Chinchilla de Monte Aragon Attractions
13km/8mi southeast of Albacete, on a steep-sided crag, is the old Moorish stronghold of Chinchilla de Monte Aragón (alt. 896m/2940ft), which was chief town of the province until 1833. Over the town looms the Castillo, built by Don Juan de Villena in the 15th century, which was for a time the residence of Cesare Borgia. The narrow lanes running up from the Plaza Mayor towards the castle are lined by Gothic houses and palaces in Mudéjar style.
Cave Dwellings
The castle hill is riddled with old cave dwellings, some of them now occupied by potters' workshops. The National Museum of Ceramics displays a wide range of Spanish ceramic products.
Santa María del Salvador
In the Plaza Mayor in Chinchilla de Monte Aragón is the important Gothic church of Santa María del Salvador (15th-16th century), which is notable particularly for its richly decorated Plateresque apse. The Capilla Mayor has a superb retablo. The Museo Parroquial displays a variety of sacred objects.
Santo Domingo
On the castle hill (200m/650ft) in Chinchilla de Monte Aragón is the 14th century monastery of Santo Domingo, with a beautiful cloister.
Town Hall
Opposite the apse of Santa Maria in Chinchilla de Monte Aragón is the Baroque Town Hall, which has a Renaissance facade with a bust of Charles II.
