Free Art, Literature and Architecture - The Travel Free Guide to Spain - page 78

35.Windmills of Campo de Criptana, Ciudad Real
The Spanish windmills have been in the world's collective memory since the novel Don
Quixote of La Mancha , by Miguel de Cervantes .
Although four centuries have passed since Cervantes' era, some of the windmills still stand.
The Campo de Criptana windmills field, is the largest grouping in La Mancha . Here, there
are 10 windmills, three of which are originals (named the Burleta, the Infanto and the
Sardinero), dating from the 16 th Century, with preserved, original machinery.
Several ofthe windmills act asmini museums, with interesting exhibitions about La Mancha
and Don Quixote. This fascinating experience teaches how in the 16 th Century, the original
renewable resource - wind - was used to grind wheat.
While there, be sure to visit the town of Campo de Criptana and the surrounding area, a typ-
ical and beautiful Spanish landscape. Here's a calendar of local events ( English translation )
Image Credit: Windmills in Campo de Criptana. Image by Lourdes Cardenal .