ular

architecture, as w ell as see for t hemselves th e environ ment alrichness that t he lakes provide t hroughou t the area.

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Yuncos

Aover de Tajo

Yepes

Villarrubiade SantiagoNoblejas

Santa Cruzde la Zarza Ucls

Fuente dePedro Naha rro

Horcajo de Santiago

Saelices

Villamayorde Santiago

Pueblade Almenara

Villar de Caas

Los Cortijos

UrdaCamuas

Puerto Lpic e

Villarta de San Jua n

El Pedernoso

Las MesasEl Provencio

Orgaz

Villatobas

Tresjuncos

Santa Ma rade los Llanos

Manzaneque

Las Labores

Torrejoncillodel Rey

Carrascosadel Campo

Villaresdel Saz

Ocaa

La Puebla

de Almoradiel

Taranc n

ConsuegraMadridejos

Villarrubiade los Ojos

Villafranc a delos Cab alleros

Herencia PedroMuoz

Las Pedroeras

Los Ybenes

Corralde Almaguer

VillarrobledoSocullamos

Aranjue z

La GuardiaAlmonacidde Toledo

Lillo

Nambroca

Mascaraque Tembleque

Quero El TobosoBelmonte

Cobisa

Burguillosde Toledo

Turleque

El Romeral

Dosbarrios

Villaescusa

de Haro

Osa deLa Vega

Huerta d e Valdecarbanos

La Albercade Zncara

Los HinojososMonrealdel Llano

Fuentelespinode Haro

Carrascosade Haro

Radade Haro

Miguel Esteba n

Mora

Villacaas

Campode Criptana

Motadel C uervo

San Clemente

Quintanarde la Orden

Alczarde San Juan

TOLEDO

Leaving beh ind the na rrow cobbled streets of the old pa rtof Toled o, yo u set outfollow ing the trail tha t a leanmounted gent leman a nd hissquire left along thesetho rough fa res some 400 yearsag o. After pa ssing byNambroca and the AlmonacidCastle o f Toledo, the routesplits into t w o. The mo stnortherly one g oes toLa Gua rdia a nd Lillo, w ithseveral lakes to visit ne a rby,such as Lon ga r an d el Altillo.

If you ta ke the southern fork,aft er passing throughMascaraq ue, you soon makeout t he out line of t he ruins ofPeas Negras Castle in Mora ,keeping w atch over the roadto Tembleque . In t his to w nyou can stop to take a strollthrough the Main Squa re orPlaza Mayor, one of theloveliest in all La Mancha,with arcades resting on

granite columns and w oodenga lleries in seventeent h-century style. Villaca a s ca nboa st a special feature know nin Spa nish as silos , i.e.,

Toled o street

M ain squar e, Temb lequ e. Toledo

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an d g at ew ays. This sectionfinishes in San Clement e,famo us for its Plaza Mayoran d o fficially declared a histo ric ensemble f or themonumenta l nature of its

churches, palaces and stat elyhomes, which have beenpatiently aw aiting w alkers formore th an f our centuries.

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underground dwellings, whicha re still in use. Tw o n ew turn-offs along the roa d convergeag ain in Campo de Criptanaafter passing through Queroor th e series of lakes atAlcza r de San Jua n, a refug e

for La Ma nchas variedbirdlife. The land scap esurrounding Mota del Cuervois still overlooked by t hesilhouett es of the a ge-oldw indmills that needed w ind-pow er to defeat Don Quixoteand have made the a reafamous worldwide. You soona rrive in El Tob oso, w herelovely Dulcinea lived una w areof t he fo lly caused by herbeauty, and w here the Museo

Cervant ino or Cervant esMuseum has the manyeditions of Don Quixote o ndispla y. You ca n pa y a visit t oBelmonte, w ith itsextraordina ry series ofmonum ents, includingimportan t civil and religiousbuildings and an impressivedef ensive enclosure consistingof a castle, defen sive w alls

Belmon te Castle. Cuenca

Windm ills in M ota del Cuervo. Cuenca

El Tob oso. Tole do

Typical scener y. Alczar d e San Juan. Ciu dad Real

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PARQUE NATURAL DELAS LAGUNAS DE RUIDERA

Santa Marta

Sotulamos

Pinilla

Vara de Rey

Sisante

Barrax

Lezuza

Munera

El Bonillo

Robledo

Villanuevade la Fuente

Ossa de Mo ntiel

Alhambra

San Carlosdel Valle

Ruidera

Viveros

Povedilla

El TobosoEl Pedernoso

Casasde Lzaro

El Ballestero

Santa Ma rade los Llanos

QueroMota

del C uervo

Campode C riptana

Argamasillade Alba

La Solana

Alczarde San Juan

To me llo so

Fuenllana

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Las Mesas El Provencio

Villanuevade los Infantes

Villarrobledo

Las Pedroeras

San C lementePedroMuoz

Socullamos

Cueva de Montesinos

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From San Clemente toVillanueva de los Infantesvia the Ruidera LakesBesides allowing visitors to get t o know some of the mo st imp ort ant series of mo num ents in La M ancha, these sites also off er the chance to visit one of the m ost extensive areas of lakes in Spain, an essent ial stop over f or m igrato ry bird s on

their journey betw een Europ e and Af rica.

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Santa Marta

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Vara de Rey

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El Bonillo

Robledo

Alcaraz


Ossa de Montiel

Montiel

Alhambra

San Carlosdel Valle

Ruidera

Viveros

Povedilla

El TobosoEl Pedernoso

Casasde Lzaro

El Ballestero

Santa Marade los Llanos

Quero del Cuervo

Campode Criptana

Argamasillade Alba

La Solana

Alczarde San Juan

Tom e llos o

Fuenllana

Villahermosa

Las Mesas El Provencio


Villarrobledo

Las Pedroeras

San ClementePedroMuoz

Socullamos

Cueva de Montesinos

Althoug h travellerscan choose fromamo ng three branchesin San Clemente, it isad visable to start inthe d irection of LasPedroera s across land

San Clemen te. Cuen ca

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in the Sant o DomingoMona stery, w hich now provides touristaccommod at ion. The tow n isstudded w ith churches,convents and stately homes,such as the House of Diego deMiranda, w ho, according totradition, w as the famousKnight o f the Green Gaba n(tunic), w hose fe at s Cervantesso often ha d Don Quixotepraise.

tha t can quite rightly boast ofproducing the best g arlic inSpain. Then hea d w estw ardsto visit Lake Ped ro Muo z.Back on the ma in section, youwill come to El Provencio,surrounded b y the w aters ofthe River Zncara. From t here,the Don Quixote Routecontinues on its way to w ardsVillarrobledo, which conservesimportan t remains of its past,such a s the Plaza Mayor (MainSquare) and t he churches ofSan Blas an d San Sebastin,along w ith many w ine cellars,a sta ple of the local econo my.

