Alcázar de San Juan, Administrative hub in La Mancha, Spain
Alcázar de San Juan is a town in the Province of Ciudad Real that spreads across the flat plains of La Mancha, roughly 150 kilometers south of Madrid. The settlement serves as an important railway junction with connections in several directions and acts as an administrative center for the surrounding farmland.
The settlement changed from a Muslim town called Kasar Banú Atiya into a Christian site when the Knights of the Order of Saint John built a fortress here in the 13th century. Most of the defensive structures were later removed, but the name of the fortification remained attached to the town.
The town takes its name from the fortress that once stood here and still shapes the layout around the central Church of Santa María la Mayor. Visitors walking through the streets near the main square can see how residents go about their daily routines between shops and cafés housed in old buildings.
The railway station connects the town with Madrid, Valencia, and cities further south through regular train services several times daily. Visitors can explore the center on foot, as the main points of interest lie close together.
The Church of Santa María holds a baptism record that points to a possible connection with Miguel de Cervantes in the 16th century. Outside the town, two modern solar thermal plants generate electricity using parabolic trough technology.
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