Albacete Province

Albacete is a Spanish province located in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, with the capital city of Albacete. With an area of 14,926 km², it limits to the east with Valencia and Alicante, to the south with Murcia and Granada, to the west with Ciudad Real and Jaén and to the north with Cuenca. It has a population of 386,464 inhabitants (2021), concentrating more than half of it in the metropolitan area of Albacete.

The province is distributed in 87 municipalities and 7 judicial districts, with several protected areas, among which the Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park, or the Calares del Mundo and Sima Natural Park stand out.

The territory occupied by the province of Albacete has been inhabited since ancient times, as attested by the cave paintings of the Cueva del Niño or the Cueva de la Vieja. In pre-Roman times, the territories of the current province of Albacete were part of Carpetania and Celtiberia, of Celtiberian ascription, and of the Iberian Contestania, Bastetania and Oretania; many of the most renowned and representative sites of some of these cultures have been discovered in these lands of Albacete. In Roman times, cities such as Libisosa stood out, and during the Visigoths there were also important enclaves such as Tolmo de Minateda.

The Muslim era divided the territories of the province into different areas of influence, furrowing the entire area with numerous farmhouses, castles and watchtowers, which with the process of the Reconquest were forming important squares, such as the extensive Alfoz de Alcaraz under the of their own Fueros or later already in the XV century, the council of Villarrobledo, which occupied large extensions that exceeded the limits of the current province of Albacete, unleashing important battles for hegemony in these territories.

On April 25, 1707, and within the international conflict of the War of the Spanish Succession, the battle of Almansa took place in the vicinity of this town in Albacete, one of the most important in the history of Spain that culminated in the triumph of Felipe V as an aspirant to the crown, establishing the Bourbon monarchy in the State.

In 1822 the ephemeral province of La Mancha Alta was created, comprising municipalities from the provinces of La Mancha, Cuenca and the Kingdom of Murcia. The entity, with its capital in Chinchilla (very close to the city of Albacete), was the base on which the current province of Albacete was created in 1833 according to the dictates of Javier de Burgos, experiencing some territorial changes such as the departure of Villena in 1836, the entry of Villarrobledo in 1846 and the departure of Requena in 1851.

After the approval of the Constitution in 1978, the province of Albacete was integrated into the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha by virtue of its Statute of Autonomy approved in 1982.

Toponymy

As is common in most of Spain, the province has taken its name from its capital, the city of Albacete. For this reason, it shares its official names, Albaceteño/a and Albacetense, in allusion to the old place-name that derives from the Andalusian dominance of the area, the city of Albacete having been originally called البسيط Al-Basit, in Arabic which translates as "the plain" or "the plain" in allusion to the plain that characterizes the geography of the place.

The coat of arms and the flag of the province of Albacete are its official symbols. The shield is manteled «the first, gules, with two silver keys placed in sotuer, joined by a saber chain, which are the abbreviated arms of Alcaraz. The second, gules, with a gold winged right hand holding a silver sword trimmed with gold, which is the emblem of the Manuel family, the first lords of Villena. The third, silver, with a cross of Santiago de Gules. In the abyss, a shield with the arms of Albacete, which are in a silver field, three stone towers masoned with sable and clarified with azure, placed one and two, surmounted by a sable bat. At the bell, the closed Spanish royal crown». The flag is "crimson in color and has the provincial coat of arms in the center".

Symbols

The shield represents, on its left side, the keys of Alcaraz on a red background; on the right side, the winged hand armed with a sword on a red background of the Marquesado de Villena; in its lower part, the Cross of Santiago on a white background; and in the center, the coat of arms of the capital. The shield is topped by the royal crown.

The flag consists of the shield, on a red background.

The province also has its own anthem.

