That's Right- A Crocodile in a Church! (but this isn't Cpt. Hook's story- Cervantes' troubles with his hand are from a battle, though he was captured by pirates)

Ok, so I am digressing slightly again since Don Quijote does not stop here or live here or love someone from here, but I can make a connection. The city has its obligatory sign and mention of the famous knight at the entrance, but beyond that, you will not find the same number of Don Quijote sites as in other places. There is no Quijote Burger here. However, there is a clear connection to Cervantes, which I will explain shortly. I should also mention that this is not the easiest place to reach via public transportation from Madrid (otherwise, my husband would have already been here), so if you have a car and are driving through La Mancha, it really is a required stop.

The next stop on our trip was the city of Viso del Marques a little farther south of the windmills and bullring. You'll notice it is pretty much the end of La Mancha. Once you cross the dotted line (the mountains) you reach Jaen, which is where we spent some time as well. I'll talk about Baeza and Ubeda later.

The reason we went to this small town in the far south of La Mancha was to see the Palacio del Marques de Santa Cruz Archivo General de la Marina. That is, the palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz's General Marine Archive and Museum. Now, if you look back at the map, you may be surprised to find a naval or marine museum in the middle of nothing but dry land. For us, it was reminiscent of the The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas that we visited years ago while living in Austin.


You would expect A National Museum of the Pacific War  to be in Hawaii or maybe California or a place like D.C. or New York maybe. Instead, it is in the middle of Texas.

Why? Because Admiral Nimitz was from Fredericksburg. Admiral Nimitz was a war hero and naval expert during WWII, so they opened the museum in his hometown as a way to honor him and all of the men and women who served under him in the Pacific Theater.

So, like the Naval Museum in La Mancha, it seems out of place at first.

The story of the Palacio del Marques is similar. Alvaro de Bazan was the first Marques de Santa Cruz de Mudela (the town later changed the name to Viso de Marques, something like the Jewel of the Marquis) and the one who built the palace and collected the items for the museum and later archive.

The building was constructed around 1574-1588 and became a National Monument in 1931. Wikipedia (not maybe the best source, but the easiest to understand with my limited Spanish) claims that while the Marquis of Santa Cruz owns the palace, the Spanish Navy rents it for a peseta (like $1) a year.

The Facade

An inscription by Lope de Vega about the Battle of Lepanto

A statue of the Marquis

cuddling by a cannon? sure, why not?

you can tell it's a navy museum!

we didn't get to see the gardens really, but you can peek through the gate to see they are there

my husband's artsy photo

Now, this museum is supposed to be quite impressive with frescos of naval battles, mythology, military paintings, etc. Sadly, we did not time our visit well and just missed it on Sunday. It was closed on Monday, and we simply did not have the time to drive all the way back to make it on Tuesday. So, I never actually saw the museum! We are definitely going back! We did get to see the outside, which is quite beautiful in and of itself since it is a palace after all.














So, the reason I mention this naval museum and the first Marquis of Santa Cruz, Alvaro de Bazan, is because he led the Spanish forces at the Battle of Lepanto. Since I am not a historian or military expert, here is the Wikipedia excerpt:


"The Battle of Lepanto took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of southern European Catholic maritime states, led by Spain decisively defeated the fleet of the Ottoman Empire on the northern edge of the Gulf of Corinth, off western Greece. The Ottoman forces sailing westwards from their naval station in Lepanto (Turkish: İnebahtı; Greek: Ναύπακτος or Έπαχτος Naupaktos or Épahtos) met the Holy League forces, which came from Messina, Sicily, where they had previously gathered. The victory of the Holy League prevented the Ottoman Empire from expanding further along the European side of the Mediterranean. Lepanto was the last major naval battle in the Mediterranean fought entirely between galleys and has been assigned great symbolic and historical importance by several historians.^[9][10][11]"

While I do not always trust Wikipedia, the references for 9,10, and 11 for this excerpt are Oxford Press books, so hopefully this is accurate. Based on a few glances at other websites and books on Amazon, the information seems consistent enough and explained in easy terms for my non-military brain to understand.

Inside the museum

The reason we should care about this old battle between Spain and the Ottoman Empire is that both the Marquis of Santa Cruz and Cervantes fought in this battle. Miguel Cervantes received permanent wounds in the battle, something of which he was very proud and mentions this fact in the beginning og Part II. The loss of the use of his left hand led to the nickname el manco de Lepanto (the one-handed man of Lepanto). Fortunately, he was right-handed and still able to write!

