The towns of Toledo can and do boast of having been home to great dynastic houses very intimately related to the Crown . In some cases, spectacular castles have been built that have served as second homes for kings or grand dukes who made a stop along the way and fell in love with the lands they discovered there.
We have a case like this in Maqueda, a beautiful Toledo town a stone's throw from Madrid that allows a quick weekend getaway through the Extremadura Highway. Why walk past Maqueda and not be fascinated by the majesty of its castle it is practically impossible. So we have decided to deviate from the road and discover this beautiful La Mancha village that seems to go unnoticed.
A MEDIEVAL VILLA COVETED BY EVERYONE
Many characters of noble lineage have passed through Maqueda. In fact, it is said that the Isabel la Católica once said of staying in the villa of Maqueda, a beautiful gateway to the Kingdom of Castile with a castle at the height of the monarch. She lived there on occasion. And it is that the castle of Maqueda seems to be taken from an episode of Game of Thrones, in an unbeatable state of conservation. This is where we begin to draw our roadmap.
Even though Maqueda was conquered by Alfonso VI (the king of the Cid Campeador), the castle of Maqueda already existed previously. In fact, it is believed that it was a small Roman fortified post that would be used by the Muslims to enlarge the fortress of the town. It would not be until the fifteenth century that the Cárdenas family gave the castle the greatness that can still be seen today on its walls and battlements . They were the ones who were in charge of rebuilding what was left of it.
It would not be until the 15th century that the Cárdenas family granted the castle the grandeur that can still be seen today in its walls and battlements.
Although the Cárdenas never finished building it inside, and that was the reason why the castle fell to a certain extent in disgrace. This is how it has remained until today. It was owned by Don Álvaro de Luna and, curiously, nowadays it is not possible to visit the interior since is part of Heritage of the Government of Spain and it has been the place where the Civil Guard barracks were installed. It is also known like the Castle of the Candle and if you look closely when surrounding the castle you will be able to appreciate the route followed by the old wall that protected the town.
Because Maqueda had a powerful wall , although there is nothing left but a memory that can be guessed as the fortress is surrounded. But a witness to the passage of time that was part of the walled enclosure remains undaunted and refuses to fall into ruin.
This is the Torre de la Vela, which also dates from the fifteenth century, contemporary to the renovation of the castle, made of masonry (like almost everything at that time) and which was part of the defense of the city. You may find scaffolding at this time as it is undergoing restoration, so Instagram still has to wait.
From here we enter the old town, what remained within the walls and was transformed in the fifteenth century. An example is the church of Santa Maria de los Alcazares , which responds to a Gothic-Mudejar style and whose sides are actually the old doors of the fortification of Maqueda, the Caliphal door and the Tower of Santa María. This is not just any church. jealously hides an altar of Saint John the Baptist, the work of Berruguete , which gains prominence in front of the main altar, in Plateresque style.
Aerial view of Maqueda.
Going down the stairs of the Caliphate Gate you reach the town square where it still stands an early 16th-century jurisdictional roll . Obviously in Maqueda there was lordship and enough power to impart justice and it is right at this point where everyone takes the obligatory photo, with the staircase behind. At this point there was a lot of movement in the Middle Ages, but today this space has been relegated to the Town Hall square.
HERE ARE SIT DOWN TO EAT
In Maqueda they really like the Castilian roll, almost as much as the gastronomy itself. They are people who sit at the table and take their time, because there is no rush to eat. And in Maqueda you can find all the options, from those of a tapas with fast portions to a copious meal that has a long after-meal with liquor and miserere sleep.
Eating slowly is one of the hallmarks of the Castilian Inn (Ctra. N-V, Km. 74), which may seem like a typical roadside restaurant that attracts your attention so that you turn aside, but, nevertheless, it is much more than that. Now, with the good weather, it's a good idea to wait for the terrace to open, although what people come to here is to lose their minds with its grilled meats, its baked suckling pig or its cheeks , which is one of those that melts in the mouth and melts with a tasty and forceful sauce. In addition to not paying attention to size, they must have thought that the Lazarillo de Tormes could appear and decided that the slices should always be large.
The other good alternative to eat in Maqueda is in The Castle Restaurant (Ctra. Antigua de Madrid, km 71) which can be reached from the Castle without having to enter through the center of Maqueda. The site is very small and perfect for those who do not want to eat their heads and go beyond a cold beer and a combined plate with bacon and eggs, that always lifts your spirits. House menu at a reasonable price where a meatball or a fideuá can rear its head.
MAQUEDA IN 5 CURIOUS DATA
Cervantes' great-grandfather was mayor of Maqueda . His name was Don Diego Sanchez de Cortinas and he was the mayor of the Toledo town around the year 1500, coinciding in dates with the lifting of the jurisdictional roll.
The Ministry of the Interior has come to put the Castle of Maqueda up for public auction . Apparently the works to remodel the interior and turn it into a museum were quite expensive and no one from the institutions has agreed on the use of the castle. It is the fundamental reason why it keeps the doors closed to the public and many say that the castle is "cursed".
The Ministry of the Interior has come to put the Castle of Maqueda up for public auction.
Maqueda was the scene of El Lazarillo de Tormes, more specifically of the second passage in which the Lazarillo goes to serve at the house of a cleric, due to his skills as an assistant to serve at mass. The cleric of Maqueda could well have represented some character with a certain influence who lived in the town, including his own priest. But, like everything in El Lazarillo de Tormes, they are only conjectures.
Although the Church of Santa María de Maqueda dates from the fifteenth century, its tower is not the one it originally had . The current one was built in 1908 as an added element. It may look ancient but it is barely a century old.
The patron saint of Maqueda is the Virgen de los Dados . And she is called that because the image was played by a Moorish king and a Christian king, being the power of the virgin the one that supposedly interceded for the Christian side to win. That is why on the last Sunday of April a representation of Moors and Christians is held in front of the castle in honor of their patron saint.