Villanueva de los Infantes: Literature, History and Culture

Villanueva de los Infantes showcases its historic character in an ensemble designated a historic-artistic ensemble in 1974 and preserving more than 250 coats of arms. The Plaza Mayor is a Neoclassical square dating from the early 17th century, with a trapezoidal layout. When booking a holiday apartment in Villanueva de los Infantes, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies on the respective offer pages.

Culture and History

The Casa de los Estudios contains a reconstructed 17th-century classroom where Jiménez Patón taught. It also has two museum rooms that convey the educational and intellectual heritage of the Spanish Golden Age in Villanueva de los Infantes and are open to the public.

The present-day building of the Hospital de Santiago dates from the 17th century and was rebuilt by the Order of Santiago between 1631 and 1636. In the Hospital de Santiago, the Museo Etnográfico displays furniture, everyday objects and clothing from the 19th and 20th centuries in three rooms dedicated to the life cycle, traditional occupations and agricultural work.

The Santuario de la Virgen de la Antigua is a Baroque sanctuary from the 17th century; the present building was completed in 1678. It houses a 13th-century Romanesque-Gothic statue of the Virgin made of painted wood. The sanctuary is located five kilometres from Villanueva de los Infantes on the Río Jabalón and is part of the former settlement of Santa María de Jamila. The archaeological site of Jamila can be visited in its surroundings.

The Puente de la Virgen crosses the Río Jabalón.

Literature and Evening Route

The Biblioteca de Don Quijote displays editions of Quixote with illustrations and in various languages. In the courtyard of the Casa de Rueda is the world's first scientific museum about the “Lugar de La Mancha” mentioned by Cervantes, the starting point for Don Quixote's adventures.

The Convento de Santo Domingo houses the family archive of the writer Francisco de Quevedo, including handwritten documents signed by him, as well as a bibliography of more than 600 volumes. The cell in the Convento de Santo Domingo where Francisco de Quevedo stayed is open to the public and can be visited.

The Ruta literaria nocturna uses projections on historic buildings to convey the literary references of Miguel de Cervantes, Francisco de Quevedo, Lope de Vega, Azorín and Federico García Lorca to Infantes. The route takes place every evening from the moment the public lighting is switched on.

Tradition and Crafts

Every year, on the Saturday before the festivities held during the last week of August, the Santuario de la Virgen de la Antigua organizes a pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin. During the pilgrimage, the image of the Virgin is carried to the Iglesia de San Andrés, where it is welcomed by Santo Tomás de Villanueva and numerous people.

Visits to a blacksmith's workshop are offered. In Villanueva de los Infantes, visits and tastings are also offered at an artisanal bakery and pastry shop.

Wider Regional Area

Cerro Conejero, Cerro del Molar and the Sierra Lóbrega are located in the wider regional area of Villanueva de los Infantes. Also located in this wider regional area are Parque Natural las Lagunas de Ruidera, Parque calle corbatas, Viña Del Botero Park and Jaroso Hill.

Other Locality Pages

Other locality pages: Villarrubia De Los Ojos, Campo De Criptana, San Carlos Del Valle, El Cristo Del Espíritu Santo, Tomelloso, Puebla De Don Rodrigo, Pedro Muñoz and Almodóvar Del Campo.

For the higher-level travel overview: Ciudad Real.