Here, w ine is still sto red a s itused to be hundreds of yearsag o, in huge ancient vatsmade of local earth.

Further south, a round Ossa de

Montiel, are tw o places tha tw ere particularly importa nt inDon Quixot es adventures:ma gical Montesinos Cave,w here he went back in time,an d the ruins of Rocha fridaCastle. Nearby is Lagunas deRuidera Nat ural Park, adelight ful series of te ctoniclakes which a re now protectedfor their scenic importanceand for the large amount o fwildlife they host, includingred-crested po chard a ndma rsh ha rrier. Once ag ain enroute, a little further on, youw ill be able to make out t heout line o f Villan ueva d e losInfantes, officially recognisedas a historic ensemble for itsimportan ce as a Rena issancea nd Ba rroq ue site. This isw here Quevedo died, in a cell

Villarrobledo. Albacete

Mo nt esino s Cave. Albacete Ruider a Lakes. Ciudad Real

Villanu eva de los Infan tes.Ciudad Real

Rochaf rida. Ossa de Mon tiel. Alb acete

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Emb. d e laCabezuela

J a b a l n

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n d u l a

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Atalayade la Calzada


PARQUE NACIONALDE LAS

TABLAS DE DAIMIEL

Solanadel Pino

San Lorenzode C alatrava

Puente de Gnave

Villahermosa

Villanuevade San Carlos

Montiel

Alhambra

Ruidera

Carrinde Calatrava

Fernn C aba llero

Fuenllana

Santa Cruz delos Cnamos

Puebladel Prncipe

Terrinches

Czar

Pozuelo de Calatrava

Corral deCalatrava

Poblete

Valenzuelade Calatrava

Argamasillade Ca latrava

Miguelturra

Daimiel

Argamasillade Alba

La Solana

Malagn To me llos o

CIUDAD REAL

Valdepe as

Calzadade Calatrava

AlmagroBolaos

de Ca latrava

Moralde Calatrava

ManzanaresMembrilla

Santa Cruzde Mudela


Aldea del Rey

Grantulade Calatrava

San Carlosdel Valle

Castellarde Santiago

Viso de lMarqus

Almuradiel

Villamanrique

Torre de J uan Abad Almedina Torrenueva

Convento-castillo de Calatrava la Nueva

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Heading in a south erlydirection, leaving be hind themonum ents of Villan ueva de

los Infantes, the road makesits w ay dow n to solitary

Mont izn Castle in themunicipality of Villamanrique,where anyone who

approa ches its wa lls can enjoythe lovely panora mic view of

From Villanueva de losInfantes to Almagro andCalatrava la Nueva

The third sector o f t he route t akes you t o th e boundaries ofLa Mancha, through the remot e corners of mo untain rangesto w hich the Knight, Don Quixote, retired in order to pon der his new and reckless undertakin gs.

the River Guadaln at theirfeet, flow ing a midst thickMediterranean woodland,w here lynx, imperial ea glean d b lack sto rk still range .Travellers sho uld th en h ea dnorth tow ards the vast plainsof La Mancha . Further on, youare faced with tw o options: togo t ow ards Sant a Cruz deMudela or Almuradiel. Other histo ric ensembles in the

area are Moral de Calatra va

Black sto rk

Mo ntizn Castle. Villamanrique.Ciud ad Real

Villanu eva de los Infan tes.Ciudad Real

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de Comedias (open-airthea tre). The rout e end s in t heSacred Monastery-Castle ofCalatrava la Nueva in Aldea

del Rey, from w here the pea ksof Sierra Morena a re onceag ain visible in the dista nce.

an d Viso d el Marqus, w iththe impressive pala ce of t hefirst Ma rquis of Santa Cruz,w hich, in spite of be ing so farfrom the sea, now adayshouses the National Archivesof the Span ish Navy.Returning t o the main pathan d crossing La CabezuelaReservoir, travellers will beable to make out Valdepeas

amid a sea of vines. A visit tothe coo l of th e Church of LosTrinitarios and to the w inecella rs is a m ust. Cont inuingnorthw ards, visitors shouldnot m iss the chan ce to ta ke a

pleasant stroll through thePlaza Mayor of San Carlos delValle, where time seems toha ve stood still. Following thecourse of th e River Azuer,dott ed w ith wa ter mills, yousoon reach Manza nares,formerly a crossroa ds on t hedrover roads of the Medievallivestock farmers associationcalled La Mesta a nd now ada ysthe hub of t he ent ire district.Make your wa y westwa rds toAlmagro , a histo ricensemble , who se interestingsight s include t he Plaza Mayor(Main Squa re) an d th e Corral

Main square, Alm agro. Ciudad Real

Viso d el M arq us. Ciu dad Real

Vineyards. San Carlos del Valle. Ciudad Real

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This w a lk sta rts inFuencaliente, w hosebeneficial spa w ater g averise to its na me, w hichmeans hot spring . Besidesthe enjoyable spa, ma ny

cave paintings in the areaalso merit your attent ion a sthey contain some of theoldest remains testifying tothe presence of peo ple inCastile-La Mancha, e.g. thePea Escrita Paintings a ndLa Ba ta nera Cave. Fromthere, a turn-off allow svisitors to g et t o know LaBienvenida Archae olog icalSite a nd t he scenery of th eSierra de Alcudia. Further

on, a new turn-off leads toBraza to rta s. This sector ha sma ny off-shoo ts, but it isbest to continue in a spiraland fol low the roadeastw ards to the largetow ns of Almodvar del

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From Valle de Alcudia toCampo de Calatrava

This sectio n, brimm ing w ith places and sights related w ith Cervan tes, can boast ancestral hu man p resence, spa w ater,volcanoes, M editerranean w ood land and d ehesas (grassland dot ted w ith t rees), as w ell as vast tracts of vines, olive trees and cereal fields dot ted w ith castles and f ort resses th at are milestones in Spanish history.

