It was in the year 2016, when Belmonte was chosen as one of the most beautiful towns in all Castilla la Mancha, imposing itself on the rest of the finalists; a year later it would come in 5th place among the '7 Rural Wonders of Spain', organized by the Top Rural portal; and for more than five decades can boast of being Villa of Tourist Interest.
All this recognized award winners have their reason for being in their vast wealth of assets and endless cultural, gastronomic and tourist activities that do nothing more than demonstrate that this enclave in the interior of the province of Cuenca, with just under 2,000 registered inhabitants, is the perfect excuse for a weekend getaway.
Side view of Belmonte castle under the bright sun and dark gray clouds, with hail falling in spring.
Halfway between Madrid and Valencia, Belmonte has seen the very Empress Eugenia de Montijo, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid Champion), Don Quixote de la Mancha, Fray Luis de León, Juan Pacheco and many more characters who, between reality and fiction, have made this destination a place with history, charm, charisma and a lot –but a lot– duende.
Shall we find out this spring?
A MEDIEVAL VILLA CALLED BELMONTE
Although everything seems to indicate that the history of this medieval town dates back to the 13th century, it was not until the fourteenth century that documents began to be collected that confirmed the existence of Belmonte (initially Bellomonte) and began to have greater historical relevance.
Belmonte.
In the first decades it was when the construction works of the Old Alcázar began and In 1398, King Enrique III granted the Portuguese Juan Fernández Pacheco ownership of the town of Belmonte. This was the first –but not the last– member of the Pacheco family lineage to star in the history of this town from La Mancha.
His grandson, Juan Pacheco, ordered the construction in 1456 of both the Belmonte castle and the Collegiate Church of San Bartolomé. This Castilian aristocrat it dominated all the politics of the kingdom almost until the reign of Isabella the Catholic.
Belmonte trails.
It is in these two enclaves of Belmonte's heritage that we will focus as soon as we set foot in this medieval town that has a lot of history to tell. For it, we turn to the insights of David Gurillo, founder of Tour Belmonte and broad knowledge of the cause.
On this occasion, we start the house from the roof and go either by car 5 minutes away or taking a pleasant walk lasting approximately 15 minutes on foot, to the Belmonte Castle.
In the words of David Gurillo: “Don Juan Pacheco, the first Marquis of Villena, ordered the construction of the Belmonte Castle, conceived as a palace and fortress, in the Gothic-Mudejar style, at the top of the hill of San Cristóbal and a wall of lime and stone that surrounded the town up to the castle”, tells Condé Nast Traveler.
"His architect was surely Juan Guas, whose work for the Marquis is documented in other works, such as the Monastery of El Parral in Segovia; although the period in which it was built and the existence of decorative elements exactly the same as those of La Colegiata, as well as the marks of stonemasons, also exactly the same in both constructions, they also make us think of the master stonemason Hanequín from Brussels”, he adds.
Declared historical-artistic monument by the National Artistic Treasure in 1931, currently converted into a museum, also bears the title of Asset of Cultural Interest. He has been the protagonist in Numerous movies and series over the last decades thanks to its excellent conservation and rehabilitation in the last twenty years.
Window of a house in Belmonte.
Once the obligatory visit has been made, it is time to continue getting to know Belmonte slowly but surely. We retrace our steps and return to the center of the village. The Collegiate Church San Bartolomé is probably the second most recognized point after the castle.
"Just like the castle, The Collegiate Church of Belmonte was also ordered to be built by don Juan Pacheco, in the year 1459. Erected in honor of the apostle Saint Bartholomew, it is a work of great sobriety and a incomparable jewel of the gothic style , located in the upper neighborhood of the Villa, next to the Alcázar Viejo or Don Juan Manuel Palace”, says David Gurillo.
The icing on the cake? His choir is considered the oldest historic chairs in Spain so for that reason alone it is a visual pleasure to witness it; and in his baptismal font Fray Luis de León was baptized.
In its surroundings – less than 10 minutes away on foot – other coordinates of interest await us, such as the Jesuit College, San Francisco Monastery, San Andrés Hospital, Don Juan Manuel Palace, the Virgen de Gracia Hermitage or the Bellomonte House.
Mill El Puntal on the outskirts of the Villa.
The end of the tour comes after a short walk to the outskirts of the town with the Molino El Puntal, which translates into three mills spread over the northernmost hill , dominating the area and with spectacular views of Belmonte. A literary journey that takes us to the very scenes that evoke the tours of Don Quixote de La Mancha and his faithful inseparable Sancho Panza.
RURAL GASTRONOMY WAS THIS
And being in Castilla-LaMancha it is inevitable not to think about the tribute to the stroke of a spoon and others typical dining options of rural environments who are going to star in our getaway.
This is where dishes like the ajoarriero, the morteruelo, the Castilian soup, the Manchego gazpacho, the game meats, the Manchego porridge, ratatouille, lamb, suckling pig or partridge are a sure bet. If one thing is clear, it is that Cuenca don't mess around, here you come to play!
Our Traveler recommendation to taste the traditional culinary proposal of the area is not too extensive, but it is the most successful. Because in some cases, less is MORE and in Belmonte they are aware of this.
An obligatory stop at its La Muralla Restaurant and its dish of duck magret with foie, sweet and sour wine reduction, pear in syrup and apple puree are, as a whole, a true little piece of heaven.
Nor should it be overlooked its sautéed artichokes with Iberian cebo ham, shrimp and garlic sprouts; its tasting of ajoarriero and morteruelo; manchego ratatouille with fried egg; Manchego lamb fried with garlic; or venison loin Enchanted city . The finishing touch of a lunch or dinner can be its chocolate coulant with strawberry ice cream, its milk toast with nougat ice cream or its fried milk flambéed with cinnamon ice cream.
Other options that we should not overlook are the Palace of the Infante Don Juan Manuel, The garage or the restaurant El Bodegón del Buenavista.
Swimming pool in El Bálsamo, in Belmonte.
HERE YOU COME TO REST
The Palace of the Infante Don Juan Manuel and the Palacio Buenavista are also going to rest, but if there is an enclave that well deserves all our recognition, it is The Balsam House. We assure you traveler that you will want to extend your stay much more than a weekend and you will not have left here yet, but you will already be planning when to return.
A old manor house dating from the 16th century converted since July 1, 2020 into a boutique hotel that delights those who travel in search of a haven of peace and tranquility, added to that touch of hedonism where the small details are those that make the difference.
Room in El Balsamo.
A total of seven double rooms and two apartments - designed for getaways with family or friends - with names of species that can be found in the fields such as thyme, lavender, sandalwood or sage. The result? The only rural house with a 5-star category in the province of Cuenca.
The jewel in the crown and the most coveted stay regardless of the time of year in which we find ourselves, is its heated indoor pool located in a cave carved into the rock on which the house sits. Each reservation has a clock hour to enjoy the experience. A real wonder!
The Balm.
WHEN BELMONTE BECAME A MOVIE SET
These lines could not end without reviewing all the times that Belmonte (and its surroundings) became a movie set. Numerous audiovisual projections have been set in this medieval town to shoot in some of the locations of his series and movies.
The next time you see these titles… You have to pay close attention!
-El Cid (Anthony Mann, 1961).
-The Lords of Steel (Paul Verhoeven, 1985).
-The knight Don Quixote (Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, 2002).
-The Lord of the Rings (Ralph Bakshi, 1978).
-The crime of Cuenca (Pilar Miró, 1980).
-Fuenteovejuna (Juan Guerrero Zamora, 1972).
The authentic country luxury this was.