Talavera de la Reina - Saborea España

Talavera de la Reina, a flavour of Vetonic, Roman, Arab and Christian origins

 

The main attractions of Talavera de la Reina are its ceramics, its old quarter, the banks of the Tagus, its extensive history and its privileged geographical location. It is a city in evolution, in which gastronomy, culture, tradition, customs and sustainability coexist. 

 

The traditional gastronomy and the varied and carefully prepared products of this land make up its highly valued local culture based on good flavour, tradition and cultural coexistence. Its product fairs, tapas competitions and traditional festivities favour the encounter between citizens and tourists. 

The main local events are the Fairs of San Mateo (September) and San Isidro (May), and the festivities of Las Mondas (April, the Saturday after Easter), which are of National Tourist Interest. These harvest festivals are among the oldest in Spain; of Roman origin, the “munda cerealis” were offered to the goddess Ceres to coincide with the arrival of spring. This rite was later Christianised in 602 AD (5th century). The people of Talavera and surroundings keep this tradition alive, offering the first fruits of the fields in an unforgettable procession of carts, with the mayors and villagers dressed in their regional costumes. 

 

The most peculiar gastronomic landscapes of Talavera de la Reina and its region are the Ribera del Tajo with orchards, olive groves, vineyards and pistachio fields, and the Cerro Negro, whose forests are dedicated to hunting.

The city also conserves a wealth of monuments from its extensive history and heritage, covering the Vetone, Roman, Arab and Christian cultures, from the 4th century BC to the 18th century. The Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Prado, known as the Sistine Chapel of ceramics, has a small Roman temple at its base and was completed in the reign of Philip II, and has unique ceramics elements from the 16th to the 18th centuries -ceramic tiles decorate all the walls as well as the main frieze and the two pulpits- its Arab walls (IX century), its Albarranas Towers (XIII century) and the church of Santa María la Mayor (XIV and XV centuries) declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and a Historic-Artistic Monument since 1931.

 

A historical curiosity about the name of Talavera: the addition “de la Reina” dates back to 24 June 1328, the date on which the young King Alfonso XI of Castile married his cousin, Maria of Portugal and gave her, among other gifts, this city.

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