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Roble


Santa Marta

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Reo lid

Barrax

La Gineta

Pozuelo

Pozohondo

Alcadozo

Bogarra Ayna

Litor

MolinicosElche

Ripar

Lezuza

Munera

El Bonillo

Robledo

Alcaraz

Albaladejo


Ossa d e Mo ntiel

Balazote

Montiel

Viveros

VillapalaciosSalobre

Bienservida

Vianos

Povedilla

Casasde Lzaro

La Herrera

El Ballestero

Helln

ALBAC ETE

Pea Escrit a . Ciud ad Real

Olive gro ves. Toled o

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Calatrava la NuevaM onastery-Castle. Ciudad Real

2 0

Campo and Puertollano,w ith their importantexamples of industrialmining-related architecture.Once past Villanueva de SanCarlos, two branchesconfront e ach ot her, as theirtw o fa mous fortificationsalso a ppear to do . One, theSacred Monastery-Castle ofCalatrava la Nueva in Aldeadel Rey, built in t hethirteenth century, ha sthree w alled enclosures an da church belonging to themona stery that t he Ordermaintained there. Not faraw ay a re the ruins of

Salvat ierra Castle in Calzad ade Calatrava, built over anIslamic fo rtress, w hich inturn wa s erected on aRoma n site. The roa d no w runs close to ColumbaVolcano in Gran tula de

Calatrava, w here you canvisit th e Chapel of t heVirgen de Zuqueca, veryimportant in archeologicalterms for the rema ins ofVisigothic stelae found

there and a Bronze Ageburial site. In Va lenzuela deCalatrava this sectionmerges w ith No. 8.Continue as far as Poblete,and then head southwa rdsto Almod var del Campo ,w here there are furtherimportan t Pa laeolithic sitessuch a s Lake Reta ma r.After turning northw ards atLa Nava, the route e nds inCorral de Calatrava across alandscape tha t conta ins themost importa nt craters andvolcan ic fea tures in thedistrict.

From Albaceteto Alcaraz andBienservida

From Albacete, the m ost populated m unicipality in Castile-La M ancha, and af ter taking partial advantage of the platfo rm of the Baeza- Utiel railw ay line, w hich w as never inaugurated, this route heads into th e leafy vegetation of a mountain rang e called Sierra de Al carz as f aras th eboundaries w ithSierra M orena.

Winery. Almodvar del Campo.Ciudad Real

Albacete Cathedral

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Cortes, an importa nt centrefor pilgrimag e, and the to w ncentre, whose many examplesof architecture include t he

Church of la SantsimaTrinidad, the Plaza Mayor orMain Squa re, Lonja d elCorreg ido r, El Ta rd n Tow erand the long Calle Mayor orMain Street, w ith emblazonedsta tely ho mes. Finally, a crossthe Sierra de Alcar z, youa rrive in Bienservid a . The re isthe chance to visit Reolid Spaon t he ba nks of t he RiverAngo sillo, very close to t he

protected micro-reserve ofEl Estrecho del Hocino RiverCanyon, a refuge for ott ers,w here the peaceful w atersare an o pen invitation totake a dip.

2 2

Before starting o ut, travellersshould discover some of thema ny surprises aw aiting t hemin Albacete, including theCathed ral and ProvincialMuseum, with importantsections devoted to

archaeology, ethnology, thedecorat ive a rts and prehisto ry.Any reference t o Albacetemust n ecessarily include amention o f the mo st symbolicproducts among its localcraf tsmanship, i.e. variouskinds of knives and scissors, onsale in ma ny local shops. From

here, visitors should make forBalazote, w hich ow es its

internationa l fame t o thediscovery nearby of asculpture tha t is rega rded a s apiece d e resistan ce of Iberianart. Know n as the Bicha deBalazo te , it depicts a restingbull w ith the head of a

bearded man, and wa sprobably part of t hedecoration of a t emple.Continuing along the ba nks ofthe River Jardn, you cross tw onotable wetlands: Lake Ojosde Villa verde a nd LakeArquillo prior to reachingRobledo . In t he environs of

Alcaraz you will come acrossthe Sanctua ry of the Virgen de

322

310

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0 6

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0 4

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0 6

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0 2

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0

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Emb.de lCena jo

Emb.de Talave

Emb. deLa Fuensanta

LagunaOjos de Villave rde

Lagunade lArquillo

J a r d n

G u a d

a l m

e n a

Almenara

1798

10701257

Roble


Sotulamos

Pozo Caad a

Argue llite

Pinilla

Rip a r Viejo

Reo lid

Barrax

La Gineta

Pozuelo

Pozohondo

Alcadozo

BogarraAyna

Litor

MolinicosElche

de la Sierra

YesteLetur

SocovosPuente

de Gnave Siles

Ripar

Lezuza

Munera

El Bonillo

Robledo

Alcaraz

Albaladejo


Ossa de Montiel

Balazote

Montiel

Viveros


Bienservida

Vianos

Povedilla

Casasde Lzaro

La Herrera

El Ballestero

Helln

ALBACETE

M ain squar e, Alcaraz.Albacete

Bicha d e Balazote. Albacete

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25

You set of f from La Roda , hubof communications w ith theeast of the Pen insula.This tow ns street s cont aingood examples of civil andreligious architecture.

Heading south, travellers willfind at Munera a branch routefrom San Clemente going toLos Cam pos de Mo ntiel.Along this section t here is asurprising number of typicalvaulted circular stoneconstructions called cucos , cubillos or chozos ,

24

From La Roda toLos Campos de Montiel

North of Albacete, the La Mancha plain can also surprise w alkers w ith lo vely river canyons such as tho se the River Jcar has etched out w ith in finit e patience.

310

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0 2

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0

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Emb.de Guada lmena

J a b a

l n

G u a d

a l n

Almenaras

1798

1001

1257

Roble

1087

Bolos


Santa Marta

Sotu lamos

Rip ar Viejo

Pinilla

Barrax

La Gineta

Pozuelo

Alcadozo

Bogarra Ayna

Molinicos

Elchede la Sierra

LeturSiles

Ripar

Castellarde Santiago

Ossa d e Mo ntiel

Balazote

Montiel

Alhambra

San Carlosdel Valle

Ruidera


Bienservida

Vianos

Las MesasEl Provencio

Casasde Lzaro

La Herrera

Czar

PedroMuoz

Villarrobledo

Argamasillade Alba

Socullamos


La Solana

Alc zarde San Juan

Tom e llo so

Munera

El Bonillo

Robledo

Alcaraz

El Ballestero

ViverosPovedilla

Villamanrique

Torre de J uan Abad Almedina

Puebladel Prncipe


VillahermosaFuenllana

Lezuza

Albaladejo

Terrinches

Santa Cruz de los Cnamos

La Roda

Rush w ickerwork. Alb acete

La Roda. A lbacete

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26

some of the m still in use,w here local shepherds usedto ta ke shelter. Along t hepath, t wo lateral turn-offssoon a ppear leading to thenea rby villag es of El Bonilloand Lezuza, bo th w ell-know nfor t heir high-quality craft smade of esparto grass andw ickerw ork. The la tt er is alsoan important archaeological

site, w here you can see theremains of a n ancient Roma nroad . After crossing an a rea oflakes and befo re reachingEl Ballestero, this section splitsinto tw o. One branch headsfo r Pinilla a nd its salt mines,joining up a little furth er onw ith Section No. 2 linking

San Clemente and Villanueva

de los Infa nt es. The o the rbranch leads to Robledoand from there, af ter passingthrough Alcaraz, alongthe course of the RiverGuadalmena, it continues toPovedilla in the Los Cam posde Montiel district. Afterflanking the tow n bo undaries,the route links up nearTorre de Jua n Abad w ith

Section No. 3 so yo u shouldcarry on unt il in Villah ermosayou come a cross a turn-offto the end of the route.Here you w ill find the remainsof La Estrella Castle, ne arMontiel, the place that , inspite of b eing just a smallvillag e, ga ve its name t o a n

entire landscape.