The Marquis was leading, and Cervantes was a soldier, so I doubt they knew each other. Still, stopping at this naval museum can perhaps give a better understanding of the significance of this battle for Cervantes, the experience of fighting in the battle, and the character in the novel based on Cervantes' own experience as a Christian sailor/soldier and captive held by Algerians. The autobiographical nature of this story line deserves an entire post now that I look back at it. He pretty much tells his own story through this character.

I will then talk about the crocodile and the church and save more about Cervantes' military experience later!

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción

Yep, that's a real crocodile on the wall

close up

the church

the lamps from his ship

The church Our Lady of the Ascension was also paid for and built by the Marquis of Santa Cruz, Alvaro de Bazan, for the city. It is a Gothic-Renaissance built a little earlier than the palace, about a century. It was built over the remains of an older church. On one of the Marquis' expeditions, he went to Egypt and visited the Nile River. According to the priest we spoke to at the church, the crocodile from the Nile was brought back alive when it was small. They kept it in the church until it grew up and eventually died. Then, they stuffed it and put it on the wall. The crocodile has little to do with Don Quijote and did not eat Cervantes' left hand, but I find it a fascinatingly unique part of this little church and town. The lamps in the church are also interesting because they were from the Marquis' ships.

Next Stop- Toros! Not really a Quijote thing, but a Spain, Hemingway, and Picasso thing....

Las Virtudes (near Santa Cruz de Mudela in Ciudad Real)

 

Entrance to the Plaza

 After the visit to the windmills, our next stop was the Plaza de Toros (Bullfighting Ring) in Las Virtudes. Now, to get to Las Virtudes, you need to pass through Valdepenas, heading South from Consuegra. We did not stop here because we have family in the city and plan to return to spend several days with them there on a separate trip. However, I do not recommend passing by the many vineyards and this large city in La Mancha without trying some wine and eating some famous Manchego cheese. Unfortunately, I cannot make recommendations beyond that, but it is a great place to stop to spend the night if you have time. It will have good places to eat and bodegas (vineyards) to visit. This area of Spain produces a lot of wine and a lot of good wine. Most of the Spanish wines you find in the US are either from Valdepenas or Rioja. My husband and his family from here have told me many impressive numbers about production, varieties, export, etc. but I cannot remember them. Simply said, stop for the wine. Then head to this historic bull ring.

Plaza Cuadrada (opposed to the normal circular style)

The plaza de toros- notice it's square

 The reason to go is that Santa Cruz de Mudela has one of the oldesnt bullfighting rings in Spain, the one in Las Virtudes (the virtues).  It was constructed in 1645 and is the only one with a square form and is impressive. It is only technically open during certain hours to the public, similar to Spanish church hours- a few in the morning, 10-1 maybe, and some in the evening, 5-8 maybe. I am not sure what the exact hours are and I know that we were not there during open hours. However, they left the gates open and we were able to get inside. It seems like a small town, and the local bar is right at the entrance to the plaza, so they seem willing to keep it open for visitors beyond those hours. Try to look up the hours, but if you can't, stop by just in case they left it open for you.

To hide from the bulls!

Very pretty with the bright red

The viewing area

the paths where the various participants enter, wait, watch, or occasionally hide during the bull fight

Ole!

Yep, that's me as a toro!

While bullfighting is something that not all Spaniards love and that very few actually agree on, it is still very much a fabric of the history and culture of Spain. For example, Pablo Picasso was fascinated with bulls and matadors, and they show up in several of his sketches and paintings. When Hemingway lived in Spain, he was simply obsessed with the tradition. However, when I first arrived to Spain and met my future husband and told him I wanted to see a bullfight, I was met with...skepticism? criticism? confusion? I'm not sure how to describe it, but he simply did not understand why I would want to go to a bullfight. I asked if he had been to one, and he said yes. I said that was proof enough that I needed to go to one if I wanted to experience Spain and become Spanish. He shrugged, I suppose, and one of his friends later took me to one.

I admired the art of it. I could see why people would enjoy it. I understood the beauty that Hemingway described. He is right that "Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter's honor."

I could see the elegance and the dance so artistically captured in Picasso's paintings. The excitement in the arena was palpable; the crowd was intense. Their approval or disapproval was loud and extreme, and the crowd knew what was good and what was bad. They were all experts in Plaza de las Ventas in Madrid, and the Ole's were enthusiastic and well-timed. The Plaza itself was gorgeous.

But for all of that, it was bloody and disturbing. It did not help that is was a windy day, which meant more danger for the matadors and a messier death for the bulls. I particularly disliked the picadors, but I won't go into details in case anyone reading is squeamish. Besides, if you like the idea, then you simply must go and experience it yourself.

