Castilla-La Mancha was formerly known as New Castile, as opposed to Old Castile, which is currently Castile and León. This region is located in the center of the country, close to Madrid. The capital is Toledo, the city of three cultures, a name that comes from the Middle Ages, when Christians, Muslims and Jews worked and lived in perfect harmony here.
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Federico García Lorca
As it usually happens in Spain, Castilla-La Mancha has a lot of history. Toledo was the capital of Spain during Visigoth times (from the 4th century to the year 711 C.E.). However, nowadays, it is still considered the spiritual capital of the country. In the past, it was perceived as a city of wisdom, because the texts that came from the Far East were translated here. Architecturally speaking, the bridges erected over the river Tajo are noteworthy, and they have been allowing people to access the city for many centuries.
Moreover, people from Toledo have always been famous steel forgers. In fact, their steel became known throughout the world after Spanish soldiers took it to battle in the form of swords during the Modern Age. At the moment, a great part of the props used in The Lord of the Rings are made here.
Castilla-La Mancha is also famous for its windmills and the link between them and the protagonist of Spain’s most famous book, Don Quixote, which was written by Miguel de Cervantes. In the story, he fought against some windmills, mistaking them for giants.
Geographically speaking, it is placed in a plateau, so there are no great mountains around. Finally, as far as its cuisine goes, the desserts, such as marzipan and polvorones, (a crumbly shortbread made from almonds) are famous on a national level, but so are their most traditional dishes, like empanadas (salty pies) filled with tuna or meat. Try an authentic empanada with us!
