A visit to El Crespo is not only a hunting trip, but also a culture trip. El Crespo is located in Fuenllana, a small village in the southeast of Ciudad Real, in the autonomous community of Castilla la Mancha. Near Fuenllana we can find two villages with a special charm: Villanueva de los Infantes and Villahermosa.

In this article we will analyse the history and charms of these two towns of La Mancha.

Culture trip through the two Villas:

Villanueva de los Infantes:

Located at 5.9 Km from Fuenllana, Villanueva de los Infantes is a town with a brilliant and monarchic past. In 1421 it received its coat of arms from the Infante Enrique, brother of Alfonso V de Aragon. For this reason, the coat of arms represents the Cross of La Orden de Santiago, accompanied by a castle and a lion in allusion to the kingdoms of Castilla y León, and by two shields of La Casa de Aragón in allusion to the Infante Enrique.

In 1573, Villanueva de los Infantes was proclaimed capital of Campo de Montiel by Felipe II, at the time when the Vicariate and the Governor’s Office were established. Figures such as Santo Tomás de Villanueva and great cultural icons such as Cervantes, Quevedo or Lope de Vega turned the town into an important cultural and spiritual centre.

This town played an important role, both strategically and militarily, in the War of Independence, during which it was under French rule for a period of less than 2 years from 1 January 1810. On 25 July 1812, the board of the province of La Mancha swore and proclaimed in La Plaza de Villanueva de los Infantes the first Spanish Constitution, and for this reason, this town is the home of constitutionalism in Castilla la Mancha.

Throughout its history, this town received several titles: in 1895 the Regent María Cristina granted it the Title of City; in 1974, it was declared a Historic-Artistic Site; and in 2004 it was declared “The Place of La Mancha” from Don Quixote by a Complutense University team.

Villanueva de los Infantes is a perfect place to make a visit during your culture trip, since, in addition to the historical data that we have highlighted, in this town there are a series of archaeological sites that can be visited. These archaeological sites belong to 4 different periods: Bronze Age, Ancient Age, Middle Ages and Modern Age.

Villahermosa:

Located at 8.7 km from Fuenllana, Villahermosa is a small town closely linked to agriculture throughout its history. In its territory we can find a series of sites from the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Ibero-Roman era.

The area in which Villahermosa is located was reconquered by the Order of Santiago from the Arabs in the first half of the 13th century and became part of the Campo de Montiel territory. On September 22, 1444, the Villahermosa Commission was set up when Don Enrique de Aragón granted it the “Carta puebla” (Town Charter), separating it from Montiel.

Years later, during the Second Republic, Villahermosa regained prominence due to the social tension caused by the fact that land ownership was concentrated in a few hands, most of them noble.

Some interesting monuments to visit may be:

– Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.

– Easter Monument.

– Other examples of archaeological architecture.

– Civil Architecture.

Another reason to visit this town is its calendar of festivities, very varied and spread throughout the year.

If you are interested in a complete culture trip in which to visit places with a great history, taste exquisite cuisine and enjoy a great hunting day, El Crespo is the perfect place for it. Contact us and enjoy a good trip to Castilla la Mancha.