The novel Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes is often
nominated as the best work of ficton ever. One of the earliest
novels in a modern European language, it has spawned numerous films
and even a children’s cartoon.
Published in 1605, it tells the story of a would-be knight who
roamed mainland Spain performing chivalrous deeds and enjoying many
adventures along the way. To the Spanish, this book is as much a
part of their culture as tapas or flamenco, and this year marks the
400th anniversary of publication.
To celebrate, the Castilla-La Mancha region in central Spain, is
coming alive with festivities and cultural events. Full of historic
cities, castles and the great plains that so inspired Cervantes,
the enigmatic region is one of the country’s least-known.
The Route of Don Quixote, a network of rural trails encompassing
many of the places Cervantes used in the book, is over 1,560 miles
long and links 145 towns and villages in the provinces of Toledo,
Ciudad Real, Albacete, Cuenca and Guadalajara. The area has been
mapped out specially for the event and much of it is only
accessible by horse, bicycle or on foot.
The Don Quixote Festival will tour the region and feature more than
30 Quixote-themed open air theatre, music and dance shows including
readings from the book. Some events, including Dali and Don Quixote
in Cuenca, which features a collection of watercolours by Dali that
were used to illustrate the 1945 edition of Don Quixote, will
continue into next year. Most of the information is linked by the
official website donquixotedelamancha2005.com.
For clients who enjoy Spanish culture, this could be just the hook
the underrated region needs. However, while the Castilla-La Mancha
regional tourist office hopes to welcome worldwide visitors to join
the festivities, it has been slow to market the event
overseas.
Cresta Holidays product development manager Ian Lomas said the
region is full of great medieval towns, but slow sales in the past
meant the operator has not included it for 2005/06. Spanish Tourist
Office promotions manager Austin Garcia said: “We hope to
have a UK campaign to promote the Don Quixote sites in the autumn
and into 2006.” Better late than never.
The Spanish are passionate about Quixote and for those infected by
their enthusiasm there is no place better to follow in the
Don’s footsteps than Toledo, an hour’s drive from
Madrid.
Still known as the Imperial City, it’s a medieval masterpiece
that resonates with regal splendour. Magnificently located on a
hill, it is one of Europe’s most picturesque cities and there
are plenty of Quixote links. It is an ideal base for day trips to
the plains where our hero and his trusty sidekick once roamed in
search of the oppressed.
Walking though Toledo’s enchanting maze of cobbled streets
and alleys, you can’t help but believe how Cervantes –
whose father-in-law lived there – must have been inspired by
its charm and grandeur. The cathedral that dominated the city
skyline was the fourth largest in Christendom, and nowhere in Spain
does the Gothic sit so comfortably with the Arabesque than in
Toledo, the city of three cultures – shared by Christians,
Muslims and Jews. One magnificent church, the 14th century Iglasia
Santo Tomé, houses a painting by master painter El Greco, in
which one figure is thought to resemble Cervantes.
One of the most iconic adventures in the book is Quixote fighting
with windmills that he mistook for the enemy. While fans can spot
windmills all over the region, there are two sets that draw true
aficionados. The nearest are at Consuegra, a small town an
hour’s drive from Toledo. Taking the back roads we passed
through classic Don Quixote country – vast plains,
occasionally broken up by hills, many of which are topped with
ruined castles and crumbling fortresses.
The imposing Consuegra windmills share a hilltop, overlooking the
sleepy village, with a 13th century castle that once belonged to
the Knights of Malta. For that virtual Don Quixote experience, you
can arrive at the windmills on horseback, but without lance, booked
through one of the local riding stables.
Some miles further on is Campo De Criptana, where our errant knight
and his trusty squire ‘discovered 30 or 40 windmills’.
Today, straddled across a hilltop with magnificent views over the
wheat plains, 10 of the original 34 windmills survive.
A 30-minute drive from Campo De Criptana, down an isolated country
lane, is the small village of El Toboso. This has, perhaps, the
clearest links to Don Quixote, as Cervantes chose it as the
birthplace for Duchcinea, Don Quixote’s sweetheart. The
character is said to be based on Ana Martinez Zarco and her 16th
century home has been refurbished and turned into a museum.
Spain’s greatest concentration of castles is in the Castilla
region and 30 miles east of El Toboso is the village of Belmonte
with one of the best-preserved castles in the region, a 15th
century Gothic masterpiece. Further east, in the fortified village
of Alarcón, the small, perfectly preserved 8th century
triangular castle that sits high above the river, has been turned
into an enchanting parador. If staying here doesn’t bring out
the romantic in you, nothing will.
Even restaurants are getting in on the act. The Toledo Parador,
overlooking the city, has created a partridge stew mentioned in Don
Quixote, while the venerable Ritz Hotel in Madrid promises a
special gastronomique Quixote menu.
With all the excitement surrounding the anniversary, it seems a
shame that little has been done to promote the events in the UK.
After all, remember, the Don Quixote legend will be 400 this year
and this year only, so next time your clients are in a dither about
which beach to flop on, why not point them to the mainland for a
dose of culture?
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