Ciudad Real (Spanish for: Royal City) is a city in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Ciudad Real.

Durind the Middle ages, four kilometres of walls and one hundred and thirty towers protected a population made up of Christians, Moors and Jews. After the unification of the peninsular Kingdoms under the Catholic Monarch, Ciudad Real became the capital of the province of La Mancha in the 17th century. This fact favoured its economic development which was spilled into important buildings. The city was founded by king Alfonso X in the 13th century to fight against the Military Order of Calatrava. Its population is 70,124, which is about an eight of the population of the province. The city was surrounded by walls. Nowadays, there are only two parts of the wall left.

"Don Quixote's Museum" is situated next to "Parque de Gasset". It's dedicated to the important figure of "Don Quixote". It has a lot of works of art. In the museum there are a lot of rooms....: the showroom, which shows 10 character busts relationated with "Don Quixote". These busts seem to talk to each other: a library, which has an amount of 3500 books, and it also holds a consulting room; an artroom, which shows 10 pictures painted by José Jiménez Aranda; a projection room, where you can see videos and films about "Don Quixote" and a multipurpose room which has a capacity of 90 people.

It has a stop on the AVE high-speed rail line and has begun to grow as a long-distance commuter suburb of Madrid.

The "Iglesia de Santiago" is the oldest one in Ciudad Real. It was built at the end of the 13th century. Its style is gothic. It has three blocks divided into two parts. Its decorated with gothic paintings and with seven headed dragons, they were used such us amulets against the bad spirits. The ceiling is decorated with stones forming eight points stars.

Another important church in Ciudad Real is "Iglesia de San Pedro" ( San Pedro's church). It is the monument that has more interest and quality of the city. It was built between the XIVth and XVth century. It has gothic style. Inside we can find the tomb of Chante de Coca, confessor and chaplain of the Catholic Monarchs. Admission is free.

A high capacity airport (Don Quijote Airport) started its activities in year 2007. The beginning of the construction of a new Caesar's Palace Casino is planned for 2007.

The city has a Handball team, the BM Ciudad Real, which is the current winner of the European Handball Championship. The Handball club is one of the best in the world and its pabellion is the biggest in Spain.

Museo Elisa Cendreros: this museum exhibits an old collection of fans and wrought wood that speaks to us of a cultured and a refind time. Here you can see works of art by Ciudadrealeños like Angel Andrade and Carlos Vazquez, fruit of interest and friendship of Elisa Cendreros founder of this museum with these artists.

In the centre of Ciudad Real, where the city council is, it's the Plaza Mayor. In one of its sides there is a statue of Alfonso X, founder of the city, the House of the Arc, an old house consistorial.

Ciudad Real has 18 Primary Schools and six high schools. The High School "Torreón del Alcázar" was founded the year 1987. In the first years there were only vocational studies, thirty teachers and 350 students. Some years later the high school incorporated the Compulsory Secondary studies and A levels. At the moment there are 93 teachers and 1000 students. In the year 1995 the High School was offered to become a bilingual school. And in the year 2005 the first bilingual group arrived.

Ciudad Real (Spanish for: Royal City) is a city in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Ciudad Real.

Durind the Middle ages, four kilometres of walls and one hundred and thirty towers protected a population made up of Christians, Moors and Jews. After the unification of the peninsular Kingdoms under the Catholic Monarch, Ciudad Real became the capital of the province of La Mancha in the 17th century. This fact favoured its economic development which was spilled into important buildings. The city was founded by king Alfonso X in the 13th century to fight against the Military Order of Calatrava. Its population is 70,124, which is about an eight of the population of the province. The city was surrounded by walls. Nowadays, there are only two parts of the wall left.

"Don Quixote's Museum" is situated next to "Parque de Gasset". It's dedicated to the important figure of "Don Quixote". It has a lot of works of art. In the museum there are a lot of rooms....: the showroom, which shows 10 character busts relationated with "Don Quixote". These busts seem to talk to each other: a library, which has an amount of 3500 books, and it also holds a consulting room; an artroom, which shows 10 pictures painted by José Jiménez Aranda; a projection room, where you can see videos and films about "Don Quixote" and a multipurpose room which has a capacity of 90 people.

It has a stop on the AVE high-speed rail line and has begun to grow as a long-distance commuter suburb of Madrid.

The "Iglesia de Santiago" is the oldest one in Ciudad Real. It was built at the end of the 13th century. Its style is gothic. It has three blocks divided into two parts. Its decorated with gothic paintings and with seven headed dragons, they were used such us amulets against the bad spirits. The ceiling is decorated with stones forming eight points stars.

Another important church in Ciudad Real is "Iglesia de San Pedro" ( San Pedro's church). It is the monument that has more interest and quality of the city. It was built between the XIVth and XVth century. It has gothic style. Inside we can find the tomb of Chante de Coca, confessor and chaplain of the Catholic Monarchs. Admission is free.

A high capacity airport (Don Quijote Airport) started its activities in year 2007. The beginning of the construction of a new Caesar's Palace Casino is planned for 2007.

The city has a Handball team, the BM Ciudad Real, which is the current winner of the European Handball Championship. The Handball club is one of the best in the world and its pabellion is the biggest in Spain.