Geography

Northwest: Province of Ciudad Real	North: Province of Cuenca and Province of Valencia	Northeast: Province of Valencia
West: Province of Ciudad Real and Jaén Province		This: Province of Valencia, Province of Alicante and Region of Murcia
Southwest: Jaén Province and Granada Province	South: Region of Murcia	Sureste: Region of Murcia

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Interactive map — Albacete Province and its centre or geographical centre

Relief

It has a plain in the north located at about 700 m above sea level. In the south are the most mountainous areas with peaks that exceed 2000 m (Sierra de las Cabras in Nerpio). The main heights of the Sierra de Albacete are found in Calar del Mundo, Taibilla and, further east, the Cordillera de Montearagón.

Hydrography

The geographical situation that the province of Albacete occupies in the Iberian Peninsula, gives it a complex specificity regarding water resources. From the hydrological point of view, an important part of the headwaters of four of the main Spanish hydrographic basins (Guadiana, Guadalquivir, Júcar and Segura) is located in the Albacete territory.

The relief is the fundamental factor that determines the provincial hydrographic network. The mountains of Albacete and the plain divide the network into two directions into which the rivers that flow through the province flow: the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, the plain of La Mancha has a white and permeable terrain that allows the infiltration of water, causing phenomena such as endorheism.

Main rivers

The main rivers that flow through the province are the Júcar and the Segura, which flow into the Mediterranean, to which must be added a significant number of tributaries.

• The Jucar crosses the Manchega regions located in the northeast province and, deeply embedded in the field, runs through municipalities such as Alcalá del Júcar. Its main tributary is the Cabriel River.

• In the Alcaraz region are the first tributaries of Guadalquivir and Guadiana, which lead to the Atlantic Ocean. From Guadalquivir are the river Guadalimar and the Guadalmena, which gather a multitude of mountain streams of different denomination (Horcajo, Mesta, Povedilla, Villanueva de la Fuente, Robledo, Bienservida, Salobre).

• The Segura, with its tributaries, Zumeta, Taibilla, Tus and Mundo. Some of these places, such as the birth of the World River, are among the most visited places in the whole territory.

Main water concentrations

Birth of the World River, Riópar

In addition, the province of Albacete has ten reservoirs located in the province: Almansa reservoir (3 hm³), El Talave (35 hm³), Fuensanta reservoir (210 hm³), Camarillas reservoir (36 hm³), the El Cenajo (437 hm³), Turillas reservoir, Taibilla reservoir and Molinar reservoir (4 hm³).

Ruidera Lagoons.

There are also several concentrations of natural water in the provincial territory, such as the Pétrola lagoon, Salobral lagoon, Navalcudia lagoon, Ontalafia lagoon, or the touristic Ruidera lagoons, which share territory with the neighboring province from Ciudad Real.

Climate

The continental Mediterranean climate predominates in the province of Albacete, especially in the area of La Mancha, La Manchuela and Campo de Montiel. In the area of the Hellín region, on the other hand, the dominant climate is the Mediterranean with a tendency to aridity, and in the Sierra de Alcaraz, the mountain climate predominates, with the relief and the geographical situation being the main determinants of climatic variations. within the territory.

Nevada in the port of Barrancazo (Alcaraz saw), 1030 m. n. m.

In the province of Albacete, the thermal amplitude is important, reaching an average annual amplitude of 20 °C, which is reflected in the development of harsh winters and hot summers, a typical feature of the continental climate. While the La Mancha plain is located between the 12 and 17 isotherms, in the eastern part of the province the temperatures are somewhat warmer, falling within the 16 isotherms. On the other hand, in the mountainous areas of the southwest, the amplitude temperature is less elevated due to the altitude.

History

Prehistory

Inhabited for thousands of years, all the cultures and peoples that have passed through the Iberian Peninsula have inhabited the province and have left their mark on all its towns, denying the unfounded idea of being an eternal land of transit. The oldest remains of human settlements found (near Villarrobledo and Hellín) are dated to the Upper Acheulean (Lower Paleolithic).

