The Arabs were who first called this
Land La Mancha. Going down the hills of Sierra Morena
They went into the beautiful Holm Oaks Forest and
Named it as Fas al Ballut, valley of acorns.
Over the banks of the Guadiana, where the river haven forming
Beautiful “Tablas”, they founded Calatrava, and his horses ran
Wild across the plains of La Mancha. Then
Came great kings of the Christians, who defeated the
Grand Caliph Muhammad al-Násir. They cleared the beautiful Oaks and
Burnt the valleys, filling them with herds of sheep
That enriched the Kingdom of Castile. The legacy that both left
Were Forests, Rivers, Lakes and Endless Steppes. La Mancha,
Contrary to popular belief, does not mean dry land,
Does not mean flat land. Wise men say that
La Mancha means a NEW BEGINNING.
Acorn from the Millennial Holm Oak (Valle de Alcudia - Fas al Ballut)
La Mancha is the vast territory stretching from the city of Toledo to the foothills of Sierra Morena, on the verge of the great medieval city of Cordoba. That is why it was a land of conflict, a diffuse border between the two great powers that pushed for the rule of Spain.
Inside La Mancha we can find two of the largest rivers of Spain, the Tagus and the Guadiana, but here also born a part of the Guadalquivir, the great river of Andalusia that we call here Fresneda.
In the eighth century, in the heart of La Mancha, the Arabs founded Calatrava, which was always at the service of the caliphs and knights of Cordoba. When in the twelfth century the king of Castile, Alfonso VII, won Calatrava to the Arabs, he opened the door for Christians to move towards Sierra Morena and put an end to the Hispanic-Muslim rule. It was the year 1212 when a remarkable thing happened in Sierra Morena, where there were defeated the hosts of the Miramamolin in the battle of Al-Uqab (that we call Navas de Tolosa). That same year began the decline of Calatrava, since then known as the Old as the Christian Kings built a new Calatrava, for us the New.
It’s been said that Calatrava the New was Spain’s greatest stronhold, and still overwhelms the vision of Calatrava when travelling the eternal and diffuse boundary separating La Mancha and Sierra Morena. The lords of Calatrava the New founded, shortly after, the city of Almagro, who extended with great palaces and churches.
But La Mancha is now worldwide known by other events, although these are the product of the imagination rather than the vicissitudes of history: La Mancha is the homeland of Don Quixote, the Knight of the Sad Figure that Miguel de Cervantes immortalized in what is considered the most important literary work written in Spanish, and one of the biggest stories of Mankind.
La Mancha offers us a land of legend, where you can still contemplate one of the best image of Spain throughout the world, the La Mancha Windmills, those who fought our valiant knight Don Quixote.
Campo de Criptana Windmills
La Mancha is also a land with abundant olives and vineyards, where the most refined palates can enjoy one of the most traditional and typical cuisines of Spain. Many distinguished travelers have passed through La Mancha admiring the scenery and enjoying the Manchego delicacies. Who has not tasted a good Manchego Cheese and a fine Red Wine of our land? New passengers travel the old La Mancha and become captivated with new discoveries: the Las Pedroñeras Garlic, the Almagro Egg-plants … All of them repeat in our ears that “La Mancha has a lot to offer”
Vicente Malagón. 2011. All rights reserved.
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