municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
located in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, within the
Province of Albacete
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 by road southeast of Madri ...
, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It has a population of 1,148 inhabitants (INE, 2022). The town, situated 64 kilometres (40 miles) from
Albacete
Albacete ( , , ) is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete.
Lying in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula, the area around the city is known as Los Llan ...
, was declared
Conjunto histórico In Spain, the legal designation ''Conjunto histórico'' (formerly ''Conjunto Histórico-Artístico'' or "Historic-Artistic Grouping") is part of the national system of heritage listing. It is applied to buildings in a given locality. It is typicall ...
in 1982.
Etymology
''Alcalá'' is a Spanish toponym that refers to various localities associated with the presence of a castle. The word is a Castilian adaptation of the
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
''al-qala'a'' (القلعة), which literally means "the castle." Therefore, the name of the town Alcalá del Júcar would mean "castle of the
Júcar
The Júcar () or Xúquer () is a river in Spain, on the Iberian Peninsula. The river runs for approximately 509 km.
Its source is located at Ojuelos de Valdeminguete, in the municipality of Tragacete, province of Cuenca, on the eastern fla ...
."
Geography
Location
The town of Alcalá del Júcar is situated within a deep gorge formed by the Júcar River, which traverses the region. The landscape is notable for its dramatic terrain, with the river meandering through steep limestone cliffs. Alcalá del Júcar is built on the sides of these cliffs, creating a distinctive visual impression, with its whitewashed houses appearing to cling to the rock face. The town is located in the Manchuela region, an area renowned for its rugged natural beauty and unique geological formations.
Alcalá del Júcar is bordered by several municipalities within the province of Albacete. Abengibre, Alatoz, Alborea, Carcelén, Casas de Ves,
Casas-Ibáñez
Casas-Ibáñez is a municipality in Albacete, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It has a population of 4,234.
See also
*Manchuela
Manchuela or La Manchuela ("lesser La Mancha") is a ''Comarcas of Spain, comarca'' located in Castile-La Mancha and Val ...
Alfonso VIII of Castile
Alfonso VIII (11 November 11555 October 1214), called the Noble (El Noble) or the one of Las Navas (el de las Navas), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army at Alarc ...
succeeded in wresting control of the strongholds of Garadén, Jorquera, and Alcalá from the
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, bringing them under the
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingd ...
. The conquest was solidified two years later, following the decisive victories over the Almohads at the
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Islamic history as the Battle of Al-Uqab (), took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the ''Reconquista'' and the Spain in the Middle Ages, medieval history of Spain. The Christian ...
(1212) and the Battle of Alcaraz (1213). These victories dismantled the Arab defenses, paving the way for the repopulation of the lands in
La Mancha
La Mancha () is a natural region, natural and historical region in the provinces of Spain, Spanish provinces of province of Albacete, Albacete, province of Cuenca, Cuenca, province of Ciudad Real, Ciudad Real and province of Toledo, Toledo. It ...
and the present-day province of Albacete. After its definitive conquest, settlers from Alarcón established themselves in Alcalá.
Initially, Alcalá was a dependent village of Jorquera. However, on April 18, 1364,
Peter of Castile
Peter (; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called Peter the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for h ...
, known as Pedro the Cruel, issued a charter in Grao de Valencia, granting Alcalá del Júcar the status of a town and its separation from Jorquera. This charter also provided Alcalá with a set of laws, municipal governance, and other rights.
Like other nearby settlements, Alcalá del Júcar became part of the
Marquisate of Villena
Marquess of Villena () is a hereditary title in the Spanish nobility, Peerage of Spain, granted in 1445 by John II of Castile, John II to Juan Pacheco, Grand Master of the Order of Santiago and later also 1st Duke of Escalona.
It was originally ...
and experienced the various challenges associated with this peculiar lordship. The Marquisate of Villena played a significant role in the Middle Ages and in the formation of the modern Castilian monarchy until its dissolution following the
Castilian Civil War
The First Castilian Civil War was a war of succession over the Crown of Castile that lasted from 1351 to 1369. The conflict started after the death of king Alfonso XI of Castile in March 1350. It became part of the larger conflict then raging ...
in 1475.
Alcalá del Júcar was part of the
Kingdom of Murcia
After roughly two decades as a protectorate of the Crown of Castile, the territory of the Taifa of Murcia became the Kingdom of Murcia (, a territorial jurisdiction of the Crown of Castile) in the wake of its Conquest of Murcia (1265–66), conq ...
Javier de Burgos
Francisco Javier de Burgos y del Olmo (22 October 1778—22 January 1848) was a Spanish jurist, politician, journalist, and translator.
Early life and career
Born in Motril, into a noble but poor family, he was destined for a career in the ...
, which created the province of Albacete. Ecclesiastically, Alcalá del Júcar belonged to the
Diocese of Cartagena
The Diocese of Cartagena () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the city of Cartagena, Spain, Cartagena in the ecclesiastical province of Archdiocese of Granada, Granada in Spain.Diocese of Albacete in 1949.
The town of Alcalá del Júcar was declared a
Conjunto histórico In Spain, the legal designation ''Conjunto histórico'' (formerly ''Conjunto Histórico-Artístico'' or "Historic-Artistic Grouping") is part of the national system of heritage listing. It is applied to buildings in a given locality. It is typicall ...
(Historic-Artistic Site) by Royal Decree 2335/1982 on July 30 (published in the Official State Gazette No. 226 on September 1). The site is registered as a
Bien de Interés Cultural
(, , , ) is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Colombia and other Spanish-speaking countries.
The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" ("goods" in the economic sense). It includes not only mater ...
(Cultural Heritage Site) with the identification number RI-53-0000261, as recognized by the Ministry of Culture of Spain.
Since 2014, Alcalá del Júcar has been officially recognized as one of " The Most Beautiful Villages in Spain" and has been a member of the association of the same name since that year.