However, those from later periods (Musterian) are more numerous, being able to form three large groups of concentration of settlements: Alto Guadiana, Margin Derecha and Margin Izquierda del Segura.

For its part, there are more than 100 cataloged sites with interesting manifestations of rock art from all eras, which were declared by Unesco, in 1998, World Heritage Sites:

• Paleolytic in the cave of the Child, in Ayna.
• Epipaleolytics (levant art, 10,000 years ago) in the Cueva del Niño, in Ayna, Alpera, Almansa, Hellín, Letur and Nerpio.
• Neolithic and Bronze Age (called schematic art, 6500 years ago) in Alpera, Hellín, Yeste, Letur, Socovos and Nerpio.

Archaeological site of the Bronze Age of El Acequión, in Albacete, one of the highest exponents of the Bronce Manchego

]]Especially notable is the human presence during the Bronze Age with settlements ascribable to at least three different cultural horizons: Argar Culture, Manchego Bronze and Valencian Bronze, as well as transitional or doubtful affiliation settlements.

As we can see, the archaeological and historical constant of Albacete is the diversity and richness in terms of different cultural manifestations at all times, unparalleled throughout the Iberian Peninsula.

Old Age

The Bicha de Balazote, an exceptional display of Iberian art

In pre-Roman times, the territories of the current province of Albacete were part of Carpetania and Celtiberia, of Celtiberian ascription, and of the Iberian Contestania, Bastetania and Oretania; many of the most renowned and representative sites of some of these cultures have been discovered in these lands of Albacete. The Provincial Museum of Albacete houses a large collection of works from that period, being one of the most outstanding at the national level from that period. Outstanding unique and emblematic pieces have been found in these lands, within national archaeology, such as the Treasure of Abengibre, the Bicha de Balazote, the Lion of Bienservida, the Great Offering Lady, the Lady of Caudete, the Sphinx of Haches, the Twin sphinxes from El Salobral, the Tomb of Pozo Moro, Los Villares Necropolis in Hoya-Gonzalo, one of the most important in the province. Among the materials, the sculptural complex representing a warrior on horseback stands out, from the beginning of the V century a. C. (around 490), considered the largest Iberian sculpture (1.8 m high), A second sculpture corresponds to the "rider on horseback", which includes 10 Valentine's pitchers and on the other hand, imports (Greek ceramics, Punic materials, Etruscans, etc.) have allowed an extraordinarily precise dating, and a long etcetera, which rest in various national and international museums, resulting in almost no town in the province that does not have a minimum sample of this historical period. Although traditionally it has been estimated that this was a peripheral land, transitory and open to late influences from the Levantine areas; due to the profusion, quality and antiquity of the findings, it seems that the situation is exactly the opposite and the role of the province of Albacete, in the genesis and development of pre-Roman cultures —especially the Iberian—, is nuclear and preponderant.

In Roman times, the cities of Libisosa (Lezuza), Saltigi (Chinchilla de Montearagón) and Illinum (Hellín) stood out, as well as other enclaves such as Heliké (Elche de la Sierra). Some authors also place the important enclave of Laminio or Urcesa in Alcaraz in provincial territory.

From the Middle Ages to the end of the Old Regime

Tolmo de Minateda Archaeological Park

Talla de la Virgen de Cortes. Alcaraz (Albacete)

During the Islamic period, after belonging to the emirate and caliphate of Córdoba, most of the province passed to the taifa kingdoms of Toledo, Denia and Murcia; However, this stage is the worst known and studied in the province, since it is detected that some areas, such as the entire western province, suffered tremendous depopulation, due in part to the unstable war situation.

After the Christian reconquest by King Alfonso VIII of Castile, in 1213, of the fortress of Alcaraz and later by Fernando III in the rest of its towns, except for the easternmost area whose reconquest fell into the hands of Jaime I of Aragón (Caudete), most of the province belonged to the Marquises of Villena. The judicial capital of the area was located in Chinchilla de Montearagón.