From Campo de Criptana toTomelloso, Argamasilla deAlba and La Solana

Campo de M ont iel. Ciudad Real

The advent ures of t he Ingenious Knight cover the heart of La Mancha from north to south on t his route, w hich begins in Campo de Criptana at t he foot of the f amous wind mills set on the r ises of th e Sierra de la Paz moun tain ran ge.

Campo de Cript ana. Ciudad Real

Although the Campode Criptana areaonce had as many as34 windm ills, t heidentifying symbolof the district,

now ada ys there are

Tom elloso. Ciudad Real

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Escalonilla Mocejn Yepes

H j d S tiHuerta de

ValdecarbanosVillatobas

Dosbarrios


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28

uncommon to spot steppebirds such as g reat bustards,stone curlew s and littlebustards. A narrow turn-offta kes you t o Tome lloso,w hich still conserves ma nytestimonies to its past, such asthe Po sad a d e los Portales,and w here you can visit the

museum dedicated tolocal-born painter AntonioLp ez Torre s. The ma in ro ut econtinues, offering a n ew turn-off to Arga masilla deAlba, a tow n tha t developedin the shelter of the nea rbycastles of Pearroya a ndArgam asilla. Medrano Cave,

w here Cervantes wa s heldprisoner, da tes from t hat

A-4

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0 9

C M

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C M - 4 0 0 C

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2 0

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1 C M

- 4 0 0 9

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0

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C M

- 3 1 0

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C M - 3 0 0 1

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- 4 0 0 5

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A l g o d o r

A D I A N A

1419

rral de C antos

1084877

1010

Machero822

1087

Bolos

826


TABLAS DE DAIMIEL

PARQUE NACIONALDE CABAEROS

ElMo linillo

Tajo

ahermosa

Poln

Villanuevade Bogas

Glvez

Cuervan Martn

Montalbn

Menasalbas

Horcajo de Santiago

Retuertadel Bullaque

coba Los Cortijos

El RobledoPorzuna

Luciana

Abenjar

Alhambra

UrdaCamuas

El Toboso

Valdecarbanos

La Guardia

Lillo Tembleque

Pozuelo de C alatrava

NambrocaDosbarrios

El Romeral

Turleque

Las Labores

Arenasde San Juan

Corral

Alcolea de Calatrava

Cabezarados

Poblete

Miguel Esteban

Quero

La Pueblade Mo ntalbn

Sonsec a L a Pueblade A lmoradiel

Miguelturra

Madridejos Villafranc a delos Cab alleros Campo

de C riptana

VillacaasLos Ybenes

Corralde A lmaguer

ManzanaresMembrilla

Moralde Calatrava

Bolaosde Ca latrava

Argamasillade Alba

La Solana

Piedrabuena

Mora

Alc za rd e Sa n Jua n

To m e llo s o

TO LEDO

C IUDAD REAL

Consuegra

Herencia

Daimiel

Almagro

Malagn


CobisaBurguillos de Toledo

OrgazMascaraque

Almonacidde Toledo

Manzaneque

Puerto Lpic e

Villarta de San J uan

Carrinde Calatrava

Fernn C aba llero

Fuente e l Fresno

Valenzuela

O N T E S D E T O L E

D O

Parque Arqueolgico de Alarcos

Maar volcnico de Hoya de Cervera

Cruz de Piedra

period. Lege nd ha s it t hat itwa s there that he beganwriting the adventures ofthe Inge nious Knight.

A fork along th e route ta kesvisitors to Pearroya castleand reservoir and to LasLag unas de Ruidera NaturalPark, consisting of a series ofte ctonic lakes, in some caseslinked by small w at erfalls, an dboa sting considerable b irdlife.You w ill have to g o ba ck to

the main path to g et toLa Solana, w ith its importantexamples of architecture fromfour centuries ag o, w hen itw as an important La Mesta*tra ding centre. They includethe House of Don Diego,the fo rmer Palace of theCounts of Casa Valiente, whichnow houses the tourist o fficeand an exhibition room, an d,ab ove all, the Plaza Mayoror Main Squa re. Now ada ys, alarge pa rt of the income ofth is villag e de rives from a

small purple flow er w ithyellow stamens which thew orld over proudly goe s bythe name o f saffron.

* Med ieval livestock farme rs guild

Ruidera Lakes. Ciud ad Real

Posada de los Portales Inn.Tom elloso. Ciudad Real

M edrano Cave.Arg amasilla de Alba. Ciud ad Real

La Solan a. Ciudad Real

only 10, the most fa mousbeing the so-called Burleta .From here, travellers cross avast flat plain covered incereal fields where it is not

