Village
Municipality of the comarca of La Campana de Oropesa, in the province of Toledo, dominated by an ensemble of two castles, the old alcazar — an Arab fortress of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries on Roman foundations — and the palace of the Álvarez de Toledo family, beside the counts' New Palace, topped by the octagonal tower called the Duchess's Dressing Room; framed for seven centuries within the land of Ávila until the provincial division of 1833 passed it to Toledo, it keeps in its parish church the remains of the viceroy Francisco de Toledo, who is also recalled by the pucherete del Virrey, a cabbage stew served in an earthenware pot.
Monument
The complex, also called Castillo Viejo (Old Castle), consists of two buildings: the old alcázar, a fortress probably of Arab origin from the 12th and 13th centuries built over an earlier Roman construction, and the New Palace of the Álvarez de Toledo family, from 1402. The town and the castle were granted in 1355 to García Álvarez de Toledo, Master of the Order of Santiago, who acquired the lordship of Oropesa and Valdecorneja; from 1475 the palace was the seat of power of the county. Its walls witnessed several wars: in the War of the Comunidades of Castile, the Count of Oropesa, an ally of Juan de Padilla, resisted Charles V here. It was home to Saint Peter of Alcántara and Saint Teresa of Jesus, and was damaged in the French sack of 1808. Its wall and towers still shape the town's skyline today; it houses a Parador de Turismo.
Monument
The New Palace of the castle of Oropesa (Toledo), residence of the Counts of Oropesa, was built from 1402 by the Álvarez de Toledo branch and enlarged in the 16th century; from 1475 it became the seat of power of the county. Rectangular in plan, it stands at the northern end of the plateau on which the town rises and is flanked at its corners by towers of differing shapes, built partly of ashlar. Its large inner courtyard is reached through a single gate protected by the main tower. It preserves a wide stone staircase resting on arches that links the courtyard with the wall-walk of the ramparts, considered one of the most impressive among Spanish palaces and castles.
Monument
The oldest section of the palace complex of Oropesa, dated to the late 14th century and now incorporated, along with the New Palace, into the hotel housed in the castle.
Monument
A 16th-century Renaissance building, the Jesuit College stands on the calle de la Compañía in Oropesa; it was founded by Francisco Álvarez de Toledo, Count of Oropesa, viceroy of Peru and steward to Charles V and Philip II, and consists of a church and a college built between 1590 and 1604; the design has been attributed to Juan de Herrera, although the church, dedicated to San Bernardo, appears to be the work of Francisco de Mora. The temple, in the shape of a Latin cross, is covered with barrel vaults and a dome, now collapsed, over the transept, and its ashlar façade, crowned by a pediment with an oculus, is flanked by Doric columns and the coats of arms of the Counts of Oropesa. Of the college, the floor plan, the façades of the compás, a granite doorway and remains of the small cloister survive. The complex was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection), as a monument, on 8 October 1991.
Monument
A 15th-century parish church, one of the principal religious monuments of this town of the counts.
Monument
An entrance to the 15th-century walled enclosure flanked by two towers, a vestige of the defensive system that once surrounded the town.
Monument
Remains of the 16th-century passageway with round arches that linked the seigneurial quarters within the old town of Oropesa.
Monument
A bridge of Roman origin over the River Guadyerbas, evidence of the old communication routes that ran through the municipal district of Oropesa.
Curiosity
The most widely accepted theory derives the place name Oropesa from the pre-Roman name Otobesa, which predates both the Roman and the Arab occupations of the town.
Curiosity
The County of Oropesa is a hereditary Spanish noble title whose name refers to the Toledan town of Oropesa, already documented in 1277 in a decree of Alfonso X. Henry II had granted the lordship to García Álvarez de Toledo in 1366, but the comital title was bestowed by Queen Isabella I of Castile on 30 August 1477 on Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Zúñiga, 5th Lord of Oropesa, as a reward for his help in the war against Alfonso V of Portugal. In 1690 Charles II granted the Grandeeship of Spain to the 8th Count. Linked to the powerful House of Álvarez de Toledo, the title later passed to the Dukedom of Frías and is today held by the House of Osuna.
Curiosity
The castle-palace of the Álvarez de Toledo family became a parador in 1930 and was the first in the chain to be housed in a historic building, a model that would later be repeated across Spain.
Activity
The Medieval Days of Oropesa (La Campana de Oropesa, Toledo) are held in April and for three days fill the walled town centre of the comital town with market stalls, crafts and performances. Moors and Christians mingle re-enacting the legend that gives the town its name, with parades, competitions and period costume centred around the castle. In 2023 its twelfth edition was held.
Activity
Oropesa's patronal festivals combine religious ceremonies, bullfighting events and open-air dances on two notable dates: from 8 to 10 September in honour of the Virgen de Peñitas, and on 19 September in honour of san Alonso de Orozco.
Historical milestone
He was born in Oropesa on 10 July 1515, a son of the comital house. He was fifth viceroy of Peru between 1569 and 1581: he promulgated the Ordinances of 1573, reorganised Potosí and ordered the execution of Túpac Amaru. He died in Escalona in 1582.
Historical milestone
The remains of Francisco de Toledo reached Oropesa in 1605 and were deposited in the church of the convent of San Bernardo, a foundation of his family. After the disentailment they were transferred to the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, where they remain today.
Historical milestone
Reconquered between 1083 and 1085, the Campana was framed for seven centuries within the land of Ávila. The provincial division of Javier de Burgos passed it to Toledo in 1833, which explains why its speech and its customs are still those of Old Castile.
Historical milestone
Octagonal tower that crowns the New Palace of the counts of Oropesa, raised beside the castle in the sixteenth century. Local tradition attributes the name to the use the ladies of the house made of it, looking out from there over the vega of the Tagus.
Food and drink
Stew of cabbage with cubes of loin and a little chorizo that is served in an individual earthenware pot. The name refers to Francisco de Toledo, and it is the dish with which the restaurants of the villa have identified their cooking for decades.
Food and drink
Fried eggs on a base of chorizo mixture crumbled and sautéed in its own fat, a slaughter-time dish that makes use of the seasoned meat before it is stuffed into casings. It is eaten from the pan and with bread, and is habitual at winter meals.
Food and drink
Soup made with the liver and the offal of the pig pounded with garlic, paprika and bread, typical of the slaughter days. It is one of the heartiest preparations of the recipe book of the comarca and is served very hot and well loaded with spices.