Alarcos-Calatrava Archaeology Park

Phone: 926 666 057 / 600 91 30 34

Fax: 926 690 521

Email: paalarcos@gmail.com

Website: www.patrimoniohistoric...

Location

Alarcos: Located 8km from Ciudad Real on the N-430 road, towards Poblete. Calatrava La Vieja: Located 7km away from the town of Carrión de Calatrava.

Timetables

Apr. 1 - Sept. 30 10am - 9pm
Oct. 1 - Mar. 30 10am - 6pm Mondays closed, exc. Bank Holidays.

How to get there

Road transport

It is located in a strategic site, a hill towering above the left bank of the River Guadiana. This was the ideal location for a human settlement, and humans have lived here since the Bronze Age.

In this long period, we find two main highlights: on the one hand, the period encompassing Iberian culture, that dates back to centuries 6 to 3 B.C.. Valuable remains of this civilisation can be found at the site, including the remains of a sanctuary and a large road system.

On the other hand, there is ample documentation on a medieval settlement that had its heyday in the 13th century. This last historical stage is the most famous in current times as this was the site of the Battle of Alarcos on July 19, 1195.

In the 13th century, following the Christian victory in Navas de Tolosa in 1212 and following the transfer of its population to Ciudad Real, a hermitage was built to honour the Virgin of Alarcos. Since then, there is a procession every year and this makes the site one of the most visited sites in the area.

Governing body

Castilla-La Mancha Regional Government. Culture Department.