Granátula de Calatrava is a

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' ...

in the

province of Ciudad Real The province of Ciudad Real () is a province in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Cuenca, Albacete, Jaén, Córdoba, Badajoz, and Toledo. It is partly located ...

, Castile-La Mancha,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It was known as ''Oretum'' in ancient Iberian times. The present-day town is located in the valley of the Jabalón river, in an area with Mediterranean-type agricultural resources from which

olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

, wine, cereals, almonds and various orchard products are obtained.

Main sights

Archaeological sites include the Virgen de Oreto y Zuqueca ( Oreto and Zuqueca) site, where Oretum, the ancient capital of

Oretani The Oretani or Oretanii (Greek: ''Orissioi'') were a pre-Roman ancient Iberian people (in the geographical sense) of the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman Hispania) that lived in northeastern Andalusia, in the upper Baetis (Guadalquivir) river valley, ...

was located. Also the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

site of La Encantada is within Granátula de Calatrava's municipal term. Other sights include the palace of the Torrubias, the House of the Inquisition, the parish church dedicated to

Saint Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...

, and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Oreto and Zuqueca, which dates from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. The urban network shows the varied typology of

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

buildings. The landscape has been intensely altered by mankind, and therefore is full of manor houses, from small to large; bridges, water wheels, and the peasant stone refuges known as ''carapuchetes''.

Culture

Popular culture may be observed in a number of stone crosses, the so-called "armaos" ("armed ones") who make their appearance during

Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...

, as well as some 40 religious feasts, holidays and pageants that take place during the year. Tales and legends of yore, traditions and a rich gastronomy, as well as the work in mat-weed and lace also form part of the locality's lore.

History

Granatula de Calatrava became nationally known after

Baldomero Espartero Baldomero Fernández-Espartero y Álvarez de Toro (27 February 17938 January 1879) was a Spanish marshal and statesman. He served as the Regent of the Realm, three times as Prime Minister and briefly as President of the Congress of Deputies ...

, born in Granatula de Calatrava, became a national figure of great importance.

References

Municipalities in the Province of Ciudad Real {{CastileLaMancha-geo-stub