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30

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420

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C M - 3 1 2 7

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2 4

C M - 3 1

0 9

C M

- 3 1 0 9

C M

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C M - 4 0 0 C

M - 4 1

2 0

C M - 3 1 1 3 C M

- 3 1 0 7

C M - 4 1 2

C M - 4 0 3

C M - 4 1 0 6

C M -4 0 1 7

C M - 4 0

1

C M -40 00

C M

- 4 0 0 9

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0

C M - 4 0 3

C M - 4 1 0

C M

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C M - 3 0 0 1

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- 4 0 0 5

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A l g o d o r

R i a

n s a

r e

s

G U A D I A N A

1419

Corral de Cantos

1084877

1010

Machero822

1087

Bolos

826


TABLAS DE DAIMIEL

PARQUE NACIONALDE CABAEROS

ElMo linillo

El Carpiode Tajo

Escalonilla Mocejn

Bargas

Yepes

Navahermosa

Poln

Villanuevade Bogas

Glvez

CuervaSan Martn

de Montalbn

Menasalbas

Horcajo de Santiago

Retuertadel Bullaque

Alcoba Los Cortijos

El RobledoPorzuna

Luciana

Abenjar

Alhambra

UrdaCamuas

El Toboso

Huerta de Valdecarbanos

La Guardia

Lillo Tembleque

Pozuelo de Calatrava

Nambroca

Villatobas

Dosbarrios

El Romeral

Turleque

Las Labores

Arenasde San Juan

Corralde C alatrava

Alcolea de Calatrava

Cabezarados

Poblete

Villamayor de C alatrava

Miguel Esteban

Quero

La Pueblade Mo ntalbn

Torrijos

Sonseca L a Pueb lade A lmoradiel

Miguelturra

MadridejosVillafranc a delos Cab alleros Campo

de C riptana

VillacaasLos Ybenes

Corralde A lmaguer

ManzanaresMembrilla

Moralde Calatrava

Bolaosde Ca latrava

Argamasillade Alba

La Solana

Piedrabuena

Mora

A l c z a rd e Sa n J u a n

Va l d e p e a s

To m e l lo s o

TO LEDO

C IUDAD REAL

Consuegra

Herencia

Daimiel

Almagro

Malagn


CobisaBurguillos de Toledo

OrgazMascaraque

Almonacidde Toledo

Manzaneque

Puerto Lpic e

Villarta de San Jua n

Carrinde Calatrava

Fernn C aba llero

Fuente e l Fresno

Valenzuelade Calatrava

M O N T E S D E T O L E

D O

Parque Arqueolgico de Alarcos

Maar volcnico de Hoya de Cervera

Cruz de Piedra

From Almagro to Toledovia Ciudad Real andConsuegra

The walk starts on t he banks of t he River Jabaln, wh ich prov ides coun tless vestiges of its past volcanic activ ity in th e shape of craters and lake basins. It is furro w ed by o ld dro ver roads, wh ich are still used by m igratin g herds and f locks,accusto med to t he high- speed train bu t still fearing fresh att acks by the Knigh t of the Sad Coun tenance.

At t he start of this sectiontravellers can takeadvantage of a bicycle lanefor over 25 km, and aft erpa ssing Ciruela Castle,continue on towards Ciudad

Real along a ra ilw ay linethat crosses one of LaManchas many volcanicarea s -the so-called volcanicMaar of Hoya de Cervera. InCiuda d Real the road f orksright tow ards Carrin deCalatrava, fa mous in oldentimes fo r its springs of

medicinal waters, where thebest conserved mediaevalremains in Spain ha ve beenfound , comprising a w alledenclosure, fo rtress, church,

Toledo hills

Venta d e Don Quijo te. Puert o Lpice. Ciudad Real

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intramural town, burialground a nd pot teries.Tog eth er wit h rema ins in the

nea rby locality of Poblete,they make up AlarcosArchaeo logical Park .Finally,you a rrive in Da imiel, inw ho se environ s is La s Ta bla sde Daimiel National Park,one of the most importantw etla nds in Spa in. The pa rk,declared a Special ProtectionArea fo r Birds (SPA), con sists

of small lakes supplied b yspates of the Guadiana andCig ela rivers. It ha s aReception Centre and asystem of w ooden w alkwa ysover the wa ter, w hich make

it possible t o g etcomforta bly close to Nat ure.From here you hea dnorthwards to Consuegraalong the former CaminoReal de Andaluca, whichcrosses the Sierra deMalagn, where a new t urn-off lead s to Cruz de Piedra.

This is th e Mo nt es de Toled o,doma in of t he scarce lynx,ott er and deer. FromConsuegra , alwa ys in thew at chful presence of ahan dful of w indmills sethigh on t he bluffs, you w illfind a new turn-offbranching to t he right . It w illta ke you to Herencia a nd

Villarta de San Juan via

Puerto Lp ice, w hich ismentioned several times inDon Quixote and whosestreets, squares and shopsretain the at mosphere ofCervantes time. Afterarriving in Consuegra, a ndta king the so-called Sendade los Espao les , you g othrough Manzaneque and

branch off to Orgaz.,

Declared a historicensemble , this tow n stillhas remains of a n Arab w alland a tw elfth-centuryfo rtress. Journe ys end isToledo , wh ere w erecommend tha t you ta ketime t o e njoy its richheritage.

Consuegra. Toled o

Tablas de Daimiel w etlan ds. Ciudad Real

Tablas de Daimiel w etlan ds. Ciudad Real

R-4

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Torrejn dela Ca lzada

GrionBatres

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to Ugena, the routecontinues in a w esterlydirection to Carranq ue,w hose municipality conta insthe Roman villa of Mat erno,famous for its mosaics.

34

This sho rt t rip be g ins inEsquivias, the to w n w hereCervantes wife, Cata lina dePala cios, w as bo rn. It is alsowhere they were married in1584 and resided for a whilein the so-called Casa deCervantes , Now housing amuseum, this typicalsixteenth-century farmhouseconserves its orig inalstructure of tw o floors and apatio corral . As if t ime ha dstood still in the se places sofar from the hustle andbustle of the modern w orld,

partridges, rab bits and h arespause to ta ke a curious look

a t pa ssers-by. The ro ut e verysoon reache s Illescas, w hichalwa ys knows how towelcome tired travellers inthe m ann er they deserve, itbeing no coincidence tha t itw as a roya l residence in thetw elfth century. Its manybuildings include the UgenaGate, the belltow er of theChurch of Nuestra Seora d ela Asuncin, know n a s the Giralda de la Sagra , andthe Hospital-Sanctuary ofLa Caridad, w ith an altarpieceand other paintings by

El Greco. After offering achance for a short diversion

From Esquivias to Illescasand CarranqueNorth of Toledo, t he La Sagra district invit es visito rs toenjoy a visit to t he hou se w here Cervant es lived inEsquivi as, th e art o f El Greco in Illescas and Carranq ue Archaeo log ical Park.

A-42

M -404

C M -4 0 1 0

C M - 4 0 0 8

C M - 4 0 0 4

G u a d

a r r a

m a

Yuncler

Pantoja

Recas

Lomichar

Palomeque

Cedillodel Condado

El Visode San Juan

Casarrubuelos

Cubas dela Sagra

Sesea

Borox

Torrejnde Velasco

Yuncos Numanciade la Sagra

Va ld e m o ro

Carranque

Ugena

Yeles

Esquivias

Illescas

Parque Arqueolgico de Carranque

Cervant es Ho use. Esquivia s. Tole do

Discovered in 1983, it is now part of a n Archaeo logicalPark along w ith otherremains.

