Alcázar de San Juan

Spain

Also known as: Alces, al-Qaṣr

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Article History

Alcázar de San Juan, town, Ciudad Real provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Castile-La Mancha, central Spain. It lies on the high southern Meseta Central at 2,135 feet (650 metres) above sea level. Known to the Romans as Alces, the town was renamed al-Qaṣr (“the Palace,” or “the Castle”) by the Arabs. It was conquered by the Knights of St. John (Spanish: San Juan) of Jerusalem (the Hospitalers) in 1186 and captured from them by King Sancho IV of Castile in 1292; the town was the centre of the Order of Saint John in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Historic landmarks include the 14th-century tower of Don Juan of Austria, the Santa María Church on the site of a pre-Christian temple of Hercules, and the municipal archaeological museum, containing Roman mosaics from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The town processes wheat, olives, wines, and cheeses, especially a cheese made from sheep’s milk. Industry includes soap factories, railway works, ironworks, and leather manufacture. Pop. (2007 est.) mun., 29,693.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.