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"DON QUIXOTE" ROUTE
GENERAL INFORMATION
BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT ALCÁZAR DE SAN JUAN
 In the province of Ciudad Real, in the heart of La Mancha, we find the municipality of Alcázar de San Juan. Alcázar de San Juan owns its name to the Arabian word Al-kassar, that means fortress, and to the military Order of Saint John that colonized these lands after the expulsion of the Moors. The town competes with Alcalá de Henares to be the cradle of the illustrious writer Miguel de Cervantes. The locals of Alcázar de San Juan defend heatedly, that the birth certificate of the writer is kept within their church of Santa María La Mayor. This certificate was discovered in 1748. In Santa María Square, in the old part of the town, we find The Noblemen Tower and the remains of the old defensive wall, el Cubillo, that together with the church, formed part of the Grand Prior Palace of the Saint John Order. Recently, recovered by the City Council of Alcázar de San Juan, the Museo Del Hidalgo (Museum of the Gentleman) is one of the few 16th century buildings preserved in the town. One can discover the life of the gentlemen that inspired Miguel de Cervantes when he created the character of Don Quixote. This Museum features the exhibition of original pieces of great value.
From Alcázar de San Juan you can easily reach Madrid and other major cities. There is a very good transport network.
WHERE WE HOST OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
Alcázar de San Juan has been since the end of the 19th century, a place of lodging houses and inns. We lodge our guests at the old Santa Clara Convent, where it gathers the School of Writers Alonso Quijano. There, we have our teaching and conference rooms. The Santa Clara Convent is a 16th century monastery, now wonderfully renewed, which locates an important hotel in town. The Convent was reconstructed after the Spanish Civil War and declared a monument in 1982. The Hotel is an example of a traditional and ancestral house of La Mancha, with an interior patio as a social and economic symbol of the life indoors. In the centre of the patio, the traditional well is still kept. There are also exceptional pieces of furniture and pictures.
SOME OF DON QUIXOTE ROUTES WHICH MAY BE PLANNED FROM ALCÁZAR DE SAN JUAN.
In the same way as we organize tailor-made courses, we can also plan different itineraries to follow the different paths of Don Quixote, depending on time and budget, and of course, the needs of every group, time and duration of the lectures, constancy of the courses, etc.
1.- From Alcázar de San Juan to Toledo.
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Toledo is the capital of Castilla La Mancha and UNESCO World Heritage site; the city of the three cultures. Synagogues, mosques and churches jostle in the narrow and cobbled streets of the town, characterised by the mixture of artistic styles. The Mudejar’s style can be seen in churches like San Sebastian and Santa Eulalia. Santiago del Arrabal is known as one of the best examples of this style. Remains of the Jewish community are still |
preserved in the city in the synagogues of Santa María La Blanca and Tránsito. One of the most outstanding buildings in Toledo is the Cathedral, considered one of the high points of Gothic art. While the palaces of Lorenzana and Fuensalida are in Baroque style, the Fortress is of medieval origin.
If there is a person’s name that defines Toledo, that is El Greco (16th-17thC.) The palace which is his Hause-Museum exhibits some of his great works.
Toledo is, therefore, an unavoidable stop for the people who would like to visit our School of Writers. Toledo is not far from Alcázar de San Juan, and we can arrange the visit to this old town for the whole day without major problems. Of course, for people who would like to do it on their own, there is a daily bus that takes you there.
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| 2.- From Alcázar de San Juan to Argamasilla de Alba, Campo de Criptana and El Toboso. |
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The Cervantes Street in Argamasilla de Alba holds and guards an envied treasure: the prison, in the Medrano cave, where presumably, Cervantes conceived his great novel. All the landscape is overlooked by the silhouettes of the age-old windmills that needed strong wind-power to defeat “Don Quixote”, and have made the area, worldwide famous. |
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Although Campo de Criptana once had as many as 34 windmills, nowadays there are only ten, the most famous being the so called “Burleta”. “Because you see there, my friend Sancho Panza, where thirty or forty untamed giants show themselves, and with whom I intend in doing battle……” |
The fact that Cervantes narrates in the adventure, that there are more than thirty giants, makes us figure out that he did not mean the windmills of Alcázar de San Juan, but the ones at Campo de Criptana. In Alcázar de San Juan we have four windmills, all of them completely rehabilitated and restored. |
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Soon, you can reach El Toboso, where you can visit the House of Dulcinea, the sweet lady who lived unaware of the folly caused by her beauty. In El Toboso, the Museo Cervantino has many editions of Don Quixote on display, signed by famous people and state presidents, and drawings, engravings, and Gustavo Doré’s shades can be contemplated. |
You will find editions of Don Quixote in all languages and Hispanic dialects. There is a beautiful edition in Gothic letter, published in Berlin in 1853, as well as very ancient and valuable editions. It remains a facsimile of Juan de la Cuesta’s first edition in 1605. For those who give priorities to illustrations, there are some of Dali, Granville, Saura, Robinson, Segrelles and Tusell. |
| 3.- From Alcázar de San Juan to the Ruidera Lakes and Villanueva de los Infantes. |
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This route allows visitors to know some of the most important series of monuments in La Mancha, and at the same time, offers the chance to visit one of the most extensive areas of lakes in Spain, the Ruidera Lakes. It is an essential stopover for migratory birds on their journey between Europa and Africa. |
| In Ossa de Montiel, there are two places that were particularly important in Don Quixote’s adventures: the magical Montesinos Cave and the ruins of Rochafrida Castle.
“Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park” is a delightful series of tectonic lakes that possess a great importance because of the large amount of wildlife they host. |
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Villanueva de Los Infantes, officially recognised as a ‘historic ensemble’ for its importance as a Renaissance and Barroque site, is where the great Spanish writer and poet Francisco de Quevedo died, in the cell of Santo Domingo Monastry. |
The town is studded with churches, convents and stately homes, such as the House of Diego de Miranda, who, according to tradition, was the famous Knight of the Green Tunic, whose feats Cervantes so often had Don Quixote praise. |
| 4. - From Alcázar to Almagro. |
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In the Maestral Palace, theatre lovers can find the Theatre Documentation Center, with records making reference to the theatrical activities in Spain from the 18th century. The Town Square was conceived originally as a place of arms. It houses the City Hall, a construction of the 16th century. |
The Corral de Comedias, also in the Town Square, was built in 1628 as an inn-house and was used as both, an inn and a theatre at the same time. It still retains the original structure of the theatres from the 17th century. It is the only theatre of its kind in Europe to have retained the original theatrical architecture, and still in action. (There is a famous classical theatre festival every year). 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. Almagro is a candidate for becoming World Heritage Site. |
“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players,
They have their exists and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts.”
As you like it. Act II (Shakespeare)
Cry no more, Madam. Cease your bawling and dry your tears. I'll see that justice is
done. The divorce Court Judge (Miguel de Cervantes).
Shakesperare and Cervantes provide one of the most famous parallels in literature. Because they anticipate and represent the burdens and contradictions of today and tomorrow, their plays are often performed in the Corral de Comedias, during the Classical Theatre Festival.
| 5.- From Alcázar de San Juan to ‘Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park, Puerto Lápice and Consuegra. |
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The adventures of the Ingenious Knight cover the heart of La Mancha from North to South and from East to West. The Tablas de Daimiel National Park is one of the most important wetlands in Spain. Consists of small lakes which have a system of wooden walkways over the water that makes you feel comfortably close to Nature, and allows you to see this special protection area for birds.
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From there to Puerto Lápice, town which is mentioned several times in “Don Quixote” and whose streets, squares and shops retain the atmosphere of Cervantes’ time. |
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We continue our trip to Consuegra, also called the town of the saffron, the world’s most expensive spice by weight. The windmills in Consuegra spike the hill just outside the town, giving a spectacular view of its 12th century castle.This original fortress was perhaps built by Emperor Trajan, but |
historical records only recall that it was initially built by Almanzor. During the reign of Alfonso VIII the castle was a Knights Hospital.
| 6.- From Alcázar de San Juan to Esquivias. |
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North of Toledo, the La Sagra district, invites visitors to enjoy a visit to the house where Cervantes lived, in Esquivias, the town where Cervantes’s wife, Catalina de Palacios, was born. It is also where they married in 1584. This typical 16th century farmhouse conserves its original structure, as if the time had stood still in these places so far from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. You can admire the art of El Grego in Illescas, the town which always knows how to welcome tired travellers in the manner they deserve because, as not for nothing was it a royal residence in the 12th century. In Carranque Archeological Park, the Roman villa of Materno is famous for its mosaics. |
These Routes are only some of our proposals, but beyond doubt, we can offer more detailed and specific ones. Also, it depends of the time of the year. It is nearly unthinkable to organize a tour to Lagunas de Ruidera or Tablas de Daimiel in winter, for example. With this information, the Schools can have a rough idea of our offer if they want to organize some courses here.
Estas rutas son sólo algunas de las muchas propuestas que podemos ofrecerles, y que se pueden modificar o ampliar conforme lo deseen y dependiendo de la época del año en que se organicen. Si lo desean, podemos personalizarles y ajustarles las propuestas
TAILOR-MADE COURSES
COME TO ALCÁZAR DE SAN JUAN, YOU WILL LOVE IT (read more)
http://www.turismoalcazar.es/informacion/videos-promocional.html
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THE ALONSO QUIJANO SCHOOL WRITERS ASSOCIATION
LITERARY CONTESTS
READING CLUB FÓRUM ALONSO QUIJANO
DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESCRIBE
Customer Service Hours:
Monday to Friday
from 9:00 a.m. to 13:00 p.m.
Telephone / Fax:
(+34) 926-55 08 76
(+34) 926-54 77 18
For further enquiries you can contact us via e-mail:
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