Logbook · 9 places

What to see and do in Villanueva de Alcardete

What to see and do in Villanueva de Alcardete (La Mancha de Toledo, Toledo): 9 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 2 Activities · 2 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

When to go to Villanueva de Alcardete: festival calendar

April: Festivities of San Jorge de Villanueva de Alcardete (April 23)
November: Festivities of la Virgen de la Piedad (November)

Towns near Villanueva de Alcardete

Spain › Castilla-La Mancha › Toledo › La Mancha de Toledo › Villanueva de Alcardete

What to see and do in Villanueva de Alcardete

Villanueva de Alcardete
Village
Municipality of the comarca of La Mancha de Toledo, in the province of Toledo, born of the moving in the thirteenth century of the old Alcardete, beside the river Gigüela, and distinguished by Charles I in 1520 with the title of Loyal for its stance in the war of the Comuneros; it preserves the church of Santiago Apóstol, of the sixteenth century, with Gothic vaults over walls in the Romanesque tradition, and a fifteenth-century rollo, and it lives from the vineyard and from sheep's cheese covered by the Queso Manchego denomination of origin.
Church of Santiago Apóstol de Villanueva de Alcardete
Monument
16th-century church mixing styles, with Gothic vaults over walls of Romanesque tradition, the main monument in the municipality. The walls are of smooth masonry with few windows, of Romanesque character, while large buttresses support the thrust of the Gothic vaults; inside, the high altar shows Renaissance decoration with gold leaf, and the tower houses a stone spiral staircase. The portals are Renaissance in style with Baroque touches.
Jurisdictional pillar of Villanueva de Alcardete
Monument
15th-century column of justice symbolising the town's own jurisdiction, obtained after the Reconquest with the privilege of villazgo (town status). It is a stone pillar with four attached columns shaped like cords, which retains the four original wrought-iron bars.
The relocation of old Alcardete
Curiosity
The original settlement of Alcardete, beside the River Gigüela, was abandoned in the 13th century for reasons of health and safety, and its inhabitants moved to the present site.
Gregorio de Céspedes, the first European in Korea
Curiosity
The Jesuit Gregorio de Céspedes, linked to the town, was the first European known to have set foot in Korea, in 1593. Before that he travelled through China and the Far East; in Japan he won the trust of its leaders and became a counsellor and preacher, as well as a chronicler of the wars between Japan and Korea, in which he acted as a mediator to achieve peace. He died in Japan in 1611.
Festivities of San Jorge de Villanueva de Alcardete
Activity
Villanueva de Alcardete's festivities in honor of San Jorge, in a town to which Carlos I granted the title of Leal (Loyal) in 1520 for its faithfulness during the War of the Comunidades.
Festivities of la Virgen de la Piedad
Activity
Villanueva de Alcardete celebrates its autumn festivities in honor of the Virgen de la Piedad on the second weekend of November, with paloteo (traditional stick dances) and a floral offering.
The Loyal Town of 1520
Historical milestone
Charles I granted the town in 1520 the title of Loyal for having stayed on his side against the troops of bishop Acuña during the War of the Communities, and accompanied the favor with a grant over salt. The municipal coat of arms preserves the memory.
The Manchego cheese of Villanueva
Food and drink
Alongside the vineyard, the making of manchega sheep's cheese is the other leg of the agrarian economy of the municipality. The local cheese dairies work within the protected designation of origin Queso Manchego, with curing from three months to a year.