Munera

The Village

Munera is a municipality in the region of Campo de Montiel in La Mancha, province of Albacete, located 59 km from the capital. It has a population of approximately 3,500 inhabitants.

Munera was granted the status of Villa in 1557. This privilege granted it exemption of jurisdiction of the city of Alcaraz, making it a Villa in and of itself, with civil and criminal jurisdiction to exercise in it and a league in its surroundings. Later and by necessities and particular conveniences it was extended in all the north half and maintained in the rest. As it is natural, the life of Munera began to be thriving from this moment.

The most characteristic landscape of the area is the moor, with a predominance of bushes and shrubs. There are also holm oaks, olive trees and pines. The scarce vegetation also determines the fauna, whose main representatives are partridges, rabbits and hares in the surrounding fields. Although they are very scarce, it is possible to find a wild boar from time to time. It is bathed by two rivers: the Quintanar and the Ojuelo, which join at the southwest entrance of the village to form a single river that is called Córcoles.

Things to See

Here took place the famous "Bodas de Camacho" that occurred in "los Casares", the old town of Munera, according to chapters XIX, XX, XXI of the second part of Don Quixote de La Mancha. For this reason, Munera dedicates itself to the "Centro de Interpretación de las Bodas de Camacho" (Camacho's Wedding Interpretation Center), where the local handicrafts, gastronomy and folklore are also displayed.

In the Ethnographic Museum "La Molineta" the visitor will be transported to past times through photographs, objects and tools that have been traditionally used in this land.

At a patrimonial level it is important its Castle, a medieval fortress that has the status of Asset of Cultural Interest, and the Church of San Sebastian, the nerve center of the town and one of the elements of reference in Munera. It can also be interesting for the visitor the realization of the Route of the Renaissance and the Route of Don Quixote, which connects Munera with other towns in the area.

Festivities

The main festivities that Munera carries out are the following:

• Carnival: Munera's carnival is one of the oldest in the province. They emphasize the traditional masked dances, the burial of the sardine and the parade of comparsas.
• San Isidro: It is celebrated on May 15, day in which a pilgrimage is made in the hermitage, processioning the image of the saint.
• "La Encantá": According to the legend of La Encantá, a beautiful lady appears every night of San Juan between the walls of the castle of Munera. For this reason, on the Saturday closest to the night of San Juan a picturesque and original party is organized next to the castle, in which the legend is represented, followed by fireworks that will start a concert of groups of the province in honor of the Encantá.
• Fiestas de la Juventud: These are held during the third week of July. In these celebrations the Queen and Ladies of Munera are crowned. The big days of these festivities are Saturday and Sunday, when the bulls are released in Santa Ana Street.
• "El Emigrante": The festival of El Emigrante is commemorated on August 15, and is dedicated to all the people who once left Munera mainly for work reasons, and who return to their hometown in summer.
• Munera Fair: It is celebrated from September 20 to 25. Throughout the extensive program of the same ones we can find activities for all kinds of people, ages and tastes, in which it is possible to emphasize the " Pórtico Literario" (Literary Portico).

Camacho Wedding Interpretation Center

Munera is an obligatory stop if you want to follow the footsteps of Don Quixote de la Mancha. The imprint of Cervantes in this town is closely linked to chapters XIX, XX and XXI of the second part of the book, which tells the story of the Wedding of Camacho. For this reason, Munera celebrates these days where the open-air Centro de Interpretación de Las Bodas de Camacho, together with the crafts, gastronomy and local folklore.

Today, an open-air interpretation center and a representative mural remind us of the place where the nuptials took place in the Casares area. The urban artistic landscape, formed by several of its most representative icons such as its famous Quixotes and Sanchos of forge, murals and windmills, adorns the streets, squares and places of this town.

La Molineta Ethnographic Museum

Built in 1861, this is one of the two windmills that existed in the town, being the only one that can be visited today. Restored by the Town Hall, it was inaugurated as a Photo Ethnographic Museum thanks to donations from the people of Munera. Throughout its three floors you can learn about the history, traditions and culture of Munera.

Its exterior stands out for its conical shape and not cylindrical like most of the windmills in La Mancha. Its interior is distributed in three floors. The first floor is dedicated to the traditional milling process, with a tour of the milling process, starting with the harvesting, threshing and winnowing of the grain. The second floor depicts other agricultural and livestock tasks that have been present in the town since its origins, such as cattle breeding, cheese making, hunting, saffron, grape harvesting and oil production. The last floor stands out for the sections of festivals, costumes, quintos, looms, and for offering the visitor the opportunity to see an old cinema machine and a 3D model of a windmill.