Mesa de Ocaña is a

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

in Castilla-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 ...

, in the province of

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...

. Its capital and administrative center is Ocaña. The comarca is located in the northeast part of the province, and encompasses an area that includes several hundred meters of the Tajo River Valley. The comarca is bordered on the North by

Aranjuez Aranjuez () is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Community of Madrid. Located in the southern end of the region, the main urban nucleus lies on the left bank of the Tagus, a bit upstream of the discharge of the Jarama. , the munici ...

(

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

); to the south by Los Yébenes and the comarca; to the West by

La Sagra La Sagra is a region in central Spain lying between the cities of Madrid and Toledo. In a wider sense, it includes municipalities belonging to both the south of the Community of Madrid and the north of the province of Toledo. In a more restricted ...

and

; and to the East by the Mancha Alta de Toledo and .

Geography

Geomorphology

The altitude changes radically through the region. The height differences between the

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. Due to the similarity, the term '' scarp'' may mistakenly be incorrectly used inte ...

s of the banks of the Tajo river to the North versus the steppes of La Guardia, and between the

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

s and

ravine A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. Ravines may also be called a cleuch, dell, ...

s of the

Algodor River The Algodor is a 102 km long river in Central Spain. It is a left hand tributary to the Tagus. Course Its source is at the Laguna del Navajo in the Montes de Toledo, within the Retuerta del Bullaque municipal limits, Castile-La Mancha. I ...

to the West and those of the Cedrón River to the East, have given rise the region's nickname of "the staircase." The area has a very distinct and unique set of geological formations which set it apart from its neighbors.

Location

The comarca consists of 1,453.49 km², and contains the following municipalities: Cabañas de Yepes (17.97 km²), Ciruelos(22.94 km²), Dosbarrios (111.59 km²), La Guardia (195.59 km²), Huerta de Valdecarábanos (83.00 km²), Noblejas (69.67 km²), Ocaña (147.91 km²), Ontígola (41.49 km²), Santa Cruz de la Zarza (264.54 km²),

Villarrubia de Santiago Villarrubia de Santiago is a municipality located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2006 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and cal ...

(155.29 km²), Villasequilla (76.95 km²), Villatobas (181.58 km²), and

Yepes Yepes is a ''villa'' (town) in the northern region of the province of Toledo (province), Toledo, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain. Population *The first numbers about the population of Yepes date back to 1534 and accoun ...

(84.97 km²).

Climate

The comarca's climate can be considered continental mediterranean due to its extreme temperatures. Average summer temperatures are over 26 °C, while winters average less than 6 °C.

Demographics

According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística in 2007, the population of the comarca is 39,175, with an average population density of 26.94 people/km². The capital of the comarca is Ocaña.

Cultural Heritage

Mesa de Ocaña has a rich cultural and architectural heritage, not to mention the area's many archeological treasures which document the lives of various different cultures who settled the area throughout the centuries. One of the most spectacular of these architectural treasures is the "Plaza de Moros" in Villatobas, an

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

village whose walls are covered in

mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

s. The ancient town of Ocaña itself is considered a historical monument in and of itself. The town of Yepes was an ecclesiastical dominion during the rule of the archbishop of Toledo, and is now a historical and artistic monument. The towns which make up the comarca share two common characteristics: a plethora of religious architecture and the remains of ancient

medieval 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 World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

fortifications. The many religious buildings -- churches,

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

s, and hermitages—are reminders of bygone days of military

orders Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...

and ecclesiastical dominions. Old defensive buildings include castles in Ontígola and Dosbarrios, the ruins of the castle in Valdecarábanos, and the fortress in La Guardia.

Handicrafts

The local handicrafts are very traditional and varied. These include pottery, a legacy of the

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

, which is popular in Ocaña, Villarrubia de Santiago, Santa Cruz de la Zarza, and Villamuelas. Ironwork, carpentry, wickerwork, basketweaving, cooperage and crafting with glass and ebony, along with the production of wineskins are all popular traditional trades.

