Almagro, Ciudad Real
Encyclopedia
Almagro is a city situated in Ciudad Real province
, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha
, Spain.
A tourist destination, Almagro is an important Historical-Artistic Zone (Conjunto Histórico-Artístico).
The city lies within small Paleozoic
mountain ranges, with some reserves of shallow creeks, including the Pellejero and de Cuetos. It also lies within a volcanic zone (Cerrro de la Yezosa), which lies upon a quartzite
massif
. It makes the zone particularly unique, together with that of the zones of Olot
and Cabo de Gata, in the sense that it is one of the few important zones of volcanic origin in the Iberian Peninsula
.
and mines of manganese
and plaster
. A traditional industry is the fashioning of appliqué lace
and pillow lace (encaje de bolillos). Other industries include woodworking and construction.
Almagro is also famous for a variety of small eggplants, Berenjenas de Almagro, that are seasoned and pickled according to a traditional recipe. These are usually eaten as a snack, along with other tapas
, like banderillas.
An International Festival of Classical Theater has also been celebrated here annually since 1978.
settlement; a theory supported by archaeological findings in the Casas Maestrales (complex of houses associated with the Order of Calatrava
) and in spots outside of the city center. During the Roman
era, it seems to have been inhabited, according to the scholar Galiano y Ortega, who argued that he saw the remains of an aqueduct
, which were discovered during the construction of the present-day Paseo de la Estación. Roman coins have been found, as well as a headstone from this era, which can now be seen in the Town Hall; the headstone was discovered near the Roman bridge at Zuqueca, in Granátula.
) and Calatrava la Vieja
. However, Almagro was chosen by the Order of Calatrava as a place of residence during the same century. Almagro thus benefited from being the center of governance for this order.
A local tradition holds that a Master of the Order, Don Gonzalo Yánez, gave the town its charter in 1213, confirmed by Ferdinand III of Castile
in 1222. In 1273, Alfonso X of Castile
convoked the Castilian
Cortes
in Almagro and in 1285 Master of the Order Ruy Pérez Ponce worked out an agreement in 1285 over rights concerning the city’s ovens, market place, and toll roads. In the fourteenth century, the town had a wall and a parish church, San Bartolomé el Real, butcher shops, granary, jailhouse, townhall, and a castle absorbed by the buildings owned by the Order of Calatrava.
The process of the Reconquista
resulted in the gathering at Almagro of forces headed for the frontier. Pedro I of Castile arrested the Master of the Order, Juan Núñez de Prado, in 1355 at the Casas Maestrales.
In 1374, Henry II of Castile allowed the city to organize two fairs, which aided commerce. The General Chapters of the Order of Calatrava (Capítulos Generales de la Orden de Calatrava) also met in the town, in the chapel of San Benito de los Palacios Maestrales and in the church of Santa María de los Llanos, both of which no longer exist.
In the fifteenth century, the office of Master of the Order was incorporated into the Crown of Castile
in 1487, but this did not harm the town. The Royal Governor now inhabited the Palaces formerly occupied by the Masters of the Order.
In 1493, Cardinal Cisneros ordered the construction of the Franciscan monastery of Santa María de los Llanos, annexed to the church of the same name, but this too has disappeared.
Due to the financial woes of Charles I of Spain, the German bankers of the Fugger
family became beneficiaries of the mines at Almadén
and Almagro. They brought with them to the city German administrators such as Wessel, Xedler, etc. Some of these Germans’ manor houses still survive.
, Jesuits, and Hospitalers established themselves here, and the followers of Juan Francisco Gaona y Portocarrero, Conde de Valdeparaíso, built his palace here.
Almagro flourished due to the patronage both of Philip V of Spain
and of Juan Francisco Gaona y Portocarrero, Conde de Valdeparaíso, who served in Philip's government as head of the Exchequer.
The town was named provincial capital of La Mancha
, a position it enjoyed from 1750 to 1761. The Conde de Valdeparaíso, unsuccessful in his attempts to permanently make Almagro an administrative center, promoted commerce, especially in textiles, encouraging the trade in appliqué lace and pillow lace (encaje de bolillos).