Museo Elisa Cendreros: this museum exhibits an old collection of fans and wrought wood that speaks to us of a cultured and a refind time. Here you can see works of art by Ciudadrealeños like Angel Andrade and Carlos Vazquez, fruit of interest and friendship of Elisa Cendreros founder of this museum with these artists.

In the centre of Ciudad Real, where the city council is, it's the Plaza Mayor. In one of its sides there is a statue of Alfonso X, founder of the city, the House of the Arc, an old house consistorial.

Ciudad Real has 18 Primary Schools and six high schools. The High School "Torreón del Alcázar" was founded the year 1987. In the first years there were only vocational studies, thirty teachers and 350 students. Some years later the high school incorporated the Compulsory Secondary studies and A levels. At the moment there are 93 teachers and 1000 students. In the year 1995 the High School was offered to become a bilingual school. And in the year 2005 the first bilingual group arrived.

Ciudad Real un comune spagnolo di 70.000 abitanti circa, situato nella comunit autonoma di Castiglia-La Mancia. Ciudad Real fu fondata dal re Alfonso X il Saggio nel XIII secolo. la principale citt della Mancia e sede vescovile. La citt conobbe il periodo di maggior splendore nel XVI secolo quando vi furono impiantati importanti uffici statali, si costruirono nuovi edifici e, oltre all'agricoltura, vi si installarono alcune piccole industrie dei merletti e delle giacche di pelle.

L'agricoltura anche nei secoli successivi fu soprattutto volta alla vitivinicoltura, all'allevamento del bestiame, alla produzione casearia. In questi ultimi anni si avuto un notevole sviluppo nel campo dei servizi e, soprattutto, dei trasporti: Ciudad Real infatti una tappa intermedia della ferrovia ad alta Velocit che collega Madrid a Cordova e Siviglia (AVE) e, connesso al treno ad alta velocit, entrer in funzione alla fine del 2007 un nuovo grande aeroporto privato intitolato a don Quijote per voli di linea internazionali e nazionali di passseggeri e merci, collegato alla stazione dell'AVE. previsto, nell'immediato, ma con possibilit d'incremento, per un traffico di 7 milioni di viaggiatori e 250.000 tonnellate di merci; un'area riservata ai voli turistici e sportivi privati e c' anche un eliporto. C' anche un progetto di creare un centro di spettacoli e gioco con alberghi e case di gioco sul tipo di Las Vegas, ma per ora soltanto un progetto e una notizia giornalistica.

Ciudada Real fu nominata nel 1691 capitale della provincia della Mancha, titolo che poi perse in favore di Almagro e riottenne solo nel 1933.


Luoghi di interesse


I principali monumentisono: la Catedral de Nuestra Senora del Prado di forme tardo-gotiche iniziata nel 1531, l' Iglesia de Santiago dei secoli XIII-XIV, la Iglesia de la Merced del XV secolo attigua all' Antiguo Convento de los mercedarios, l' Iglesia de San Pedro gotica del XIV, la casa natal de Hermn Perez del Pulgar del XV secolo, il Palacio de la Deputacion Provincial del XX secolo, l' Ajuntamiento del 1976 neogotico, la Casa Real de la Caritad del XVIII secolo, la Puerta de Toledo monumento nazionale chiaro esempio di architettura militare del XIV secolo, l' Hospital de la Misericordia y Rectorado de l'Universidad del XIII secolo, l' Ermita de Alarcos gotica del XIV secolo. Da vedere anche i resti delle mura e i numerosi musei: il Museo Lopez Villasenor dedicato alle opere di questo pittore massimo esponente della pittura spagnola del XX secolo, il Museo de don Quixote espone opere d'arte legate al personaggio di Cervantes e una biblioteca di opere a lui dedicate o che abbiano attinenza lui, il Museo provincial de Ciutad Real di carattere archeologico con una sezione di Entomologia e alcune opere di pittori locali, il Museo Diocesano di arte sacra ospitato nel Palacio Episcopal. Il Conservatorio Musicale alloggiato nel Casino del XIX secolo, dello stesso tempo il Teratro Municipal Quijano.


Feste


Come in tutte le citt della Spagna anche Ciutad Real ha un nutrito calendario di feste: le celebrazioni e le feste della Settimana Santa sono state dichiarate di Interes Turistico, la festa per la Romeria (pellegrinaggio) alla ermita di Alarcos, borgo medioevale con un castello e localit storica famosa per la sconfitta qui subita dalle truppe di Castiglia nella battaglia con gli Almohadi nel 1196. La festa pi famosa quella del 31 luglio detta Pandorga quando da tutta la provincia vengono i paesani vestiti nei costumi locali tradizionali a offrire fiori alla statua della Madonna del Prado nella Cattedrale. Presiede la festa il cosidetto Pandorgo, prototipo del contadino mancego eletto ogni anno a quest'incarico che consiste anche nell'offrire da bere a tutti coloro che l'omaggiano la zurra, bevanda alcolica tipica di questa festa. Al pomeriggio e alla notte per i giovani, ci sono concerti, danze e canti in un posto appositamente designato e predisposto dal comune.