La Puebla de Montalbán and its attractions

La Puebla de Montalbán is a municipality in the province of Toledo, in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain).

Main attractions

Franciscan convent

Built in 1570 by order of Cardinal Pacheco’s sister and her nephew. It was built on some old houses that were on the outskirts of the town. Belonging to the style of the end of the Renaissance, it was configured as a sanctuary with the conventual dependencies, including its cloister. In the conventual complex, its single-floor church stands out, which houses an altarpiece dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.

Due to the damage caused by the confiscation of Mendizábal and the Spanish civil war, the convent suffered a great deterioration, but retained its original structure. From 1878 it became a school run by Franciscan Missionaries of the Philippines. In 1879, thanks to a Royal Order, the studies at this school were validated. After the Spanish Civil War, it continues to be a school to this day.

Convent of the Conceptionist nuns

It is a convent with a Latin cross with a single nave with a choir at the foot and a slightly prominent transept. It belongs to the Toledo purist renaissance of the 16th century. It was ordered to be built by Cardinal Pacheco. In principle its purpose was to serve as a mausoleum for the family and the cardinal himself, but the cardinal was never buried there. As its name suggests, today it is a Conceptionist nunnery. The cloistered part of the convent has a large cloister and a choir with remarkable stalls.

Plaza Mayor

For centuries, the Plaza Mayor has been the nerve center of La Puebla. All kinds of events are held in this square, such as the patron saint festivities in honor of the Christ of Charity, markets, popular dances, plays, heifers, bullfights, etc. It is a typical Castilian square with arcades. In it are some of the most important buildings in La Puebla, it is worth highlighting the City Hall, representing political power; just opposite is the Parish of Our Lady of Peace, representing the religious power, and the Palace of the Counts of Montalbán. The palace was the first building erected in the square. This square was considered an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2007.

Hermitage of Our Lady of Solitude

It is a brick and ashlar building in the corners, with a pink dome topped by a beautiful spire. It was built between 1733 and 1743, in the Baroque style, and preserves fresco paintings on the choir, the dome and the main chapel. These paintings were made by the brothers Alejandro and Luis González Velázquez.

Its altarpiece stands out above all, in which the trompe l’oeil pictorial technique is used. Likewise, in this hermitage there are different religious carvings such as the Virgen de la Soledad, after which the hermitage receives its name, and the Virgin of Mercy.

Hermitage of the Holy Christ of Charity

The hermitage was founded in 1532 by Juan Pacheco as a Charity Hospital. Through a lintelled doorway you access a large courtyard in the center of what was the old hospital. In the background, the entrance to the chapel where is the image of Christ of Charity, patron of La Puebla de Montalbán. The altarpiece where the figure of the Christ of Charity is found is a remarkable Baroque monument of Churrigueresque influence. The most characteristic of this altarpiece is the golden color that decorates all the details.

San Miguel tower

Perhaps the most representative building in La Puebla and the first thing that is seen as we approach the city, is the remainder of an old church and cemetery, from the year 1604; It is made of brick and padded ashlars.

La Celestina Museum

This building has had several functions throughout the history. First it was a hospital for the poor, then it became a Free Adopted Secondary School for young women and later it became a museum. In 2003, the museum was inaugurated under the name of La Celestina. This museum institution was born as a tribute to the well-known work La Celestina and its author, Fernando de Rojas, illustrious son of the town. The building has two floors that house several rooms in which the social political context in which the work was written is documented. In addition, there are several exhibitions of old photographs and paintings by Teo Puebla. The museum also houses exhibitions by new artists.

Palace of the Counts of Montalbán

Built in the 16th century, it is in the purist Renaissance style. It stands out for its sobriety, purity of forms and the symmetry of the façade, with symmetrically distributed windows and balconies. With an all-white facade, the main portico stands out, culminating in the coat of arms of the lords of Montalbán. Diego Colón, son of Christopher Columbus, died in this palace. In 1991 it was declared a Cultural Asset in the category of Monument.

How to get to?

Distances to the main cities of Castilla–La Mancha:

From Toledo 34 min (33.9 km) via CM-4000

From Ciudad Real 1 hr 52 min (149 km) via N-401

From Albacete 2 hr 47 min (288 km) via CM-42

From Cuenca 2 hr 16 min (221 km) via A-40

From Guadalajara 1 hr 47 min (161 km) via A-42

From Madrid 1 hr 22 min (104 km) via A-42

Main information

Area: 141 sq. km (municipality)

Coordinates: 39°52′20″N 4°21′32″W

Population: 7 858

Languages: Spanish

Currency: Euro

Visa: Schengen

Time: Central European UTC +1

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