Cigarral facts for kids
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A Cigarral is a special kind of country estate or large house found in Toledo, Spain. These unique properties are located on the southern side of the Tagus river as it flows past the city. Each Cigarral has a main house for fun and relaxation, plus a smaller building for the caretakers, often called cigarraleros. What makes them truly special is their large land area, usually at least 7,000 square meters. In the past, especially until the mid-1900s, many were much bigger, around 20,000 square meters!
The exact origin of the word "Cigarral" isn't fully known. The most popular idea is that it comes from the Spanish word for cicadas, which is cigarras (Spanish: cigarras). These noisy insects are very common in the summer months when people would typically use these homes for vacation. Another idea suggests the word comes from two old Arabic words that together mean "recreational house."
History of the Cigarrales
It's believed that Cigarrales started appearing around the mid-1400s. After a long period of fighting between the Arab and Christian kingdoms, things became more peaceful. Important church leaders began buying land across the river on the southern bank. They would then spend their summer holidays on these peaceful farms.
By the mid-1600s, the land around the Cigarrales was often used for growing fruit trees. This helped the estates continue to be useful and profitable.
These estates remained popular as second homes for wealthy families in Toledo until the mid-1900s. However, maintaining such large properties became very expensive, and the big land areas were no longer as profitable. Because of this, many Cigarrales started to be divided into smaller plots of land.
In 1994, new city rules called the PECHT (Special Plan of the Historic District) came into effect. These rules helped organize how the historic center of Toledo and the Tagus river area, including the Cigarrales, could be developed. After these rules, it became harder to split up the large Cigarrales. This led to a gradual change in how the areas were used. Many Cigarrales were turned into hotels and restaurants. This meant they became places for tourism and services, rather than just private homes.
By 2006, the Cigarrales area was showing signs of wear and tear due to these changes. To help manage this, the first steps of a new plan, called the Special Cigarrales Plan, were proposed. This plan aimed to better organize how the Cigarrales area would be developed and used in the future.
Famous People and the Cigarrales
Many famous people have had connections to the Cigarrales:
- The famous writer Miguel de Cervantes mentioned the Cigarrales in his well-known book, "Don Quixote." He placed a scene there during Don Quixote's journey through Toledo.
- Tirso de Molina, another important writer, wrote a play in 1621 called Los Cigarrales de Toledo. This shows how well-known these estates were even back then.
- Galdós, a great Spanish novelist, loved Toledo and its Cigarrales. He even introduced his friend, the famous doctor and writer Gregorio Marañón, to these special places.
See also
In Spanish: Cigarral para niños