In March 1475, Alcaraz, through a singular triple siege of his fortress, rose up in arms against the Marquis of Villena in favor of the Catholic Monarchs, thus beginning the war of the Castilian succession. Later also the squares of Villarrobledo, —which earned him his municipal emancipation—, and El Bonillo joined the uprising. The rebellion triumphed and all the towns belonging to the Alfoz de Alcaraz, in the western half of the province, passed directly into the hands of the Crown of Castile, liberating themselves from the Marquis of Villena.

In the municipality of Almansa, an important battle was fought on April 25, 1707, the Battle of Almansa, during the international conflict of the War of the Spanish Succession. In this European conflict, two would-be kings (both foreigners) claimed the Spanish Crown and, consequently, hegemony in America and Europe. As a result of this battle, Felipe de Anjou (later Felipe V) saw the path open to his final triumph, which was not immediate, as the War of the Spanish Succession ended in 1714.

Contemporary Age

Chinchilla is the former capital of the province of Albacete

View of the castle of Almansa, stage of important battles

In 1822 the ephemeral province of La Mancha Alta was created, comprising municipalities from the former provinces of La Mancha, Cuenca and the Kingdom of Murcia. The province, with its capital in Chinchilla, was maintained for a short time due to the return to the previous provincial state with the Ominous Decade.

In 1833 Javier de Burgos, based on the province of Chinchilla, created the province of Albacete, with its capital in Albacete. The main subsequent territorial changes are the departure from Villena in 1836, the entry from Villarrobledo in 1846 and the departure from Requena in 1851.

Since its creation, the province formed part of the Region of Murcia until the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha was created in 1978, whose statute was approved in 1982, to which it belongs.

Population and urban planning

Demographics

Albacete is the third most populous Castilian-La Mancha province after Toledo and Ciudad Real, with 388,786 inhabitants (INE 2018), contributing 19.18% of the total community. With an area of 14,926 km² (ninth in all of Spain), it has a low population density (26.17 inhab/km²), slightly higher than the average for Castilla-La Mancha (25.51 inhab/km²), which contrast with the country average (92.45 inhab/km²).

Most of the population lives in the main nuclei of the province, located in the large communication axes and industrial corridors, and fundamentally in the metropolitan area of Albacete.

Evolution

Throughout the decades from 1950 to 1980, the province of Albacete suffered constant emigration to other regions of the country. However, during the last decade of the 20th century and the first of the XXI, the situation has been reversed, thanks to immigration from other parts of the country and also from abroad.

Evolution of the population of the province of Albacete

The XX century also witnessed an intense phenomenon of rural exodus, which affected the entire province but with more intensity to the regions of Sierra de Alcaraz and Campo de Montiel, which today are the regions with the lowest population density. The city of Albacete was the great beneficiary of the province by this phenomenon: it went from 21,373 inhabitants in the year 1900 to 148,934 in the year 2001.

From the creation of the province of Albacete (year 1833), until the middle of the XX century, the number of inhabitants it increased exponentially, especially between 1920 and 1950, going from around 200,000 inhabitants (1857) to reaching 397,100 inhabitants in 1950.

As of these years, a turning point occurred, with three successive decades of population loss at the provincial level, except in some specific nuclei (especially the capital), which grew again significantly from the decade of 1990.

Immigrant population

Foreign nationalities in 2019

Position	Nationality	Population
1. a	Romania	6805
2. a	Morocco	5438
3. a	Colombia	1183
4. a	Ukraine	1023
5. a	Bolivia	1003
6. a	Paraguay	872
7. a	Bulgaria	808
8. a	Senegal	757
9. a	Mali	658
10. a	Ecuador	642

Despite the moderate presence of immigration in the province, where 8% of the population is of immigrant origin (in 2009 it only concentrated 14.5% of all immigrants from Castilla-La Mancha), the The city of Albacete was the nucleus with the most immigrants in the entire autonomous community. Between Albacete (7.4% of the immigrant population), Hellín (10.5%) and Villarrobledo (15.0%) three quarters of the immigrant population of the province are distributed, which implies a characterization of immigration purely urban.

