Alcázar de San Juan

Alcázar de San Juan is a town and municipality in the province of Ciudad Real, part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It is located in the plain of La Mancha.

Alcázar de San Juan
Old windmills.
Flag
Coat of arms
Alcázar de San Juan
Location in Spain.
Alcázar de San Juan
Alcázar de San Juan (Castilla-La Mancha)
Coordinates: 39°24′20″N 3°12′20″W
CountrySpain
Autonomous communityCastile-La Mancha
ProvinceCiudad Real
Government
  MayorRosa Melchor (PSOE)
Area
  Total666.78 km2 (257.45 sq mi)
Elevation
644 m (2,113 ft)
Population
 (2018)[1]
  Total30,686
  Density46/km2 (120/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Alcazareños
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
13600
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Its name is taken from an old moorish fortress (al-qaSsr in Arabic language), which was afterwards garrisoned by the knights of St John (San Juan in Spanish language).[2]

Much of the action of Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote takes place near Alcázar. The village of El Toboso (20 miles) was the home of the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso; Argamasilla de Alba (26 miles) is declared by some to be the birthplace of the original Don Quixote himself.[2]

Railways arrived to Alcázar de San Juan in 1854, as part of the AranjuezAlmansa line, and, in 1861, another line was opened (Alcázar–ManzanaresDaimielAlmagroCiudad Real).[3]

The town was granted the title of city (ciudad) in April 1877.[4]

The famous Third Mixed Brigade (Tercera Brigada Mixta) of the Spanish Republican Army was established in Alcázar de San Juan in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War.[5]

Transport

Alcázar de San Juan has a reputation as railway hub.[6] It is part of the Madrid–Valencia and Alcázar de San Juan–Cádiz lines.

Since 2015,[7] the city has struggled for years to move forward with the project for the construction of the Plataforma Logística Intermodal "Mancha Centro",[8] a dry port.

Main sights

  • Old windmills
  • Tower of the Grand Prior (14th century)
  • Church of St. Mary Major (13th-15th centuries)
  • Church of St. Francis of Assisi (14th-15th centuries)
  • Convent of St. Claire (16th century)

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Alcázar de San Juan is twinned with:

Notable people

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.