Happy Sunday, sweeties! I hope you are enjoying the weekend. Today, we continue our tour in search of Don Quixote. Our next stop is another town "Somwhere in La Mancha...". Almagro, heart of La Mancha and one of Spain's most historic towns, where every street tells a story.
The first few pictures where taken at Corral de comedias de Almagro -Comedy theatre of Almagro- which is the only functioning comedy theater still standing in Almagro and the only entirely preserved example of this type in the world. It has maintained the original architectural structure of the corral de comedias of the 17th century. It is an open-air theatre where playwrights and writers such as Miguel de Cervantes and Lope de Vega staged their plays. The first recorded performance was given in 1629. Discovered during the renovation of Plaza Mayor in 1953, it was inaugurated on 29 May 1954 with a play by Calderon de la Barca. Nowadays, the Festival Internacional de Teatro Clásico -International Classical Theatre Festival-, is annually celebrated at the corral.
Almagro was once the stronghold of the powerful order of fighting monks, the Knights of Calatrava, to which its owes much of its noble atmosphere, with old mansions bearing ancient coats of arms edging narrow, cobbled streets. The town also has many churches, convents, and monasteries.
Another important site of Almagro is the previously menitioned Plaza Mayor which you can see below. It is a Flemish-style town square. The explanation for this foreing architectural style goes back to the 16th century when the wealthy Fugger brothers, German/Flemish bankers to Spanish king Carlos V were given rights to develop the nearby mercury mines of Almadén. The Fuggers established Almagro as their base and brought with them fellow countrymen and commissioned the building of the square. The square’s distinctive features are the green-coloured, two-storeyed wooden, enclosed balconies that frame the two longer sides of the square.
Thanks for reading,
Cristina xo