Immigration in the province is basically European (43% of the total) and South American (38% of the total), standing out the one coming from Romania and several Eastern European countries, in the case of European immigration, and the from Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador, in the case of South America.

Distribution

Municipalities more populated

The province of Albacete has a low population density (26.17 inhabitants/km²), largely concentrated in the capital and its metropolitan area, which represents 56.00% of the total province (INE 2018). In addition, 44.51% of the population lives in the capital, being the 7th province where the largest population is concentrated in said city, given that the national average is 31.85% (INE 2018).

Of the 87 municipalities that make up the province, only six have more than 10,000 inhabitants; Despite this, 71.66% of the provincial population is urban, compared to 28.34% of the rural population.

The largest urban agglomerations in the province are the city of Albacete, Hellín, Villarrobledo, Almansa and La Roda, which also have extensive areas of influence, all of them with more than 40,000 people and several municipalities in the province itself or in the bordering ones

There are currently three municipalities in the province with more than 20,000 inhabitants: Hellín, Villarrobledo and Almansa, to which must be added the city of Albacete, the largest population center in all of Castilla-La Mancha and the second capital province with the largest number of inhabitants in the Spanish South Sub-plateau after Madrid.

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  Population by municipality in 2018

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  Population density by municipality in 2018

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  Population growth by municipality between 1998 and 2008

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  Population growth by municipality between 2008 and 2018

Political-administrative organization

Provincial Government

Side view of the Palace of the Provincial Council of Albacete

The Government and the autonomous administration of the province correspond to the Provincial Council of Albacete, a body similar to that of the other Spanish provinces. The Provincial Council was created in 1835, following the organization of Spain into provinces. At that time, he exercised powers in the areas of public works, education, charity, as well as intermediate functions between the municipalities and the State administration.

The Provincial Council, as its governing bodies, are made up of the president, the vice-presidents, the Corporation, the Plenary and the informative Commissions. The president since 2015 is Santiago Cabañero Masip (PSOE).

Presidents of the Provincial Council of Albacete since the Transition

Territorial organization

Map of communities in the province of Albacete

Current counties (or commonwealths):

Infrastructures and equipment

Transport and communications

Albacete-Los Llanos Station

Road network

Due to the strategic location of the province between the center of the peninsula and the Spanish east, the communication routes are excellent. Its strategic location halfway between the center of the peninsula, the Levante area and Andalusia, makes the province stand out as one of the most important communication nodes in the southeast of Spain, with highways to Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Toledo, Ciudad Real and Murcia.

Motorways and motorways

Railroad and airport

Albacete Airport

By rail, the province has been connected since the beginning of this means of transport in Spain. The Madrid-Alicante line was the first long-distance line to serve the country. The line to Cartagena and Valencia also runs through the province.

There are stations with stops in Albacete, Almansa, Hellín, La Roda, Villarrobledo, Minaya, La Gineta and Caudete.

The city of Albacete has a station with an AVE stop.

The province has the Albacete-Los Llanos airport, which is located 4 km south of Albacete, on the CM-3203 highway. Said airport officially began operating as a civil airport in 2003, sharing facilities with the Los Llanos Air Base.

Economy

Albacete has traditionally been a predominantly agricultural province, especially dryland cultivation, highlighting the production of cereals, vines, olive trees, and in certain areas also saffron and mushrooms. During the XX century, irrigation grew significantly in the province.

In terms of industry, the food industry stands out, with examples such as the production of wine and cheese in Villarrobledo, the chemical industry in La Roda, the footwear industry in Almansa, the traditional cutlery in Albacete or the metallurgical industry in Villarrobledo.

