Ciudad Real

by Robert Bovington
https://plus.google.com/+RobertBovington/posts

The city of Ciudad Real has good connections. Firstly, the Madrid-Sevilla AVE high-speed train stops there. Secondly, it is associated with Royalty - King Alfonso X founded it in 1255 and gave it the name Villa Real. Later, in 1420, John II gave it the status of a city - Ciudad Real means Royal City in Spanish. Then, in the 17th century, the city was the capital of La Mancha. Today, it is the capital of the province of the same name - one of five provinces in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha.

So, if travelling on the AVE high-speed train between the capital of Spain and the capital of Andalucía, is it worth stopping off at Ciudad Real? Well, like many Spanish cities, Ciudad Real does have its fair share of historic monuments. There are a number of religious buildings including the Iglesia Santiago, one of the oldest churches in the city, which was originally Gothic but which was later enhanced with a Mudéjar roof and Baroque vaults. The Cathedral of Santa María del Prado is another religious building with a combination of styles - Gothic with Baroque interior. The Iglesia San Pedro is another church with a fusion of styles including alternating pointed Gothic arches and Mudéjar horseshoe arches.

Iglesia San Pedro

Another notable landmark is the remains of the 14th-century walls, which were built to protect the Christian, Moor and Jewish population of that time. In those days, there were 4 kilometres of walls with 130 towers. However, the principal attraction is Puerta de Toledo, a Mudéjar gate that was built in 1328 and which is a national monument.


more blogs by Robert Bovington...

"Photographs of Spain"	http://bovingtonphotosofspain.blogspot.com/
"postcards from Spain"	http://bovington-posts.blogspot.com/
"you couldn't make it up!"	http://bovingtonycmitup.blogspot.com/
"a grumpy old man in Spain"	http://grumpybobbov.blogspot.com/
"bits and bobs"	http://bovingtonbitsandblogs.blogspot.com/
"Spanish Expressions"	http://spanishsayingsbovington.blogspot.com/
"Spanish Art"	http://bovingtonspanishart.blogspot.com/
"Books About Spain"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

"Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes

A review by Robert Bovington

Given that this book was written 500 years ago it is surprisingly readable. In fact, it is a thoroughly enjoyable and often comical read.

Maybe it is Edith Grossman's translation that has made it accessible to a reader who prefers Bill Bryson, Peter James and Dick Francis to great classical authors like Shakespeare and Dickens. However, untranslated, it must be a pretty good novel anyway because in many surveys it is considered one of the best books of all time. 

Cervantes great novel tells the story of an impoverished country gentleman who, having read too many stories about chivalry, decides to become a knight errant. He sets out on a series of adventures - or possibly misadventures - in a quest to put the world to rights. The escapades of the absurd Don Quixote and his companion, Sancho Panza, are set in the La Mancha region of Spain. 

Even if you only read one of the great classics of literature, I would urge you to read "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes and this edition would be recommended for English readers.