Last modified: 2020-02-16 by ivan sache
Keywords: campos del paraíso |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
The municipality of Campos del Paraíso (767 inhabitants in 2018; 21,689 ha; municipal website) is located 60 km west of Cuenca and 30 km east of Tarancón. The municipality was established by Decree No. 177, issued on 28 January 1971 by the Spanish Government and published on 8 February 1971 in the Spanish official gazette, No. 33, p. 2,016 (text), as the merger of the former municipalities of Carrascosa del Campo (598 inh., seat), Loranca del Campo (103 inh.), Olmedilla del Campo (51 inh.), Valparaíso de Arriba (27 inh.), and Valparaíso de Abajo (100 inh.).
Carrascosa del Campo has yielded significant archeological sites from
the Lower Paleolithic, Celtiberian and Roman periods; the settlement was
located close to Lapsi specularis (crystallized gypsum) mines. In the
11th century, the village, then known as Venta de la Carrasca, part of
Huete, was composed of three boroughs, La Solana, El Castillo and
Carralcázar. Infante Juan Manuel described in his Libro de Caça
(Hunting Book, 1325) hunting parties with falcons organized near river
Valdejudíos, "which has its source in Carrascoyo".
Carrascosa del Campo was granted in 1537 by Charles I the title of "Muy
Noble y Muy Leal [Very Noble and Very Loyal] Villa de Carrascosa del
Campo", separating from Huete. Miguel de Carrascosa (1470-1538), Canon
at Cuenca's Bishopric and a noted member of the Vatican court, funded
the parish church and its beautiful gate. In 1779, Carrascosa and the
neighboring villages were granted a weekly market by Charles III;
Carrascosa was assigned the Monday's market, still organized today.
Loranca del Campo was originally a Muslim farm (alquería) protected by a
watch tower. First mentioned in the early 16th century as a hamlet
grouped around the Virgen del Socorro chapel, Loranca was granted the
status of villa in the 17th century, at an unknown date.
The sale of the town to Pedro Piñán del Castillo, concluded in 1639, was
cancelled after one year of non-paiement; the next owner was Francisco
de Orozco y Porcia (1605-1668; Vice Roy of Catalonia, 1650-1652 and
1656-1663), 2nd Marquess of Mortara, 1st Marquess of Olías and 1st
Marquess of Zarreal. The villagers soon purchased back the rights on the
village.
Olmedilla del Campo was granted the status of villa and transferred to
Jorge de Paz Silveyra on 30 September 1557 by Philip IV. In the first
half of the 18th century, Olmedilla and Horcajada de la Torre were ruled
by José Enríquez de Guzmán; Olmedilla was soon re-incorporated to the
royal domain.
Olmedilla shared with Carrascosa the jurisdiction of the subsequently
deserted villages of Villaverde and Villalba, and ruled another village,
Centenaya. The ruins of the castle of Amasatrigo, featured in medieval
chronicles as part of the defense line erected to protect the newly
reconquered territories (with Uclès, Huete and Cuenca) were also part of
Loranca. The hamlet of Amasatrigo was reportedly deserted in 1236. The
convent and the chapel of Nuestra Señora del Castillo de Amasatrigo, aka
Nuestra Señora de la China, named for a small pebble (china) hold by
the statue, was recorded until the 18th century as a dependency of the
Santo Domingo de Guzmán monastery in Huete.
Valparaíso de Abajo was located near the La Quebrada / Cueva del
Espejuelo (Gypsum Cave) mine exploited by the Romans. The town was
acquired in 1627 by a member of the famous Zúñiga lineage. Valparaíso de
Abajo, Carrascosa and Olmedillo jointly exerted jurisdiction on the
deserted village of Villapando, located close to river Paraíso and the
Las Lastras cave.
The main altarpiece of the Nuestra Señora de la Asunción church of
Valparaíso de Abajo is considered as one of the most important baroque
altarpieces in the Province of Cuenca.
Valparaíso de Arriba includes the upper (arriba) lands where river
Paraíso has its source.
Ivan Sache, 14 June 2019
The flag of Campos del Paraíso is prescribed by an Order issued on 2
December 1992 by the Government of Castilla-La Mancha and published on 9
December 1992 in the official gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, No. 94, p.
5694 (text).
The flag is described as follows:
Flag: Rectangular, in proportions 3:4, horizontally divided in three stripes of equal width, the upper, red, the central, white, and the lower, yellow. The central stripe charged with the municipal coat of arms.
The coat of arms of Campos del Paraíso is prescribed by an Order issued
on 23 November 1992 by the Government of Castilla-La Mancha and
published on 2 December 1992 in the official gazette of Castilla-La
Mancha, No. 92, pp. 5202-5203 (text).
The coat of arms is described as follows:
Coat of arms: Per fess, 1. Gules a tower or port and windows azure surrounded by a fleur-de-lis or and a lion of the same, 2. Or a tree vert on a base of the same. The shield surmounted by a Spanish Royal crown.
Ivan Sache, 14 June 2019
