The best traffic-free bike rides around Cabezamesada

The castle of Puebla de Almenara stands at the top of the Sierra Jarameña, visually controlling a vast territory between the La Mancha of Cuenca and that of Toledo. It is a medieval fortress of Santiaguist origin, today in a state of progressive ruin, but which preserves a good part of its defensive structure. Its strategic position, at one of the highest points of the sierra, allowed it a visual control of almost 360 degrees over the surrounding territory. The origin of the castle is prior to the building currently preserved. The most accepted version indicates that it was built at the end of the 12th century by the Order of Santiago on Muslim vestiges, forming part of the defensive line together with the castle of Uclés and other fortresses in the area. There are documentary references that place its construction in the year 1177. The current fortress corresponds mainly to the 14th century, when it was acquired by Don Juan Manuel, although it later passed through different owners, such as Cardinal González de Mendoza in the 15th century or the Princess of Éboli in the 16th century.

The town of Villamayor de Santiago sits at a crossroads, resembling a central hub, connecting municipalities in La Mancha, Toledo, and Ciudad Real via local roads. It boasts an urban complex and historic buildings that reflect the town's former importance, as numerous Commanders of the Order of Santiago and nobles lived there during the 16th and 17th centuries.

You have to climb up to the antenna of the hermitage of the Virgin of Mercy, along the road on the side of the hermitage, it is a tough 400 meters but it is worth it.

The church was ordered to be built in 1498 by the stonemason master Juan de Ochoa, who would not comply with the agreement neither in the time nor in the money necessary for its construction. The church has a single nave with a Greek cross plan and very short arms; The transept is covered with a barrel vault and the choir and tower are located at the foot.

Carved stone monument, in Renaissance style, which is composed of a complete Ionic column located on four square ashlar steps, with four hook-like arms in the shape of a snake's head, made of wrought iron. The Catholic Monarchs, in the last third of the 15th century, during the great mastership of Don Alonso de Cárdenas, granted Cabezamesada the privilege of township, erecting the scroll as a testimony of its new jurisdiction. It was initially placed on a hill near the old castle, although for safety reasons it was moved to the Rollo slope, where it remained until it was located in its current location. As in all the scrolls, also called pillory, it could be used to set an example to the people, since in them the people who caused thefts on the people's properties or committed other types of crimes were exposed.

After climbing some steep streets we reach the castle hill, where on an esplanade we can see the Hermitage of Our Lady of the Castle, the chimneys of the Cave Houses and the only vestige that remains of the Castle. The only way to see its interior is to look through the barred window on the side of what could have been a castle tower. From the cave houses, we can see the chimneys of the houses below. As for the hermitage, it houses the Virgin of the Castle almost all year round. Through the glass of the door, you can see the image of the Virgin inside.

It is a fortification from the Middle Ages in ruins, and very close to the town that gives its name to the old castle: Puebla de Almenara, a town in the province of Cuenca that in 2023 has a census of 331 residents.

The term “Almaguer” comes from the Arabic al-magid, which means irrigation canal. There are several areas of great natural importance in the area, for example: the Sierra del Gollino, the Sierra de San Marcos, the plain of the Riánsares river and the Yesares of the Tajo valley.