Since the end of the XX century, wind energy production has boomed, with the installation of numerous wind farms, placing the province in second place at the national level, after Navarra.

Aeronautical and Logistic Park of Albacete

There is also a great development of the aeronautical industry, highlighting the Albacete Aeronautical and Logistics Park, where, among others, the Airbus Helicopters Spain factory is located, next to the Albacete airport and the Los Llanos Air Base.

In 2007, the province of Albacete had a per capita income of €16,731, which at the national level places it in 46th place out of the 50 Spanish provinces.

In 2008, a solar thermal plant was inaugurated in El Bonillo capable of supplying electricity to 800,000 people, double the population in 2013 of the entire province.

Culture

The Albacete Fair, declared International Tourist Interest, receives more than two million visitors annually

Tamborada de la Semana Santa in Hellín

The province has fourteen festivals declared of Tourist Interest, in their various categories:

• Tamborada and Holy Week of Hellín: International Tourist Interest.
• Albacete Fair: International Tourist Interest.
• Major Festivals of Almansa (Moroes and Christians): International Tourist Interest.
• Tobarra Holy Week: National Tourist Interest.
• Serrín Alfombras de Elche de la Sierra (Corpus Christi): National Tourist Interest and Cultural Interest in the category of Intangible Good.
• Moros and Christians of Caudete: National Tourist Interest.
• Carnival of Villarrobledo: National Tourist Interest.
• Feasts of St. Bartholomew Apostle in Tarazona de la Mancha (centuryXVII): Tourist interest since 1970.
• Carnival de La Roda: Regional Tourist Interest.
• Santa Week of Villarrobledo: Regional Tourist Interest.
• Holy Week of Albacete: National Tourist Interest.
• Holy Week of Chinchilla de Montearagón (start in 1584): Regional Tourist Interest.
• Romería de San Bartolomé y Feria de Tradiciones Populares de Yeste, declared of Regional Tourist Interest.
• Romería de Nuestra Señora de Cortes (sixteenth centuryXIII) in Alcaraz. Declared Regional Tourist Interest.
• Munera Fair, declared a Regional Tourist Interest Party.

At the end of the XX century, the diffusion of the different Caminos de Santiago that run through the province of Albacete became very important, among them the Wool Route. This path connects the city of Alicante with that of Burgos, where it joins the French Way, and runs through the province of Albacete from Almansa to Villamalea, also passing through the municipalities of Bonete, Alpera, Alatoz, Alcalá del Júcar and Casas -Ibanez.

Another Camino de Santiago that crosses the province of Albacete is the so-called Camino de Santiago de Levante. This road connects the city of Valencia with that of Zamora, where it joins the Ruta Jacobea de la Plata, and runs through the province of Albacete from Almansa to Minaya, also passing through the municipalities of Higueruela, Hoya-Gonzalo, Chinchilla de Montearagón, Albacete, La Gineta and La Roda.

At a local level, it is worth appreciating the creation of the Camino de Cortes using the Vía Verde de la Sierra de Alcaraz, as a means of transporting athletes and pilgrims to the Royal Monastery and Sanctuary of Cortes.

Plaza Mayor de Molinicos, stage of film shooting It dawns, it's not little become a cultural route

In addition, the Sierra de Albacete has several points of interest, such as the source of the Mundo River in the municipality of Riópar, the route of the cult film Amanece, which is not little, in Ayna, Liétor, Molinicos and Férez, or the traditional running of the bulls in numerous mountain municipalities.

It is worth highlighting two large and impressive manifestations of popular devotion: the Nuestra Señora de Cortes Pilgrimage in Alcaraz, which is actually three, two girls (May 1 and August 26) and a large one (September 8). And the Pilgrimage of Cristo del Sahúco in Peñas de San Pedro (August 28).

The first is to point out the existence of a path where pilgrims flock throughout the year. Of the second, the great race that the "walkers" make at full speed from their sanctuary to the town of Peñas de San Pedro carrying the image of their patron.