Cuisine

The cuisine of Mesa de Ocaña is typical of Castilla-La Mancha, with many game-based dishes, especially

partridge A partridge is a medium-sized Galliformes, galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide Indigenous (ecology), native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They ar ...

. Other traditional dishes include various types of roasts, lamb stew,

gachas Gachas is an ancestral basic dish of central and southern Spain. It is a gruel whose main ingredients are flour, water, olive oil, garlic, paprika and salt. Origin Gachas is considered an unrefined rural dish, the food of shepherds, farmers an ...

migas Migas (, ) ("crumbs" in English language, English) is a dish traditionally made from stale bread and other ingredients in Spanish cuisine, Spanish and Portuguese cuisines. Originally introduced by shepherds, migas are very popular across the Ibe ...

, ,

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...

, and ''

cuchifrito Cuchifritos () or cochifritos refers to various fried foods prepared principally of pork in Spanish and Puerto Rican cuisine. In Spain, cuchifritos are a typical dish from Segovia in Castile. The dish consists of pork meat fried in olive oil a ...

s''. Popular desserts include a wide range of sweets and pastries, including , puff pastries, and ''borrachos de Ocaña'' (literally "the drunks of Ocaña"). In terms of wine, the comarca is a part of the ''Denominación de Origen''

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 its wineries enjoy the same international acclaim as those of . The most-developed winemaking municipalities include Villamuelas, Ocaña,

, Santa Cruz de la Zarza, and Noblejas. Some of these municipalities are considered part of the ''Denominación de Origen''

Uclés Uclés is a municipality of Spain located in the province of Cuenca, Castilla–La Mancha. The municipality spans across a total area of 64.61 km2 and, as of 1 January 2020, it has a registered population of 212. History The fortress and town w ...

. These wines tend to be made of

Airén Airén is a variety of ''Vitis vinifera'', a white grape commonly used in winemaking. This grape is native to Spain where it represents almost a quarter of all grapes grown. As of 2017, Airén was estimated to be the world's fourth most grown wi ...

Viura Macabeo, also called Viura or Macabeu (, ), is a white variety of wine grape. It is widely grown in the Rioja region of northeastern Spain, the Cava producing areas south of Barcelona, and the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. Spanis ...

Macabeo Macabeo, also called Viura or Macabeu (, ), is a white variety of wine grape. It is widely grown in the Rioja region of northeastern Spain, the Cava producing areas south of Barcelona, and the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. Spanis ...

Tempranillo Tempranillo (also known as Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, Tinto Fino and Tinta del País in Spain, Aragonez or Tinta Roriz in Portugal, and several other synonyms elsewhere) is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in it ...

, Cencibel,

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebano ...

, or combinations of these.

Monuments and Places of Interest

Ocaña: the Plaza Mayor, the Palace of the Cárdenas, the Great Fountain, and the Dominican Convent, all of which are registered National Monuments. Santa Cruz de la Zarza: Church of St. James, Church of St. Michael the Archangel, Convent of the

Trinitarian Order The Trinitarians, formally known as the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives (; abbreviated OSsT), is a mendicant order of the Catholic Church for men founded in Cerfroid, outside Paris, in the late 12th century. From the very ou ...

, Casa del Gallo, Casa de Chacón, Plaza Mayor, Casa de las Cadenas, Casa de la Tercia, Fountain of the Caños. Yepes: a declared historic-artistic area, with ancient walls, the Plaza Mayor, and the Church of San Benito Abad. Villatobas: "Plaza de Moros" archeological site, Shrine of Jesus the Nazarean. Lillo: the Longar, Altillo, and Albardiosa Lakes, the Don Quixote de la Mancha Aerodrome, and the San Pedro Bautista hospice. Noblejas: Traditional bodegas and ''almazaras'' (mills for making olive oil). Villarrubia de Santiago: Church of St. Bartholomew, Castellar Hermitage, archeological site of Hoyo de la Serna. La Guardia: Hermitage of the Holy Child, Church of the Assumption, prehistoric cave dwellings.

References

Bibliography

External links

Guide to the comarca rom the ''Asociación Don Quijote'' website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mesa De Ocana Comarcas of Castilla–La Mancha Geography of the Province of Toledo