The sale of church lands under Charles III of Spain
jeopardized the future of many church buildings in Almagro, and the university disappeared by the 19th century. The Order of Calatrava moved from the uncomfortable location of Castillo de Calatrava la Nueva to the Sacro Convento in Almagro proper, but did not remain permanently.
, an active Bonapartist
masonic lodge
was established in Almagro. The city suffered during the Carlist Wars
and the sale of church lands by Juan Álvarez Mendizábal
and Pascual Madoz
. During the 19th century, the city faced competition from Ciudad Real
and Bolaños de Calatrava
. Almagro built a Plaza de Toros
(1845) from materials originally from the stone tower of the ancient parish church of San Bartolomé, which had been demolished in 1845. The bullfighter Cagancho would later compete in this stadium.
The telegraph (1858), railway (1860), and electricity
(1897) were introduced during this time. A general headquarters for the cavalry (1863) was established, as were a casino, coliseum, and theater (1864). In 1886, the city walls and gates were demolished.
Ciudad Real (province)
The province of Ciudad Real is a province of South-central Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It is bordered by the provinces of Cuenca, Albacete, Jaén, Córdoba, Badajoz, and Toledo. Its extent is effectively that of the old province of La Mancha...
, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities...
, Spain.
A tourist destination, Almagro is an important Historical-Artistic Zone (Conjunto Histórico-Artístico).
The city lies within small Paleozoic
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly...
mountain ranges, with some reserves of shallow creeks, including the Pellejero and de Cuetos. It also lies within a volcanic zone (Cerrro de la Yezosa), which lies upon a quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
. It makes the zone particularly unique, together with that of the zones of Olot
Olot
Olot is the capital of the comarca of the Garrotxa, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.- Etymology :The etymology of Olot is not clear and there are several hypotheses...
and Cabo de Gata, in the sense that it is one of the few important zones of volcanic origin in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
.
Economy
Cereal, vines, olives, and cotton are grown and cultivated here; there is also livestock and herding. There are also quarries of basaltBasalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
and mines of manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
and plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
. A traditional industry is the fashioning of appliqué lace
Appliqué lace
Applique Lace refers to various types of lace where the decorative motifs are applied to an existing openwork fabric, such as tulle, netting, filet or "drawn-thread" and "cut-work". The motifs can be either handmade or machine made. The same is true for the ground fabric....
and pillow lace (encaje de bolillos). Other industries include woodworking and construction.
Almagro is also famous for a variety of small eggplants, Berenjenas de Almagro, that are seasoned and pickled according to a traditional recipe. These are usually eaten as a snack, along with other tapas
Tapas
Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold or warm ....
, like banderillas.
An International Festival of Classical Theater has also been celebrated here annually since 1978.
Prehistory and Roman era
It is uncertain when humans first settled in the area of Almagro. There may have been a Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
settlement; a theory supported by archaeological findings in the Casas Maestrales (complex of houses associated with the Order of Calatrava
Order of Calatrava
The Order of Calatrava was the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Order of Calatrava as a Militia was given by Pope Alexander III on September 26, 1164.-Origins and Foundation:...
) and in spots outside of the city center. During the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
era, it seems to have been inhabited, according to the scholar Galiano y Ortega, who argued that he saw the remains of an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
, which were discovered during the construction of the present-day Paseo de la Estación. Roman coins have been found, as well as a headstone from this era, which can now be seen in the Town Hall; the headstone was discovered near the Roman bridge at Zuqueca, in Granátula.
Visigothic era
Little remains of the Visigothic presence in the area except for some small columns decorated with beveled diamonds; the columns were dispersed by the local population.The Middle Ages and Early Modern Era
During the 13th century, Almagro declined due to the presence of competing cities in the area, Oretum (Granátula de CalatravaGranátula de Calatrava
Granátula de Calatrava is a municipality in the province of Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. Itwas known as Oretum in ancient Iberian times....
) and Calatrava la Vieja
Calatrava la Vieja
Calatrava la Vieja is a medieval site and original nucleus of the Order of Calatrava. It is now part of the Archaeological Parks of the Community of Castile-La Mancha. Situated at Carrión de Calatrava, Calatrava during the High Middle Ages was the only important city in the Guadiana River valley...