M osaic. Carranqu e Archaeolo gical Park

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H e n a

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SierraMinistra

1310

PARQUE NATURAL DELBARRANCO DEL RO DULCE

Palazuelos

ImnSantamera

La Torresa vian

J adraque

Saca

Alcoleadel Pinar

Torremochadel Campo

Mandayona

Negredo

Rebollosade Jadraque

Luzaga

Baides

Embalsede Alcorlo

Embalse d eElAtanc e

J irueque

Matillas

Santiuste

YeloSalinas

de RiendaAtienza Cincovillas

Alcolea delas Peas

Tordelrba no

Paredes de SigenzaValdelcubo

Sienes

La Olmedade Jadraque

Riofrodel Llano

Sigenza

El Don cel. Sigenza Cathed ral. Guadalajar a

Upp er reaches of t he River Tagus. Guadalajar a

From La Hoz del Ro Dulceto Sigenza and Atienza

The last itin erary on t he Don Quixo te Rout e enables travellers to get to know the rich natural landscape of the northern bou ndary o f Castile-La Mancha, w hich still has interesting examples of Romanesque architecture.

Setting off from the fo ot ofLa Torre savi n Cast le, youcont inue a cross El Barran codel Ro Dulce* Nat ural Pa rk,w hich served as the na turalba ckdrop for th e filming ofman y television prog rammesby f amo us Spanish nat uralistand broad caster Flix

Rodrguez d e la Fuente.

The pa rks cliffs a re st ill alivewith a ll the a ttractive andimportant features of thefauna and f lora that hemanag ed to convey toviewers with such feeling.A little further on you arrivein Sigenza , a tow n tha t stillcan still boa st of its former

riches, w ith stylish h ouses, a

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* River Dulce Gorg e


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3938

fortified to w ers access thetown. From Olmeda deJadra que, a small diversionleads to Santamera on th ebanks of El Atance Reservoir,and , finally, to the smallvillag e of Imn, fa mous forits Roma n salt mines, on cethe mo st importa nt in Spain.

monumental cathedral anda castle. Many are thetreasures tha t w alkers willbe able to find here. A visitto t he peaceful figure ofEl Doncel, eterna lly read ingin the poor light of th eChapel o f los Arce, is not tobe missed. At this point tw obranches converge on t heRienda Saltw orks., One go eseastw ards via Sienes andValdelcubo, w hile th e ot herruns westw ards, passingfirstly t hrough Palazuelos,w hich is complete lysurrounded by a w all whosefour gat ewa ys with sturdy

The rou te e nds in Atienza ,the old part of w hich hasbeen declared a historicensemb le as it stillpreserves the o ld wa ll tha tused to defend the tow n,

and t w o ga tew ays. TheArrebata capas Gat eseparates the tw o mostimportant squa res in the

to w n. The Plaza del Trigo, isparticularly interesting w ithits arcad es, emblazonedstately homes, town hall andman y other sixteent h-century buildings.

At ienza Castle. Guadalajara

Plaza del Trigo . Atien za. Guadalaj ara

Palazuelo s Castle. Guadalajar a


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41

(cochinillo ) and lamb (cordero )prove to b e an e xercise in goo dtaste, as do the many stews andcasseroles flavoured with gamefrom t he hunt , especially theexquisite partridge in marinade,w hich in the restaurant s ofToledo a tta ins the cat eg ory of agastronomic event of the firstorder. Dishes ba sed on t hematanza (an a nnual event, oftenin late autumn, w hen fa miliesga ther to help in the slaughterand but chering of a pig or tw o)is anot her option to b e highlyrecommended , w ith sugg estionsof a mo re traditional nature,such asajopringue (a piqua ntga rlic and olive o il paste usuallyserved with pota toes) and t heno-nonsensemorteruelo (hare,chicken, cured ha m a nd pigsliver choppe d an d braised w ithseasoning and breadcrumbs).

Cervant es narrat ive reflects a

goo d number of ideas aboutfood and meals which a re still

just as contemporary today,some four hund red yea rs later.The classicsopa de ajo (a soup,usually served in ea rthenw aredishes, mad e of fried ga rlic,bread a nd egg ) continues to bea t empting invitat ion, as doduelos y quebrantos , made ofpieces of t oast, fried egg s, baconan d ha m. Trying the Valdepe astiznao , a dish made o f flakedcod, peppers, onions and t heinevita ble g arlic is simply a must for a ll fish lovers.

The sw eets chapter offers aha ndfu l of local specialities andhome-made desserts that a re atribute t o t he imaginat ion. It is agoo d idea t o leave some spacefor Toledo marzipan (mazapn ),imbued with the gourmetmajesty of simple th ings, thetart a de chicharrones(cracklingpie), honey-based sweetmeatsandbizcochos bor rachos

(sq uares of spong e cake soakedin a n alcohol-flavoured syrup), a

Local cuisine andhandicrafts

The extrao rdinary ga stronomicrepertoire of Castile-La Manchais ba sed on a cuisine w ith adistinctive spark an d personality,one tha t covers a w ide rang e ofpossibilities and caters to allta stes. The reg ional recipe boo kincludes a variety of f ood s basedon ca reful selection of f resh

ingredient s, e.g., green s,vegetab les and the t astilyseasoned aubergines ofAlmagro. Devotees of heartierfa re w ill deligh t in the cheeringchoice of dishes on o ffer,outstanding examples of w hichare: the e xquisitegazpacho manchego (not the b etter-know n Andalusian cold soup,but a shepherdstorta , a rough-

and-ready doug h made fromflour, salt an d w ater, eaten w ithmeat) enriched w ith ga me, wild

rabbit or hare; the traditionalgachas andmigas , a fry made onw ith diced bread , garlic and t heregions delicious oil; a nd theindispensabletorreznos(rashersof ba con).

The b lackboa rd list ofrecommended entres features a

broad range of proposals, mainlyinvolving mea t of some kind,dressed a nd prepa red in allflavours, textures andcombinat ions possible. A flavour-and-savour cuisine, directlytarget ing the stomach, yettranscending the b ounds of foodpure and simple to become aculinary w ork of art. The localroast goa t (cabrito ), sucking pig

LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT

Cheese p latter. Alm agro

Typical dish (moje de t omat e). Albacete

Oth l i t tii t f f tl


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43

Other n o less interestingpossibilities are to be f ound inthe ha nd-w oven rugs andta pestries of Sigenza , the rushw ickerwork or the typical doiliesmade in the w orkshops of

Alma gro. The textile sector too isactive and includes thetraditionalmantillas , and thelace and a ttractive linen w arefrom the villag e of Lag artera,known a s the cradle ofembroidery. Special mentionmust be ma de o f the Toledosword s -steel blade s of

exceptional qua lity tha t a re thedirect descend ant s an d heirs ofthose same w eapons once borneby Don Quixote himself du ringhis exploits through out t heregion- and t he knives ofAlba cete, gen uine meta l icons ofth e provincial capita l. The knife -ma king secto r is still very muchalive an d bo oming, conserving atradition handed dow n by theMoors, one in which theimmemorial metho ds of carvinghaft s out of b ull or deer hornare, to the b uyers sat isfa ction,combined with modernmanufa cturing methods.

