Manchuela

Manchuela
—  Comarca  —
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Castile-La Mancha
Province	Albacete, Cuenca
Municipalities	List See text
Area
- Total	3,932.55 km2 (1,518.4 sq mi)
Elevation	715 m (2,346 ft)
Population
- Total	72,587
- Density	18.5/km2 (47.8/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Largest municipality	Quintanar del Rey

Landscape of the Júcar gorges.

Manchuela landscape in Buenache de Alarcón.

Manchuela or La Manchuela ("lesser La Mancha") is a comarca located in Castile-La Mancha, Spain.

Historical comarca

The historical Manchuela comarca included the municipalities of Tarazona de la Mancha and Villalgordo del Júcar, as well as the Requena-Utiel comarca which had been part of the Cuenca Province until 1851 and is presently part of the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, except for Mira.^[1]

This comarca has been traditionally a place of wheat, olive and wine growers, along with some cattle rearing. There are two wine Designations of Origin in the comarca, Manchuela DO and Ribera del Júcar DO.^[2]

Present-day comarca

The present-day Manchuela comarca is divided between Manchuela Albaceteña in Albacete Province and Manchuela Conquense in Cuenca Province. The Júcar River cuts across the high plateau of La Meseta forming deep gorges (Hoces del Júcar) offering spectacular landscapes. The Serranía de Cuenca forms the northern boundary of the comarca, and the Cabriel River the eastern. The western boundary is formed by a section of the Júcar River and the southern the Almansa corridor.

Municipal terms and villages

Albacete province

Abengibre, Alatoz, Alborea, Alcalá del Júcar, Balsa de Ves, Carcelén, Casas-Ibáñez, Casas de Juan Núñez, Casas de Ves, Cenizate, Fuentealbilla, Golosalvo, Jorquera, Madrigueras, Mahora, Motilleja, Navas de Jorquera, Pozo-Lorente, La Recueja, Valdeganga, Villamalea, Villatoya, Villavaliente and Villa de Ves.

Cuenca province

Alarcón, Almodóvar del Pinar, Buenache de Alarcón, Campillo de Altobuey, Casasimarro, Casas de Benítez, Casas de Guijarro, Castillejo de Iniesta, El Herrumblar, Enguídanos, Gabaldón, Graja de Iniesta, Hontecillas, Iniesta, Ledaña, Minglanilla, Motilla del Palancar, Olmedilla de Alarcón, Paracuellos, El Peral, La Pesquera, El Picazo, Pozoamargo, Pozorrubielos de la Mancha, Puebla del Salvador, Quintanar del Rey, Sisante, Tébar, Valhermoso de la Fuente, Valverdejo, Villagarcía del Llano, Villalpardo, Villanueva de la Jara and Villarta.

See also

• Manchuela DO

References

1. ^ Archivo Municipal de Requena
2. ^ Wines from Spain

External links

• La Manchuela.com website
• La Manchuela.net website
• Touristic routes in la Manchuela
• La Comarca de la Manchuela, la Mesopotamia Manchega
• Web INE (superficies y población de municipios)
• "El Bienhablao". Repertorio de vocablos (La Manchuela)

Coordinates: 39°13′N 1°21′W / 39.217°N 1.35°W / 39.217; -1.35