Chozas de Canales
Encyclopedia
Chozas de Canales is a small farming village and municipality
in the province of Toledo
, part of the autonomous community
of Castile-La Mancha
, Spain
.
With improved road links from the national capital Madrid
to the north, the village has doubled in size (1995–2005), with a number of new chalets being built. The village now has a supermarket and a restaurant that opens in the evenings. But the old part of the village still has a feeling of going back in time with the good community spirit. The new chalets are essentially identical and modern and do not blend in with the old traditional village houses. The village centre still maintains its charm and tradition, but the new part looks like a giant council estate.
The village is built around the small chapel in the centre opposite the village square and with the church on the hill looking down. People in the village either commute to Madrid
for work or are involved in farming. The village produces its own wine, Rocanales, from the Bodega Cooperativa Santa Maria Magdalena. Around the village is miles upon miles of farm land.
, Don Pedro Coloma and Escolano, bought for himself and his successors the territories that included the uninhabited portion of Canales and Regachuelo, with the villages of Chozas and Yunclillos. Already with the title of marquis, he was granted the status of viscount of Chozas de Canales, in 1680. With these and other inherited lands, or foreclosed mortgages when he did not have them by inheritance, he ended up with the "cabildo de racioneros beneficiados y curas" of Santa Maria, the village of Navarrete, in the Rioja, and the bishopric of Calahorra and La Calzada. But by 1770, the family had no heirs, and the lands reverted to the cabildo. At the end of the 18th century the marquesal palace was restored.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the province of Toledo
Toledo (province)
Toledo is a province of central Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It is bordered by the provinces of Madrid, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Badajoz, Cáceres, and Ávila....
, part of the autonomous community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
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
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
With improved road links from the national capital Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
to the north, the village has doubled in size (1995–2005), with a number of new chalets being built. The village now has a supermarket and a restaurant that opens in the evenings. But the old part of the village still has a feeling of going back in time with the good community spirit. The new chalets are essentially identical and modern and do not blend in with the old traditional village houses. The village centre still maintains its charm and tradition, but the new part looks like a giant council estate.
The village is built around the small chapel in the centre opposite the village square and with the church on the hill looking down. People in the village either commute to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
for work or are involved in farming. The village produces its own wine, Rocanales, from the Bodega Cooperativa Santa Maria Magdalena. Around the village is miles upon miles of farm land.
History
The Secretary of State of Philip IVPhilip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
, Don Pedro Coloma and Escolano, bought for himself and his successors the territories that included the uninhabited portion of Canales and Regachuelo, with the villages of Chozas and Yunclillos. Already with the title of marquis, he was granted the status of viscount of Chozas de Canales, in 1680. With these and other inherited lands, or foreclosed mortgages when he did not have them by inheritance, he ended up with the "cabildo de racioneros beneficiados y curas" of Santa Maria, the village of Navarrete, in the Rioja, and the bishopric of Calahorra and La Calzada. But by 1770, the family had no heirs, and the lands reverted to the cabildo. At the end of the 18th century the marquesal palace was restored.
Public Holidays
- Name of Holiday: CHRISTMAS - Cabalgata, mass. Date: 5 of Jan, Duration: One day
- Name of Holiday: CRISTO DE LA MISERICORDIA - Procession, Arts & Music, Infant Party, Date: last weekend in May, including the Friday, Duration: Four days
- Name of Holiday: STA. Mª MAGDALENA - Procession and mass, Date: 22 of July, Duration: Three days