Festivals and folklore

The tried a nd t ested cordiality ofthe Ma nchegans reaches apinnacle as the festive calenda rgradua lly unfolds from tow n to

tow n in a rosary of celebrations,religious and profane,

celebrations that have becomeinextricably tangled do w n theages and have come down to usin the mo st diverse guises andnuances. A series of rites steepedin symbo lism, which becom e afocal point for people to meetand g ather together, withentertainment and goo dcompan y. On 22nd January,shortly after the b eginning ofthe new year, Sigenza g oes toextraordinary lengths tocommemorate the seizure of thetow n from t he Moorish invadersin 1124, a ma gnificent eventofficially declared of to uristinterest and characterised by thetrad itional St. Vincents Daybonfires. In the month ofFebrua ry, it is the turn o f t hecarefree, to psy-turvy dat es ofCarnival, a t ime when thereversal of values and a lteration

of th e moral order of things giverise to mom ents of revelry an d

genuine luxury for the palate.The ba nquet must b e rounded

off w ith a platter of the famedcheeses ma de in the region , e.g.,ew es milk cheese from t heAlcudia Valley. A fea st of t hiscalibre should be a ccompa niedby wines that embo dy all thefullness of the soil in w hich th eyare born, and are fitting for thevarious stag es of thegastronomic ritual. Castile-LaMancha s oeno logical treasuretrove a ssumes liquid f orm in thew ines of Valdepe a s, Almansaand Jumilla, w hich boa st amarked character and veryag reeab le taste. A privilege d

accompaniment for a perfectlyba lanced cuisine, w hose recipesgua rantee sensat ions andsurprises at aff orda ble prices.

Produce of the ea rth of the

quality displayed by Consuegra-grow n saffron, honoured in acolourful fiesta, o r the localbea ns, is an excellent choicewhen it comes to ta king a wa y amemento o f these lands, wherehistory fa des into the mists oftime; and the same can be saidof t he innumerable types of

handicraft s that combine refineddecorative elements with objectsof da ily use. A rich creat ivemosaic with items ofconsiderable artistic value, suchas lead-varnished earthenw aregra tin- and oven-dishes, pitchersan d jugs of a ll sorts and kinds,plus, nat urally, the prized w areof Talavera de la Reina w hoseeye-catchingly glaz ed t iles andceram ics enjoy cen turies-oldfa me, occupying a privilege dplace in the tablewa re ofsuccessive Span ish m on archs.

Lacewo rk. Almagro

Wi ne cellar. Vald epeas

Ceramic w are. Puente del A rzobispo

carousing in Guadalajara Ciudadremote w artime episode that


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45

festivities with da ncing untilnight fa ll, in w hich the local w ineplays a lead ing role. On 31st July,Ciudad Real pays homag e totheVirgen d el Prado withprocessions of groups dressed inregiona l costumes, folkloreperformances and t heconvid ,an invitat ion to the public to ea tand drink a g lass of lemonade,extended by t he ma jor-domo orpandorgo designa ted bythe ma yor. The f iesta held t ocommemorate the pa tron saintof Sigenza, St. Roque, on16th August, is fa mous for w ha thas been dubbed theprocesin de los faroles (procession ofthe lant erns) in hono ur of th eVirgen de la Mayor . Thefinishing to uch is ad ded b y thecomida d e los huesos (meal ofbon es) sponsored by the Tow nCouncil, w ith limitless qua ntitiesof mea t and w ine being served

to a ll tho se present. In fact,tasting the local food a nd w ine

is another typical, well-attendedevent, w hich ten ds to multiplyand can be fo und everywherethroughout the region.

On the first Sunda y inSeptember, in Mot a d el Cuervo,in a curious ceremony performedby the anderos , villag ers whorun with the figure on theirshoulders, the image ofNuestra Seora de la An t igua d e Manjavacas is taken from thelocal hermitag e cha pel. Thefestivities in hon our of thepatron saint of Albacetecontinue until mid-Septe mber,w ith horse show s and bullfights.No list w ould be completew ithout ment ioning Almagrosprestig ious Classical Thea treCycle, stag ed in the venerable16th-century playho use, theCorral d e Comed ias , the onlysurviving example o f t he Span ish

thea tres of old. Indeed, there isa collective land scape of

44

carousing in Guadalajara, CiudadReal and ma ny other pointsacross the reg ion.

Holy Week brings w ith it a timeof meditation and devotion,characte rised by the sombrema ss processions of the ancientbrotherhoods and guilds,associat ions tha t for centurieshave borne all the w eight oftrad ition on the ir shoulders.Mention must be ma de here ofthe solemn and piousprocessions in Ocaa , a to w n

possessing its own Easter Passionheritag e in the form ofarticulated images, as well as thereligious processions tha t pa radethrough the streets of Cuencafollow ing a mo ving ly lovelyprotocol in memory of thecrucifixion o f Christ. Themourning a tmosphere of theWeek of Christs Passionculminat es in Atienza in a nexplosion of a ll tha t ispicturesque, than ks to theCaballada , a festival which takesplace on the Sunday a fterPentecost to commemorate a

remote w artime episode thattoo k place in the 12th century.Just as their forefa thers oncerode out to defend t he child-king Alfo nso VIII from his uncleFerdinand II, w ho laid siege t othe tow n, so do the me mbers ofthe convening brotherhood stillga llop in pilgrimage (ro mer a )behind their standard-bearer,long b lack capes streaming inthe w ind, to the Hermitag eChapel ofNuestr a Seora d e la Estrella (Our Lad y of the Star).

On these same dat es, thetow nsfolk of Talavera de laReina make the trad itional w axofferings to t heVirgen d el Prado (Virgin of the Mea dow ) in theso-calledFiesta d e las Mon das ,w ith float s, han dicraf ts sta lls,concerts and plays. Closing thecycle of the Christian spring, t heToleda ns raid their w ardrob esand get dressed in their Sundaybest to do f ull justice to th ema jestic Corpus Christiprocession, presided o ver by th eemblema tic silver mo nstrance(custodia ), rising t o o ver 3metres in height, the w ork ofEnrique de Arfe. A culturalexpression ting ed w ithreligiousness and aesthe ticallyenno bled b y the succession o fstunning stills that seem to ha vebeen recreat ed from old familyalbums of another time.

