Cuenca – the city of hanging houses
The city of Cuenca is in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain. This is the capital of Cuenca province which is one of the largest Spanish provinces. Cuenca is located at 956 m above sea level. The origin of the word Cuenca could either be from the Latin word Conca meaning two rivers in this city or from Kunka, the fort built by Arabs.
Since the city is located precariously on the gorge’s edge, it is called The Eagle’s nest. Las casas colgadas are the hanging houses that were built in the 15th century above the river Huécar on a rock and this building is the most popular one. At present there is a Museum of abstract arts and a restaurant in this building.
History
At the time when the Roman Empire contained Iberian Peninsula, Cuenca was not inhabited. Muslim Arabs captured this area in 714 and they built Kunka, a fortress in this strategic location. The economic prosperity of Cuenca grew because of agriculture and textile manufacture. This city has been declared as a World Heritage city in the year 1996.
Climate
Cuenca has the continental Mediterranean climate. It has hot summers and cold winters. The average maximum and minimum temperatures in the year are 30 °C and -1 °C respectively.
Art and culture
Museo Diocesano and Museo Arqueológico are some of the museums you could visit in this city.
Some of the parks in the city are as follows:
1.San Julián – This is the oldest park in the city; there is no grass in the park but the park has a large number of trees, bush rows and sand path.
2.San Fernando – has 3 lakes and is located on an incline.
3.Santa Ana – is a welcome place in summer because of the shadows of the trees.
4.El Escardillo – has trees and fountains.
Cuisine
Popular dishes in this city are as follows:
1.Ajo arriero – contains cod, garlic and potato.
2.Morteruelo – made from hare, hen, pork and partridge.
3.Cordero – lamb pieces roasted in oil.
4.Pisto manchego – vegetable preparations using tomato, pepper and courgette.
5.Alajú – is an Arab cake made from almonds, grated orange, honey and nuts.
Some of the popular festivals in this city are Saint Julian’s Day, Jueves Lardero and St. Matthew’s Day.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock Pixabay