It is in the heart of La Mancha, so it is not surprising that it is part of the Route of Don Quixote, that its surroundings are full of vineyards – it is the largest wine region in the world – and that crumbs and porridge have been included in the local protein recipe book since unidentifiable times. What nobody expects is that in Tomelloso (Ciudad Real) the first women to wear pants from all over Spain were born. Nor that from here comes the best artisanal pizza in the world by the work of chef Jesús Marquina (or better, Marquinetti, as he is known), five times champion of the international contest that chooses the number one on the planet.

More surprises? The subsoil of Tomelloso is pierced with more than 2,500 caves, most of which have served as an underground cellar until well into the twentieth century. Let's go in parts. This population of almost 40,000 souls located in La Mancha Altalived and lives from wine. For something the Spanish Association of Wine Cities (Acevin) has chosen the best wine tourism destination of the year. And for something also here is the largest wine cooperative in Europe, Virgen de las Viñas, which takes its name from the patron saint of the town and brings together 23,000 hectares of vineyards. Formed by 3,000 members, in one day it collects 11 million kilos of grapes.

Exterior of one of the drums of the city.

Of course, they no longer guard the wines 12 meters underground in huge jars of clay and cement. Technology ended this tradition, which began in 1820 with mass production. Somewhere you had to store the wine... And what better than to take advantage of the cavities that hid the houses themselves. "Under the ground there is a layer of limestone from 70 centimeters to four meters that acts as concrete, so it is easy to excavate without using supports," says Jesús Andújar, president of the association of Friends of the Caves of Tomelloso.

The Museum of the Cart and the Implements of Farming.

This is what the nineteenth-century itchers did with effort. They were helped by the terreras, women who were in charge of extracting the earth from the interior to the surface. They did it with long pants to protect themselves, "but also so that the men did not see their underwear, which were underneath," says Ana Perales, fourth generation of Bodegas Perales. This is how the tomelloseras went down in history as the first women in the country to wear pants.

Porridge dish and Marquinetti's Rolling pizza.

The winery is immersed in one of the largest and most legendary caves (where else?) of the municipality. Open to the public for visits, one discovers inside how the mules first and then the tractors entered with the grapes through a gate. "The wine was very well preserved by being protected by a hard layer of rough rock, which avoided any alteration of the exterior," Perales continues between old machines and tattered business advertising posters with women smoking and drinking in the crazy 20s. "Many were more modern than they are now," he says.

Graffiti in homage to the inhabitants of the municipality.

Those advanced terreras can be seen printed in black and white in the Museum of the Cart and Farming Tools, which reviews the agricultural and livestock past of the place. Its jewel is the majestic bass drum of the patio, a triangular structure formed by two million rocks (there are different sizes) that served as a refuge for field workers and their animals. "It was built with the technique of dry stone, song on edge, without mortar," says Marina Bonillo, Tourism technician of the City Council. Today, the remaining 300 have become a symbol of the fields surrounding Tomelloso.

ATHENS OF LA MANCHA

They also remember past times the chimneys up to 20 meters high and varied decoration scattered around the city. They were always next to the distillation towers of companies such as Fábregas, Domecq, Altosa, Casajuana or Peinado to give outlet to the smoke of the boilers. In 1950, there were a hundred. Now, about 30. And in disuse, but nobody thinks of touching them: the neighbors take to the street.

Interior of the Antonio López Torres Museum.

It would be necessary to talk about the cultural vein of Tomelloso, the Athens of La Mancha, since from here came writers such as Francisco García Pavón, father of the national crime novel, or Eladio Cabañero, of the Generation of 50, as well as artists of the stature of Antonio López and his uncle, Antonio López Torres. Not surprisingly, the museum of the latter is a must in the city. Built in a building declared "emblematic of the twentieth century" designed by the architect Fernando Higueras, it houses 65 oil paintings and 41 drawings by the realist painter who best portrayed the essence of La Mancha. From the inhabitants to the traditions or the landscapes, without forgetting the mythical caves.

Artistic mural of the city.

Finally, do not miss the Museum of Contemporary Art Infanta Elena, a space of 1,700 square meters and four floors in the aforementioned Virgen de las Viñas winery. Nor the Posada de los Portales, in the Plaza de España, an old hostel for travelers and cavalries topped as a corrala and considered a historical-artistic monument.

PRACTICAL GUIDE

HOW TO GET THERE

By train to Alcazar de San Juan, 20 minutes. Or by car from Madrid, just over an hour and a half.

WHERE TO SLEEP

Hotels like Altora, Paloma or Ramomar offer local comfort and good service.

WHERE TO EAT

La Antigua. A historic palatial house converted into a restaurant with an interior patio included in which they serve traditional cuisine. Ideal to taste a variety of Manchego cheeses, crumbs, porridge, ratatouille or lamb stew, as well as the best local wines. For dessert, you have to try the exquisite cheesecake.

Trattoria Marquinetti. The place to try the best artisanal pizza in the world led by chef Jesús Marquina.

MORE INFORMATION

In Tourism of Tomelloso. Phone: 926 52 88 01. Website: www.tomelloso.es


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