I never went to one again and doubt that I ever will. I understand what my husband meant all those years ago with his mixed reaction. It is part of Spain and it is Spanish, but bullfighting isn't really what it used to be. It was banned in the south of Spain, and many places no longer have them. But at one point, matadors were rock stars and bullfights were a huge part of culture in Spain, so seeing this historic bullring and visiting the one in Madrid is definitely worth your time. You do not need to actually see a bullfight- it is easy to tour the rings when there is no event going on.

And other than the sign you see at the entrance to the city, proclaiming to be another "lugar en la Mancha" and an outline of Don Quijote, there is no connection to the novel. So, I apologize for the digression, but since Don Quijote has become the symbol of Spain and is rooted in La Mancha, I think it can be excused.

Tilting at Windmills- Consuegra and the most famous scene of the novel

Don Quijote, now accompanied by Sancho Panza, tilts at windmills at the start of his second sally. 

The interesting part of the reputation of Don Quijote and the fame won by this novel is that it is always, always, always, the windmills that people know. When asked to define what the word quixotic means or the phrase "titlting at windmills," they would be able to do so even without having read a single word in the novel or to recall anything else from it.

A 17th century Spanish windmill

But the scene of the windmills is short and does not involve anyone but Sancho. It is interesting that such a short scene, not really emphasized by Cervantes in any way, would become the symbol of the entire novel and the most recognized depiction of Don Quijote.

Tour bus on the left shows just how popular this site is, you can see the windmills and the castle in the center, and on the right is the town of Consuegra

So, let me summarize the scene since it is so crucial to the novel. Don Quijote convinces his neighbor Sancho Panza (Sancho the Belly) to come with him on adventures. He lures his loyal but uneducated friend into these adventures with the promise of an island of which Sancho will be the governor. Sancho not only believes Don Quijote but believes him so much that he is worried his peasant wife will not be suited to rule over an island with him. He frets over the details of this new title and responsibility as they leave the village, and it is easy to feel sorry for the simpleminded but optimistic Sancho.

You can tour inside some of the windmills and some are now little stores like this one

The two friends do not travel too far when Don Quijote spots the windmills in the background. Keep in mind that windmills were really important at this time for grinding grains, oats, etc. There was no electricity or other way to run a mill, except by wind or water. Since La Mancha means arid land, there was only wind to run the mills to grind corn or grains to make flour. They also worked as wells to draw up water. Clearly this was important to an agricultural center and dry region, so you can imagine how many windmills covered just about every hilltop. They still do today, but they are the modern ones, turbines, that are storing the energy and using it as electricity. They are the huge white ones in the picture below. *Side note: if you live near Atlanta and want to see an old mill on a river, go to Sweet Water Creek because it is also the site where they filmed a scene in the Hunger Games!*

View of the old ones- what Don Quijote would have seen (minus the telephone pole)

Actual view today of what you see driving through La Mancha

Don Quijote sees these windmills and cries out that they have found 30 or 40 giants and that in this battle with them, he will destroy an evil breed and win great riches. Sancho asks what giants. Don Quijote points to the windmills. Sancho identifies them as windmills and says as much. Don Quijote tells Sancho that he is not versed enough in tales of adventures to see the truth and that Don Quijote will just have to show him that these are giants. He spurs his horse and charges while Sancho yells that he is attacking windmills, not giants. Don Quijote shouts brave challenges at the windmills and when the wind moves the arms, he sees it as a sure sign of the giants threatening him. He continues shouting, this time to his lady Dulcinea de Toboso, and charges.
 

The lance gets caught in the sail, breaks, and picks Don Quijote and his horse up a few feet off the ground before they drop back down, painfully. Sancho rushes to him, and Don Quijote is convinced that the evil sorcerer Freston the Wise enchanted the giants and turned them into windmills to embarrass him.

Then, they leave for Puerto Lapice, which I have already mentioned in the last post. Now that the background is clear, it is easy to see why a city with some windmills that have been preserved or recreated is such a popular destination for tourists. This hill also has a stunning view of La Mancha from the top. It was the first place we stopped on our trip, and it makes a great first impression.

When you get to the town, it is easy to follow signs to the windmills at the top of the hill. Once up there, the first windmill is the tourist information center. The people there are really nice and happy to tell you everything you could possible want to know about windmills, Don Quiojote, and the area around them. It should be the first stop, and you should grab some maps and brochures. You can also get a passport of Don Quijote, similar to what the national park service does, that can be stamped at all of the major sites in La Mancha.

There are a few more old buildings and interesting things in the city center of Consuegra and the tourist office can recommend a good place to eat. However, it was so hot and we wanted to get to Baeza for dinner, so we didn't stay very long.

I know it's Wikipedia, but the page does a fairly good job of explaining and offering modern references to Tilting at Windmills!