Mejorada

Mejorada is a village located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2006 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 1323 inhabitants.

Name

At the beginning the village was called 'Malpartida' (Badly distributed in Spanish) because of the trouble to fit it into the lands of Ávila, Oropesa or Talavera. On the 14th century, along with the expansion of its territories, the name Malpartida was finally changed for 'Mejorada' (Improved in Spanish) due to the improvements made on its territorial situation and to relief the villagers whom thouht the previous name brought bad luck.

Location

The village is settled in the region of the 'Sierra de San Vicente', which is a subregion of Talavera. Mejorada adjoins Montesclarod to the North, Segurilla to the East, Talavera to the South and Velada to the West.

It is located in the area enclosed between the Tagus river and the Tiétar river, a place called 'El Berrocal'

Main sights and monuments

The Castle

Mejorada holds the ruins of a castle placed around 250 meters (800 ft.) southeast of the village center.

It is supposed to have been built on the 13th century, linked to the creation of the Estate of Mejorada, when king Sancho IV of Castile gave the village to the knight Juan García de Toledo on July 1288, who would become the first Lord of Mejorada.

The fortress was built to enforce the lords of the village against the council of Talavera. The castle would then became the main symbol of the strength of nobility opposite the ecclesiastical power.

The castle is built on a 78 feet side square with rounded turrets on each corner. The main entrance is placed looking west, in which wall there is a great mid medieval rectangular keep. The masonry and brick walls are approximately 5 feet thick.

Nowadays the manor is in ruins, only lasting two walls and part of the other two.

Parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción

The Church was made almost entirely of lime and stone which is very typical on the area, and dates back from the 15th century. It's devoted to Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Our Lady of the Assumption).

It's a single nave with transept temple, with a two levels tower facing West, the chancel facing East and the main façade facing south. The ceiling is coffered with wooden beams in twos arranged slantwise creating the shape of the roof.

Watchover

The Watchtower is situated 2000ft (600m) south from the city centre, on the summit of the Atalaya Hill at around 1900ft (580m) high. The tower has a 5.5ft (1.70m) circular floor-plan with a current height of 9.2ft (2.80m) made of masonry and lime and sand mortar.

This Watchtower was part of an ensemble of lookout watchtowers along with the ones on Velada, El Casar, Segurilla, Cardiel, etc. built probably during the Islamic times and then reused by the Christians until the Middle Ages.

From the Watchtower you have full view of the valley made by the Tagus river to the South, and the Guadyerbas river to the North. You can also catch sight of the watchtowers at El Casar to the West and Segurilla to the East; and the Castle of Mejorada, which is around 1450ft (540m) North.

Festivals

15 de mayo: Isidore the Laborer, there known as San Isidro
Last weekend of August: Cristo de la Tabla

Municipalities in the province of Toledo

Ajofrín Alameda de la Sagra Albarreal de Tajo Alcabón Alcaudete de la Jara Alcañizo Alcolea de Tajo Aldea en Cabo Aldeanueva de Barbarroya Aldeanueva de San Bartolomé Almendral de la Cañada Almonacid de Toledo Almorox Arcicóllar Argés Azután Añover de Tajo Barcience Bargas Belvís de la Jara Borox Buenaventura Burguillos de Toledo Burujón Cabañas de Yepes Cabañas de la Sagra Cabezamesada Calera y Chozas Caleruela Calzada de Oropesa Camarena Camarenilla Camuñas Cardiel de los Montes Carmena Carranque Carriches Casarrubios del Monte Casasbuenas Castillo de Bayuela Cazalegas Cebolla Cedillo del Condado Cervera de los Montes Chozas de Canales Chueca Ciruelos Cobeja Cobisa Consuegra Corral de Almaguer Cuerva Domingo Pérez Dosbarrios El Campillo de la Jara El Carpio de Tajo El Casar de Escalona El Puente del Arzobispo El Real de San Vicente El Romeral El Toboso El Viso de San Juan Erustes Escalona Escalonilla Espinoso del Rey Esquivias Fuensalida Garciotum Gerindote Guadamur Gálvez Herreruela de Oropesa Hinojosa de San Vicente Hontanar Hormigos Huecas Huerta de Valdecarábanos Illescas Illán de Vacas La Estrella La Guardia La Iglesuela La Mata La Nava de Ricomalillo La Puebla de Almoradiel La Puebla de Montalbán La Pueblanueva La Torre de Esteban Hambrán La Villa de Don Fadrique Lagartera Las Herencias Las Ventas con Peña Aguilera Las Ventas de Retamosa Las Ventas de San Julián Layos Lillo Lominchar Los Cerralbos Los Navalmorales Los Navalucillos Los Yébenes Lucillos Madridejos Magán Malpica de Tajo Manzaneque Maqueda Marjaliza Marrupe Mascaraque Mazarambroz Mejorada Menasalbas Mesegar de Tajo Miguel Esteban Mocejón Mohedas de la Jara Montearagón Montesclaros Mora Méntrida Nambroca Navahermosa Navalcán Navalmoralejo Navamorcuende Noblejas Noez Nombela Novés Numancia de la Sagra Nuño Gómez Ocaña Olías del Rey Ontígola Orgaz Oropesa Otero Palomeque Pantoja Paredes de Escalona Parrillas Pelahustán Pepino Polán Portillo de Toledo Puerto de San Vicente Pulgar Quero Quintanar de la Orden Quismondo Recas Retamoso Rielves Robledo del Mazo San Bartolomé de las Abiertas San Martín de Montalbán San Martín de Pusa San Pablo de los Montes San Román de los Montes Santa Ana de Pusa Santa Cruz de la Zarza Santa Cruz del Retamar Santa Olalla Santo Domingo-Caudilla Sartajada Segurilla Seseña Sevilleja de la Jara Sonseca Sotillo de las Palomas Talavera de la Reina Tembleque Toledo Torralba de Oropesa Torrecilla de la Jara Torrico Torrijos Totanés Turleque Ugena Urda Valdeverdeja Valmojado Velada Villacañas Villafranca de los Caballeros Villaluenga de la Sagra Villamiel de Toledo Villaminaya Villamuelas Villanueva de Alcardete Villanueva de Bogas Villarejo de Montalbán Villarrubia de Santiago Villaseca de la Sagra Villasequilla Villatobas Yeles Yepes Yuncler Yunclillos Yuncos

Coordinates: 40°01′N 4°53′W / 40.017°N 4.883°W / 40.017; -4.883

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