. However, Almagro was chosen by the Order of Calatrava as a place of residence during the same century. Almagro thus benefited from being the center of governance for this order.
A local tradition holds that a Master of the Order, Don Gonzalo Yánez, gave the town its charter in 1213, confirmed by Ferdinand III of Castile
Ferdinand III of Castile
Saint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
in 1222. In 1273, Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
convoked the Castilian
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
Cortes
Cortes Generales
The Cortes Generales is the legislature of Spain. It is a bicameral parliament, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate . The Cortes has power to enact any law and to amend the constitution...
in Almagro and in 1285 Master of the Order Ruy Pérez Ponce worked out an agreement in 1285 over rights concerning the city’s ovens, market place, and toll roads. In the fourteenth century, the town had a wall and a parish church, San Bartolomé el Real, butcher shops, granary, jailhouse, townhall, and a castle absorbed by the buildings owned by the Order of Calatrava.
The process of the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
resulted in the gathering at Almagro of forces headed for the frontier. Pedro I of Castile arrested the Master of the Order, Juan Núñez de Prado, in 1355 at the Casas Maestrales.
In 1374, Henry II of Castile allowed the city to organize two fairs, which aided commerce. The General Chapters of the Order of Calatrava (Capítulos Generales de la Orden de Calatrava) also met in the town, in the chapel of San Benito de los Palacios Maestrales and in the church of Santa María de los Llanos, both of which no longer exist.
In the fifteenth century, the office of Master of the Order was incorporated into the Crown of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
in 1487, but this did not harm the town. The Royal Governor now inhabited the Palaces formerly occupied by the Masters of the Order.
In 1493, Cardinal Cisneros ordered the construction of the Franciscan monastery of Santa María de los Llanos, annexed to the church of the same name, but this too has disappeared.
Due to the financial woes of Charles I of Spain, the German bankers of the Fugger
Fugger
The Fugger family was a historically prominent group of European bankers, members of the fifteenth and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of Augsburg, international mercantile bankers, and venture capitalists like the Welser and the Höchstetter families. This banking family replaced the de'...
family became beneficiaries of the mines at Almadén
Almadén
Almadén, Spain, is a town and municipality in the province of Ciudad Real, within the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The town is located at 4° 49' W and 38° 46' N and is 589 meters above sea level. Almadén is approximately 200 km south of Madrid in the Sierra Morena...
and Almagro. They brought with them to the city German administrators such as Wessel, Xedler, etc. Some of these Germans’ manor houses still survive.
16th and 17th centuries
The population grew during the 16th and 17th centuries, and the population expanded beyond the city walls, with the suburbs of San Pedro, Santiago, San Ildefonso, San Juan, San Sebastián, and San Lázaro being established during this time. The Claverian Fernando Fernández de Córdoba founded the monastery and educational institution of Nuestra Señora del Rosario. The knight commander don Gutierre de Padilla founded the Hospital de la Misericordia and the monastery of Asunción de Calatrava. The parish church of Madre de Dios, the convent of La Encarnación, business offices for the Fuggers, and a large number of manor houses were built during this time. Rebuilt during this time were the church of San Blas, the Main Square (Plaza), and the Town Hall. The crisis affecting Spain during the late 16th and early 17th centuries did not affect construction in Almagro; the Franciscans built during this time the Convent of Santa Catalina. The AugustiniansAugustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
, Jesuits, and Hospitalers established themselves here, and the followers of Juan Francisco Gaona y Portocarrero, Conde de Valdeparaíso, built his palace here.
Almagro flourished due to the patronage both of Philip V of Spain
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
and of Juan Francisco Gaona y Portocarrero, Conde de Valdeparaíso, who served in Philip's government as head of the Exchequer.
The town was named provincial capital of La Mancha
La Mancha
La Mancha is a natural and historical region or greater comarca located on an arid, fertile, elevated plateau of central Spain, south of Madrid, stretching between the Montes de Toledo and the western spurs of the Serrania de Cuenca. It is bounded on the south by the Sierra Morena and on the north...
