Places in Castilla-La Mancha;
February 11th, 2010
The site of the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, one of the most important in Spanish history. The battle took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain. The forces of King Alfonso VIII of Castile were joined by the armies of his Christian rivals, in battle against the Berber Muslim Almohad rulers of the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula. The crushing defeat of the Almohads significantly hastened their decline both in the Iberian Peninsula and in the Maghreb a decade later. It enabled the Christians to take over almost all of southern Spain in the ensuing forty years. The above painting is a somewhat fanciful portrayal.
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Moorish places in Spain, Places in Castilla-La Mancha, Places in the history of Spain | Tags: Battle sites in Spain, Interesting places in Jaén, Places in Jaén, Reconquista battles|
The Almagro Corral de Comedias is the only 17th century theatre to retain its original structure in Europe, and has probably been in continuous use since it was first opened, possibly in 1628. Corral de Comedias means open-air theatre. There are performances almost everyday of the works of classic authors from the Golden Age of Spanish theatre. Continue reading
Interesting buildings in Spain, Places in Castilla-La Mancha | Tags: Buildings of Ciudad Real, Ciudad Real architecture, Golden Age theatres in Spain, History of Ciudad Real, Places in Ciudad Real|
Consuegra is the site of the famous La Mancha windmills immortalised in Don Quixote. The mills were used to grind grain and their ownership passed from fathers to sons. Most consisted of two rooms or levels. They fell into disuse in the early 1980s.
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Architecture history of Spain, Interesting buildings in Spain, Places in Castilla-La Mancha | Tags: Places in Toledo, Windmills in Toledo|
La Encantada also known as Los Castillejos is a Bronze Age site of near Granátula de Calatrava, dating from between 1950 and 1300 BC. The site comprises a hill fort with remains of graves.
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Archaeological sites in Spain, Places in Castilla-La Mancha | Tags: Archaeological sites in Castilla-La Mancha, Cerro de la Encantada, Granátula de Calatrava, la Trocanta, Los Castillejos|
The Palacio de Marqués de Santa Cruz in Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real) is the only Italian-style palace in Spain. The palace was built in the 16th century under the orders of Álvaro de Bazán. The walls of its rooms are covered with mural paintings of mythological scenes. The palace is in good condition except for four towers which were destroyed by the Lisbon earthquake in the 18th century.When King Felipe II saw it, he contracted the same Italian architects to make the balustrades at the El Escorial Monastery A piece of Italian Renaissance in the heart of rural Spain.
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Architecture history of Spain, Interesting buildings in Spain, Places in Castilla-La Mancha, Places in Spain: themes | Tags: Buildings of Ciudad Real, Ciudad Real architecture, History of Ciudad Real, Renaissance in Spain, Viso del Marqués|
