Logbook · 8 places

What to see and do in Villarta de San Juan

What to see and do in Villarta de San Juan (La Mancha, Ciudad Real): 8 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 3 Monuments · 1 Nature · 2 Activities · 1 Curiosities

When to go to Villarta de San Juan: festival calendar

January: The Paces of Villarta de San Juan (23 al 26 de enero)
June: Festivities of San Juan de Villarta (23 al 25 de junio)

How far each place is from the centre of Villarta de San Juan

Roman bridge of Villarta de San Juan 800 m
Church of Santa María la Mayor de Villarta 7.4 km

Towns near Villarta de San Juan

Spain › Castilla-La Mancha › Ciudad Real › La Mancha › Villarta de San Juan

What to see and do in Villarta de San Juan

Villarta de San Juan
Village
Municipality of the comarca of La Mancha, in the province of Ciudad Real, whose Roman bridge over the Gigüela, some 500 metres long and with 72 arches, was declared a Monumento Histórico-Artístico Nacional (Spain's heritage designation in force between 1931 and 1985) in 1983; beside it was fought the skirmish that left the village practically destroyed during the Peninsular War, from which only the most solid buildings were saved, among them the Gothic church of Santa María la Mayor. Its festival of las Paces, in honour of the Virgen de la Paz, has been of Regional Tourist Interest since 1994 for its bonfires and its firework display.
Roman bridge of Villarta de San Juan
Monument
The Roman bridge of Villarta de San Juan, known as the Puente Viejo, spans the waters of the río Gigüela and its tributary the Záncara, which here form an endorheic lagoon of ecological interest. Of Roman origin, it was reinforced in medieval times as an obligatory crossing point on the road from Consaburum to Laminio, and some historians place the ancient Roman city of Murum at Villarta. It stretches around 500 metres with an average width of five, and is made up of 46 arches, all different and irregularly distributed according to the currents of the terrain; the last four remained hidden under rubble until recent restoration works. Declared a monumento histórico-artístico of national character (an earlier heritage-protection designation) in 1983, it now holds the status of bien de interés cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection).
Church of Santa María la Mayor de Villarta
Monument
A Gothic church dated to the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th, one of the few buildings that survived the destruction of the town in the Peninsular War.
Tower of el Reloj de Villarta de San Juan
Monument
Torre del Reloj, on the Plaza de la Paz of Villarta de San Juan (La Mancha, Ciudad Real), next to the main façade of the town hall. It is a 17th-century building raised using the aparejo toledano technique, of which only the lower third is original; the upper section, more modern, houses the clock and ends in a small structure shaped like a small pavilion with a railing. Above the entrance door there used to be an image of the Virgen de la Paz.
The Los Tarays and Los Arenales natural areas
Nature
Los Tarays is the largest green area of Villarta de San Juan, on the outskirts of the village, beside the vega of the río Gigüela; a wide expanse planted with tamarisks, with baths, a fountain and a resting place on the Ruta de Don Quijote, where the pilgrimage of 1 May and local and national greyhound-racing championships used to be held. Los Arenales, another large green area also beside the Gigüela, is planted with pine woods and likewise has baths, picnic areas and a fountain; it is the spot where the 1 May pilgrimage is held today, moved there after the river's floods in recent years.
The Paces of Villarta de San Juan
Activity
Las Paces de Villarta de San Juan (Ciudad Real), declared of Interés Turístico Regional (an official regional tourism distinction) in 1994, are celebrated from 23 to 26 January in honour of Nuestra Señora de la Paz, whose shrine is already documented in the Relaciones de Felipe II; the festival's patronal character has been consolidated since 1780. The cycle includes novenas from 14 to 22 January, a purifying bonfire on the night of the 23rd, the procession on the 24th with rocket-firing peñas, the so-called Operación 2000 with more than 2000 dozen rockets, and the public auction of the carrying poles of the litter that bears the image.
Festivities of San Juan de Villarta
Activity
Festival in honour of San Juan Bautista held in Villarta de San Juan (Ciudad Real) from 23 to 25 June, with a religious service on the 24th, a procession accompanied by the din of mortars from the Peña Truenera San Juan Bautista, the burning of fireworks that night and night-time dancing. The fairground attractions are set up in the Parque de Los Arenales, a green area beside the vega of the río Gigüela with pine woods, picnic areas and a fountain. Its institutional celebration began in the 1950s.
The village destroyed in the War of Independence
Curiosity
Villarta de San Juan was left practically destroyed during the Peninsular War as a result of a major skirmish fought at its Roman bridge: only the most solid buildings were spared.