Museums

Albacete Archaeological Museum

• Albacete Archaeological Museum.
• Ethnological and archaeological Museum of Hoya-Gonzalo.
• Archaeological Museum of Lezuza.

Literature

Mariano Roca de Togores y Carrasco, marquis de Molíns

The literary phenomenon in Albacete began to gain importance in the mid-XIX century and reached its maximum expression during the Second Spanish Republic. Previously we can highlight the romances of Montesinos and Rosaflorida in the XV century, the romances of Fontefrida in the XVI or the work of Cristóbal Lozano in the XVII century .

Narrative

Until the arrival of the XX century, a key date in Albacete narrative, we can highlight the work of Melchor de Macanaz in the 18th century and the Marquis of Molíns and Octavio Cuartero in the XIX. Albacete narrative reached its golden age in the 20s and 30s of the XX century, especially during the Republic. At that time, authors such as Roberto Molina, Artemio Precioso, Mariano Tomás and Huberto Pérez de la Ossa stand out, who developed a pure writing. After the Civil War, the local narrative suffered a collapse from which it would have a hard time recovering. During the Postwar period, two generations of writers arise who raise the great void that had been produced. The First Postwar Generation, marked by the decadence of the moment in Spanish literature, is characterized by developing its writing in the press of the time. Of this Generation, Francisco del Campo Aguilar, Mariano Sola y Martínez, Vicente Garaulet, José S. Serna and Andrés Ochando stand out. In the Second Postwar Generation, the narrative shines for its diversity, with Rodrigo Rubio standing out above the rest. Currently, the literary panorama is made up of numerous authors of very diverse currents.

Poetry

The poets from Albacete wrote freely without being influenced by current trends until the 1940s, when local poetics became aware of three currents: stylistic and formal lyricism, social poetry, and rootedness. During the postwar period, the poets from Albacete were influenced by the generation of '98 and realist influences began to be appreciated in their works. Already in the 50s and 60s, local poetry was steeped in Realism and surrealist forms so contrary, highlighting in an extraordinary way Antonio Martínez Sarrión, the most universal and recognized lyric from Albacete. The 70's generation flees from the poetry that was being made until then and includes new aesthetic reasoning. This Generation is made up of poets like Amador Palacios. Finally, the so-called Last Generation is made up of poets of a very diverse nature, among which Ángel Antonio Herrera and Arturo Tendero stand out.

Gastronomy

Miguelitos de La Roda

Members of a folklore group with the traditional La Mancha Costume

Designations of Origin

The province has various denominations of origin for food products, some of which are shared with other provinces or regions. All of them of a proven quality:

• D.O. Wine of Almansa (the only D.O. with only municipalities in the province).
• D.O. Jumilla wine: include the Albaceteños municipalities of Ontur, Tobarra, Albatana, Hellín, Montealegre del Castillo and Fuente-Álamo.
• D.O. Wine of La Mancha: include the Manchegos municipalities of the province.
• D.O. Wine of La Manchuela: The Albaceteños municipalities of La Manchuela are included.
• D.O. Arroz de Calasparra: the municipality of Hellín is included.
• D.O. Azafrán de La Mancha: The Manchegos municipalities of the province are included.
• D.O. Manchego cheese: the Manchegos municipalities of the province are included.
• Geographical Indication Protected (I.G.P.) Cordero Manchego: include the Manchegos municipalities of the province, La Manchuela albaceteña, the central area of the province and the Almansa Corridor.
• I.G.P. Wines from the Land of Castile: the wines produced throughout Castilla-La Mancha are included and are not covered by a Denomination of Origin.

Sports

The Albacete Circuit hosts important national and international testing of the engine world

The province of Albacete has outstanding infrastructures in the world of sports such as the Carlos Belmonte stadium or the Albacete circuit.

Notable people