In the community of Castilla la Mancha is the city and municipality of Almagro, a site that has one of the most beautiful historic centers in this part of Spain. If you like to walk and travel through history, then this should be your next destination.
let's see today what to see and what to do here.
Almagro
The city It is between mountains and it has few and thin streams, but as a particular characteristic we can remember that there is a volcanic area, one of the few important areas of this origin in the entire Iberian Peninsula.
The founding date of Alamgro is unknown but the most accepted idea is that there was already some human group settled here around the Bronze Age. The Romans seem to have inhabited it some time later, an idea that is based on the discovery of coins and a Roman tombstone, and on the testimony that remains of an aqueduct were seen.
The Romans were followed by the Visigoths, but without a doubt The name derives from the Arab domination of the area. Almagro is named after the reddish clay typical of the place, al-lean. The truth is that later it did not have much relevance because the fame and name of its neighbor Calatrava la Vieja overshadowed it. But now By the XNUMXth century the town had a parish and a wall and some more public buildings.
King Henry II granted it the right to organize fairs in the XNUMXth century and already in the time of Charles V, German bankers arrived in the town, beneficiaries of the Almadén mines, and their elegant houses can still be seen from that time. Over the following centuries, especially In the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, Almagro grew and developed, it went beyond the walls and the first neighborhoods outside the walls appeared.
New buildings began to rise: private houses, churches and monasteries and convents by various orders. The Jesuits, those of the Order of Saint John of God, the Augustinians, for example. It was in the following century, the 1755th century, when Almagro shone like a shooting star when it was named the capital city of the province of La Mancha. An earthquake in XNUMX, the famous Lisbon earthquake, wreaked real havoc.
The economic and administrative reactivation was a path full of setbacks that took away much of the town's architectural heritage. Almagro was declared a city in 1796, by the hand of Carlos IV. Then came the French invasion, the Carlist wars and, in short, the city experienced a 1886th century full of changes. The walls would be demolished in XNUMX.
In 1972 Almagro was declared a Historical-Artistic Site., restoring old buildings and today its name It appears on the list of the most beautiful towns in Spain.
What to see and do in Almagro
Let's start by saying that Almagro has the only Corral de Comedias intact and active since the beginning of the XNUMXth century. It is the emblem of the city and maintains its entire structure: pot, patio, stage, lodging, hallway and galleries. This building was built in 1628 as an inn and comedy house.
The Corral of Comedies It is in the Plaza Mayor and has theatrical activity throughout the year, but especially during the month of July when the International Classical Theater Festival. There are guided tours, so you can visit it from Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 14 p.m. and from 17 p.m. to 20 p.m., in summer, and on Saturdays until 19 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 14 p.m. In winter it is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 14 p.m. from 16 to 19 p.m., while on Saturdays it opens until 18 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 14 p.m.
La Plaza Mayor It is huge, rectangular, with two flanks with colonnades of Tuscan order stone columns (81 classical columns), under two galleries open to the outside although today closed with glass. They are beautiful galleries that formerly served as stages for public events.
On one of the sides of the square is the Corral de Comedias, a National Monument since 1955, and the Town Hall and a small garden dedicated to Diego de Almagro, conqueror. Religious buildings need a separate chapter so you can visit the Church of the Mother of God, the Convent of the Incarnation, the Convent of Santa Catalina or the Church of San Bartolomé.
El Convent of the Incarnation stands out for its mannerist imprint. Inside there are some beautiful paintings of Saint Diego, Saint Joseph, Saint John the Evangelist and Saint John the Baptist. The nave has two sections and the shallow chapels open into the walls. The exterior has a front with two bodies, one built in the XNUMXth century and the other from the XNUMXth century.
Then, among the civil buildings we can highlight Casas Particulares that you find in the little streets. A walk through the Noble Quarter It is a charm and we can see the Casa del Mayorazgo de los Molina, Casa de los Rosales, the houses of the German bankers, the Prior's House, the Casa Palacio de los Oviedo...
In the Plaza de Santo Domingo we will see the Palace of the Counts of Valparaíso, from the XNUMXth century, the Palace of the Marquises of Torremejía or the convent of the Bernardas nuns, for example. On San Agustín Street is the Medrano Palace, from the XNUMXth century.
The named Palace of the Counts of Valparaíso It was converted into a beautiful and luxurious mansion in the XNUMXth century. Its owner was then the Minister of Universal Office of Fernando VI, although today it is a municipal building. It has a doorway, a hallway, a patio and a rear exit that divides the structure into two parts. It is a Renaissance-style palace, but its façade is beautifully baroque with heraldic ornaments, vine leaves, ears of corn, and religious motifs as well.
El Palace of the Marquises of Torremejía is from the XNUMXth century although it was renovated in the XNUMXth century. Today it is the home of the Dominican Mothers: it has two floors around a patio surrounded by columns. For his part, the Medrano Palace is from the XNUMXth century and has three floors around a central patio.
You can discover all this simply by going for a walk through the picturesque streets of Almagro, but you can also visit its museums. There is the National Theater Museum, with a large and interesting collection, and the Campo de Calatrava Ethnographic Museum which operates in a restored XNUMXth century house. His collection reviews the history of local activities and trades. And of course, the Lace Museum It cannot be missed because this craft is famous around here.
The Lace Museum is on Callejón Villar and opened its doors in 2004 to show the best of lace, lace and picaos. And finally, the Contemporary art space which operates in the old San Juan Hospital.
Finally, to visit churches you have a choice: the Church of San Blas, Convent of the Blessed Sacrament with its church of San Agustín, the Church of the Mother of God, Gothic style with Renaissance touches, the Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena, the Convent of the Dominican Incarnation, that of the Assumption of Calatrava, that of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Church of San Bartolomé el Real and the Hermitage of San Juan Bautista.
In August the festivities in honor of San Bartolomé and the pilgrimage in honor of the Virgin of the Snows, so it is a good month to visit. A visit that should include a good meal with eggplants, Manchego ratatouille, Manchego asadillo and many more tasty dishes, marinated with a good red wine. Almagro is known for its eggplants so you can even make the Almagro Eggplant Tapa Route.