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Alcalá de Henares

Vía Complutense, 22, 28802 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
Alcalá de Henares, birthplace of Cervantes and town of knowledge
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, Alcalá de Henares, the birthplace of Cervantes, is a must-visit destination for history and culture lovers. Known as the "city of knowledge," great Spanish Golden Age writers such as Francisco de Quevedo, Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, Tirso de Molina, and Saint John of the Cross were all linked to it, although Miguel de Cervantes, who was born here in 1547, undoubtedly stands out. Alcalá de Henares was the first town designed and built specifically to house a university, founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499, during the Renaissance. It served as a model for other educational centers in Europe and America. Numerous great works, such as the Complutensian Polyglot Bible, emerged from its classrooms. A bishopric during the Visigothic period, Alcalá was an important stronghold for defending the Tajo Valley during the Reconquista. Its historic center, with its cobbled streets and Renaissance buildings, retains the charm of a medieval university town.
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- Artistic Historical Complex of the city of Aranjuez
The city was promoted by the Crown around the palace to procure all the necessary services, for the Royal Family and for its court. Thus, in 1747, the king entrusted the architect Giacomo Bonavía with the layout of the new city, which would include a hospital, churches, a market ... a whole artistic and historical complex that we can still enjoy today.
Its current limits are determined by the bullring, the road to Andalusia, Infantas Street and the Foso. Of reticular structure, all its houses present similar characteristics, with two heights and big windows, and its streets are spacious and with trees.
A walk through the old town of Aranjuez allows us to enter into a singular sample of baroque urbanism. Large houses, buildings with patios, domes, palaces, convents, balconies, large squares, spacious streets that are testimony of four centuries of history and several different kings.
The House of Trades and Knights and the House of the Infants, that border the square of San Antonio; the church of San Antonio, which houses a very interesting collection of baroque paintings; the garden of Isabel II, very close to the Royal Palace; the Royal Theater; the Plaza de la Constitución; the Mercado de Abastos (Neomudéjar style); palaces like Medinaceli, Osuna or Godoy; the Hospital of San Carlos; the convent of San Pascual ... The list of touristic milestones is extensive.
Every year, thousands of visitors come to know the history of Aranjuez, its culture, its gastronomy, its legacy and its incomparable landscapes.
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