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Windmills and the Castle, Consuregra, Spain
Windmills and the Castle, Consuregra, Spain

Excerpt from Wikipedia:

Consuegra is a municipality located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. In 2009 the municipality had a population of 10,932 inhabitants. It is 80 km from Ciudad Real and 60 km from Toledo. Consuegra is located in La Mancha region, famous for its extensive dry plains, vineyards and historical constructions such as windmills.

The principal economy sector is agriculture. The industry is predominated by textile and wood. Tourism has become a new economical source in the 21st century. The castle and the windmills are Consuegra's most important monuments.

Most Spanish windmills, like those described in Cervantes's Don Quixote, can be found in the community of Castilla-La Mancha, in central Spain. The best examples of restored Spanish windmills may be found in Consuegra where several mills spike the hill just outside town, giving a view of the 12th-century castle and of the town. Windmills are also located in Mota del Cuervo, Tomelloso, and Campo de Criptana.

The settlement dates back to pre-Roman times. The Romans dammed the river Amarguillo upstream from Consuegra to regulate the water supply.

The castle was once a stronghold of the Knights of San Juan, the Spanish branch of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

Consuegra is famous due to its windmills. They became famous in the 17th century, when Don Quixote was first published. The introduction of the windmills was made by "Caballeros Sanjuanistas", who brought these machines that helped millers. These machines used the wind to grind grain (the most common grain is wheat). The windmills were transmitted from fathers to sons. They usually consisted of two rooms or levels. Millers had to carry sacks of grains that could weigh 60 or 70 kilos to the top floor, they rotated the sails of the windmill as the top part of the windmill or dome was movable. They stopped being used at the beginning of the 1980s.

Some of the most important parts of the windmill are:
•Tunnel or canal: through it the grain goes down.
•Container: where the grain is stored
•Piece of wood: for moving the sails

There were 13 windmills originally, but 12 have been reconstructed.

The original fortress at the site was perhaps built by emperor Trajan, but historical records only recall that a fortress here was initially built by Almanzor. During the Reconquest, in times of Alfonso VIII to the Knights Hospitaller. In 1813 it was destroyed during the Peninsular War.

In 1962 the castle was ceded to the town hall and underwent a period of reconstruction.

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Taken on: September 20, 2011
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Camera: Canon PowerShot SX30 IS, f/4.5, 1/1250 sec, 11.6mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon PowerShot SX30 IS
Aperture: f/4.5
Exposure Time: 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Focal Length: 11.6mm
ISO: 80
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode: Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: sRGB
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