, a position it enjoyed from 1750 to 1761. The Conde de Valdeparaíso, unsuccessful in his attempts to permanently make Almagro an administrative center, promoted commerce, especially in textiles, encouraging the trade in appliqué lace and pillow lace (encaje de bolillos).
The sale of church lands under Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
jeopardized the future of many church buildings in Almagro, and the university disappeared by the 19th century. The Order of Calatrava moved from the uncomfortable location of Castillo de Calatrava la Nueva to the Sacro Convento in Almagro proper, but did not remain permanently.
19th century
During the Peninsular WarPeninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, an active Bonapartist
Bonapartist
In French political history, Bonapartism has two meanings. In a strict sense, this term refers to people who aimed to restore the French Empire under the House of Bonaparte, the Corsican family of Napoleon Bonaparte and his nephew Louis...
masonic lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
was established in Almagro. The city suffered during the Carlist Wars
Carlist Wars
The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...
and the sale of church lands by Juan Álvarez Mendizábal
Juan Álvarez Mendizábal
Juan Álvarez Mendizábal, born Juan Álvarez Méndez , was a Spanish economist and politician....
and Pascual Madoz
Pascual Madoz
Pascual Madoz , Spanish politician, statistician, was born at Pamplona.In early life he was settled in Barcelona, as a writer and journalist. He envisioned the construction of the Vielha tunnel. He joined the Progresista party formed during the First Carlist War, 1833-40...
. During the 19th century, the city faced competition from Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real is a city in Castile-La Mancha, Spain, with a population of c. 74,000. It is the capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It has a stop on the AVE high-speed rail line and has begun to grow as a long-distance commuter suburb of Madrid, located 115 miles to the north. A high capacity...
and Bolaños de Calatrava
Bolaños de Calatrava
Bolaños de Calatrava is a city situated in Ciudad Real province, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain.The city lies within small Paleozoic mountain ranges, with some reserves of shallow creeks, including the Pellejero and de Cuetos. It also lies within a volcanic zone , which...
. Almagro built a Plaza de Toros
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
(1845) from materials originally from the stone tower of the ancient parish church of San Bartolomé, which had been demolished in 1845. The bullfighter Cagancho would later compete in this stadium.
The telegraph (1858), railway (1860), and electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
(1897) were introduced during this time. A general headquarters for the cavalry (1863) was established, as were a casino, coliseum, and theater (1864). In 1886, the city walls and gates were demolished.
Twentieth century
During the 1950s, the Corral de Comedias was discovered and restored. The Town Hall and Plaza Mayor were also restored. In 1972, Almagro was declared a Historical-Artistic Zone (Conjunto Histórico-Artístico). Numerous buildings were restored, including churches, palaces, houses, and hermitages. The Museo del Teatro (Theater Museum) was established in a spot near orchards and wine cellars; a special building was later built for it. Almagro became a center for the dramatic arts in the region, and the International Festival of Classical Theater (Festival Internacional de Teatro Clásico) was put on here. Almagro is a candidate for becoming World Heritage Site.Natives of Almagro
- Diego de AlmagroDiego de AlmagroDiego de Almagro, , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador and a companion and later rival of Francisco Pizarro. He participated in the Spanish conquest of Peru and is credited as the first European discoverer of Chile.Almagro lost his left eye battling with coastal...
, conquistador. - Conde de Valdeparaíso, nobleman.
- Juan Frederic Geldre, writer.
- Fray Antonio de Lorea, writer.
- Vicente and Francisco Rujero, Carlist guerrillas known as “los Palillos.”
- Federico Galiano y Ortega, historian
Local monuments and sights
- Plaza Mayor.
- Manor houses
- Corral de Comedias
- Palaces:
- Palacio de los Marqueses de Torremejía
- Palacio de los Condes de Valdeparaíso
- Palacio de los Medrano
- Palacio de los Fúcares is a misnomer; it is actually an ancient warehouse built by the Fugger Family (Fúcares)
Churches and convents
- Convento del Santísimo Sacramento
- Iglesia de la Madre de Dios
- Convento de Santa Catalina
- Convento de la Encarnación
- Convento de la Asunción de Calatrava
- Iglesia de San Bartolomé