The Capital - Ciudad Real
It is an agricultural marketplace, with farm-related industries. Ciudad
Real was founded by Alfonso X of Castile in the 13th cent.; during the
Peninsular War, the French defeated (1809) the Spanish in a battle
nearby. The city preserves some of its medieval flavor; it has several
notable Gothic churches.
The capital was founded by King Alfonso X in the 13th century to fight against the power of the military order of Calatrava. It has a stop on the AVE high-speed rail line and has begun to grow as a long-distance commuter suburb of Madrid.