Over the course of t he summer,

there is a succession of religiouscelebrations and popular

Corral d e Comedias theatre. Alm agro. Ciudad Real

Caballada. At ienza


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SPANISH TOURIST INFORMATION UNITED STATES OF AMERICAUSEFUL INFORMATION % 926 610 400) 926 610 935


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OFFICES ABROAD

CANADA. TorontoTourist Of fice o f Spa in2 Bloor Stree t West Suite 3402Toro nt o, O nt a rio M4W 3E2

% (1416) 961 31 31) (1416) 961 19 92www.tourspain.toronto.on.ca e-mail: t oront o@tou rspain.es

GREAT BRITAIN. LondonSpa nish Tou rist Off icePO BOX 4009London W1A 6NB% (44207) 486 80 77) (44207) 486 80 34www.tourspain.co.uk e-mail: lo ndr es@to urspain.es

JAPAN. Tokyo.Tourist Of fice o f Spa inDa ini Tora no mo n Den ki Bldg .6F.3-1-10 Tora no mo n. Mina to -KuTOKYO-105-0001

% (813) 34 32 61 41) (813) 34 32 61 44www.spaintour.com e-mail: to kio@to urspain.es

RUSSIA. MoscowSpa nish Tou rist Off iceTverskaya 16/2. Edif icio 3Moscow 103009% (7095) 935 83 97) (7095) 935 83 96www.tourspain.ru e-mail: mo scu@to urspain.es

SINGAPORE.SingaporeSpa nish Tou rist Off ice541Orchard Roa dLiat Tow er # 09-04238881 Sing a pore

% 65 67 37 30 08) 65 67 37 31 73e-mail: sing apor e@to urspain.es

U DS SO CLos AngelesTou rist Of fice o f Spa in8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 960Beverly Hills, Ca lifornia 90211% 1(323) 658 71 88) 1(323) 658 10 61

www.okspain.org e-mail: losangeles@to urspain.es ChicagoTou rist Office Of SpainWat er Tow er Pla ce, suite 915East. 845. North Michiga n AvenueChicago, Illinois 60-611% 1(312) 642 19 92) 1(312) 642 98 17www.okspain.org e-mail: chicago@to urspain.es Miami.Tou rist Of fice o f Spa in1221 Brickell Avenu eMiam i, Florida 33131% 1(305) 358 19 92) 1(305) 358 82 23www.okspain.org e-mail: miami@to urspain.es

New York Tou rist Of fice o f Spa in666 Fifth Aven ue 35th floorNew York, New York 10103% 1(212) 265 88 22) 1(212) 265 88 64www.okspain.org e-mail:[email protected]

EMBASSIES IN MADRIDCanada.Nuez de Balboa, 35% 914 233 250 ) 914 233 251Great Britain.Fernando El Santo , 16% 913 190 200 ) 913 081 033 Japan.Serrano, 109% 915 907 600 ) 915 901 321Russia.Velzq uez, 155% 915 622 264 ) 915 629 712

United States of AmericaSerrano, 75% 915 872 200 ) 915 872 303

USEFUL INFORMATION

International Dialling Code% 34

TURESPAA Tourist Information% 901 300 600www.spain.info

Regional Authority or RegionalTourist BoardAvenida Ro Estenilla. 45071 Toled o% 925 267 800) 925 267 874www.jccm.es

TOURIST INFORMATIONOFFICES

Albacete. Posada del RosarioTint e, 2.% 967 580 522www.dipualba.es Ciudad Real. Calle Alarcos, 21% 926 200 037.www.dipucr.es Cuenca. Plaza Mayor% 969 232 119www.cuenca.org Guadalajara. Plaza d e los Cado s,6% 949 211 626www.guadalajara.interactiva.or Toledo. Puerta de Bisagra% 925 220 843www.ayto-toledo.org

TOURIST PARADORS(State-run hotels)

Central booking office

Calle Requena, 3. 28013 Madrid% 915 166 666) 915 166 657www.parador.es ALBACETEAlbacete Parador.N-301, km 251% 967 245 321) 967 243 271e-mail: albacete@parado r.es CIUDAD REALAlmagro ParadorRonda San Francisco, 31% 926 860 100) 926 860 150e-mail: almag ro@parado r.esManzanares ParadorAutova Anda luca, km 174

% 926 610 400) 926 610 935e-mail: man zanares@parad or.es CUENCAAlarcn ParadorAvda . Amigo s de los Castillos, 3% 969 330 315) 969 330 303e-mail: alarcon@parad or.es Cuenca ParadorPaseo Hoz de l Hucar% 969 232 320) 969 232 534e-mai l: cuenca@par ado r.es GUADALAJARASigenza ParadorPlaza del Castillo% 949 390 100) 949 391 364e-mail: sigu enza@parad or.es

TOLEDOOropesa ParadorPlaza Palacio 1% 925 430 000) 925 430 777e-mail: oro pesa@parado r.es Toledo ParadorCerro d el Empera dor% 925 221 850) 925 225 166e-mail: toled o@parad or.es

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Emergencies% 112Hospita l Emerg encies % 061Civil Guard% 062Nationa l Police% 091Municipal Police% 092Public Information Service % 010Post &Teleg rap hs%

902 197 197www.correos.es

TRANSPORT

RENFE (Spanish Rail)Informat ion and Bookings% 902 240 202www.renfe.es Buses:Albacete% 967 216 012Ciuda d Real% 926 211 342Cuenca% 969 227 087Guadalajara% 949 247 277Tole do % 925 215 850Road &Highw ay Informat ion% 900 123 505www.dgt.es


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Carranque

Esquivias

Orgaz

Manzaneque

La G uardia

Consuegra

Puerto Lpice

Malagn

Manzanares

Almagro

Puertollano

La Bienvenida

Fuencaliente

Almuradiel

La Solana

Villamanrique

Albadalejo

Almedina

Montiel

Alcaraz

El Bonillo

Munera

La Roda

ALBACETE

San Clemente

AtienzaValdelcubo

Sigenza

Torrem ochadel CampoGUADALAJARA

Villarrobledo

Tom elloso

Las Pedroera s

Belmontes

El Tob oso

Campo deCriptana

PedroMuoz

Villanue va delos Infantes

Bienservida

Ruidera

Valenzuela de Calatrava

CIUDAD REAL

Villarta deSan Juan

TOLEDO

Illescas

10 Route s:

Tole do /San Cleme nt e

San Clemente/Villanueva

de los Infantes

Villanueva de los

Infa nte s/Almag ro

Valle de Alcudia /Campo

de Calatrava

Alba cete/Alcara z

La Roda /Campo s

de Montiel

Campo deCripta na /Tom elloso

Almag ro/Tole do

Esquivia s/Illescas

Hoz del ro

Dulce/Sige nz a

ao 2005

Calzada d eCalatrava

Villanuevade San Carlos

Valdepeas

Santa Cruzde MudelaTorre nue va

Casas deLzaro

Aldea del Rey


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rutas quijote en 2005

Documents