Like Castronuño, Toro and Zamora, Tordesillas origins go back to a fortress on the top of a small mountain to guard the barren lands. At IX century, Alfonso III´s son came there and repopulated the area with Mozarabs (Christians living in Moorish part of Spain) and people who arrived from Asturias and León (North of Spain).
JUANA DE CASTILLA - A STORY OF LOVE...
She has been the first Spanish Queen since, when her parents died, she inherited all the Kingdoms that they had won. The princess Juana, being a child, was brilliant. She stood out at dancing, Arts, good manners and religion. She spoke French and Latin as she was an excellent horsewoman. As she wasn´t educated to be a Queen, their teachers did not focused on how to govern a country and they tought her to be obedient.
All her possessions and her person was dominated by her parents. It didn´t happen with her Juan brother, who controlled his personal affairs by himself.
Her parents compromised her with "Felipe", the prince from Austria because they wanted to expand the Spanish kingdom and show French court how powerful Castilia was. So, Juana left Spain to Austria with 19 ships, but she wasn´t well welcome since Austrian court disagreed with that marriage. Finally wedding took place. Both of them fell madly in love. However, Felipe lost soon his passion and began to mistreated her making her feel jealous with other women. It is well known that she gave birth to her third child on the palace bathrooms at a party where she asisted just to watch out her husband.
Felipe died and he was buried in Austria. Her supposed mentally disease was the result of the mistreat, but his father and his son took advantage of it and they put her into the Tordesillas´castle-jail. This way, her son was able to manage the kingdom. Catalina, her last and sixth child was also enclosed and both were physically and mentally mistreated for 46 years until she died.
The filmmaker "Vicente Aranda" made the movie about her. It was when I discovered the real reason od her madness. "Pilar López de Ayala", the actress who embodied the intelligent Juana Queen made such an amazing performance. Here you have a link of a trailer. .jpg)
In this scene Juana has been reported that her mother has died. So when she goes to her room to say it to her husband, he is with another woman on the bed. So she tells him that she is being humilliated, but he answers her "you are not humilliated, you are crazy". So she goes out and she cries and shouts that "she is loca". "Loca" means is Spanish "crazy or mad or mentally sick".
I strongly recommend to this movie because it reflects faithfully costums, clothing and way of life of that period. Also the movie won many awards by its quality.
These pictures belong to the "Real Monasterio de Santa Clara" where Juana was enclosed for 48 years.
It has the beauty of Muslim art. So if the Juana story has left you K.O. there is still the possibiliy that you can sweeten with the delicious pastries that nouns cook inside.
Or maybe, go to the "Tordesillas Parador" (five minutes by car) and taste some of its exquisitenesses on its beautiful salons.
SO... WE KNOW NOW...
ENJOY THE MOMENT... AND HAVE A GOOD DAY!!