The city’s origins can be found 8 km away, along the road from Ciudad Real to Piedrabuena, in what is presently the Parque Arqueológico de Alarcos (Alarcos Archaeological Park), one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the region for both its 33 hectares in size and for the significance of its Iberian and Medieval ruins. Moreover, Alarcos was the scene of the defeat of the Christians by the Almohads in 1195.
Ciudad Real experienced a unique moment in history between the conquest of Toledo by Alfonso VI (1085) and the end of the Middle Ages, primarily because of the creation of religious and military orders. Alfonso X, the king of Castilla and of León, decided to found Villa Real in 1255 at the site known as Pozuelo de Don Gil, near the historical castle of Alarcos, to counteract the immense power of the Military Orders that dominated the territory of the present-day province of Ciudad Real. As time passed, the city became the seat of the Priory of the Military Orders. However, the king’s objectives did not include mere repopulation; he was also seeking to obtain resources as a result of trading activities. Villa Real was located on the road between Toledo and Cordoba, and thus served to channel trade.
Trading determined urban planning: a radial system was set up, with a central element, the Plaza, where all kinds of activities were carried out: administrative, legal and commercial. The roads that connect the city wall gates, of which only the Puerta de Toledo currently remains standing, converge in the plaza.
The limited number of parish churches - Santa María (the present-day cathedral), San Pedro and Santiago, which, curiously enough, are all at an equal distance from the plaza – is noteworthy.
The city title was granted by Juan II in 1420 as a result of the rise in population and economic development that had occurred. Because of the relevance that Ciudad Real had achieved up to that time, in 1494 the Real Chancillería (Royal Chancellery), the highest court in the kingdom, with jurisdiction over all the territories located south of the Tagus River, and a permanent court of the Inquisition, were established here. A few years later, Ciudad Real lost these two courts when the Royal Chancellery was transferred to Granada and the Inquisition court to Toledo. Despite this fact, Ciudad Real continued to experience great progress in subsequent centuries. In 1691, Ciudad Real became the capital of La Mancha, although this privilege was lost to Almagro in 1750 as a result of the actions of the Count of Valdeparaíso. It recovered the title in 1761, permanently this time.
The city’s civil architecture is mainly from the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Recovery began in the 19th Century: the Sociedad Económica de los Amigos del País (Economic Society of Friends of the Country) was established, which included initiatives by the new middle class to foster the city’s progress.
From 1850 to 1860, the city’s Embellishment Scheme was implemented: streets were paved, façades refurbished, squares organised, walls torn down and attempts were made to improve urban zoning and hygiene conditions. The railroad arrived in 1863. In 1875, the Diocese of Ciudad Real was created, and in 1877, the Priory of the Military Orders.
