Alcaraz is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

located in the

province of Albacete Albacete ( es, Provincia de Albacete, ) is a province of central Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. As of 2012, Albacete had a population of 402,837 people. Its capital city, also called Albacete, is ...

Castilla–La Mancha Castilla–La Mancha (, , ), or Castile La Mancha, is an autonomous community of Spain. Comprising the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo, it was created in 1982. The government headquarters are in Toledo, and ...

. The municipality spans across a total area of 370.53 km². The locality lies at 953 metres above mean sea level.

History

The town was granted the status of city in 1429, by means of the concession of a royal privilege. The urban oligarchy controlling political power and riches in the later Middle Ages was formed by a mix of the '' nobleza hidalga'' (descended from ') and the so-called ''caballeros cuantiosos''. The Alcaraz's extensive municipal territory during the Middle Ages had decreased fivefold by the end of the 16th century, after the emancipation of several hamlets, and it was further decimated in the ensuing years.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * auto Municipalities of the Province of Albacete {{Albacete-geo-stub