Almagro
- Distance from the Country Cottage: 23 Km
- We recommend: Night visit to the noble neighbourhood
- Not to be missed: The Plays on the Corral de Comedias (find more+)
Almagro, this beautiful town declared Historic-Artistic Site, preserve many monuments, even though wars, confiscations and earthquakes have destroyed most of them.
Had its first heyday after the Reconquest of these lands by King Alfonso VIII of Castile, who handed them to the Order of Calatrava for its resettlement.
Until then, Almagro was a small Arab village, but it was important for the Knights of the Order of Calatrava for its strategic location near Camino Real (main route) and, especially for its Cañadas and Veredas Reales (transit areas for livestock), so that they converted the small village into the capital from which handled both the economy and politics of XIII th to XV th centuries.
These Knights were the medieval lords who appointed and deposed kings on the throne at will.
All this ended with the accession of Ferdinand and Isabella; they decided that Fernando would become chief of all the military orders, thus ending the power of these orders and so declining the importance of the capitals, including Almagro.
But this town rise from the ashes like a phoenix in the 16th century, reigning Emperor Carlos I, when to pay the huge debts to German bankers Fuger, rents Almaden mines to them and they come to Spain settling in Almagro.
From Almagro they carried out all their businesses, including the extraction and export of mercury.
It was the second golden age for the city, which once numbered more than 10,000 people and when were established noble families like Torremejía, Gaona and Portocarrero, Counts of Valdeparaíso, Marquises De Las Hornazas, De La Concepción, etc.
This great moment declined in late 18th century when the powerful bankers return to their place of origin.
Now, Almagro is a town that lives mainly from tourism (the second most visited town in Castilla La-Mancha after Toledo) and with all the services any tourist may need.
Also its source of economy is traditional: dry agriculture and livestock, along with some industries.
And right now has about 9,500 inhabitants.
