Alcala de Henares and Cervantes Guided Tour from Madrid
Description
This tour will take you to several places in Alcala de Henares related to the life and work of Miguel de Cervantes , the house where he was born in 1547, now a museum (Museo Casa Natal Miguel de Cervantes), the church where he was baptized on October 9th 1547. Sites related with his family and those associated with the publishing of his works. A route that takes us to the heart of the Golden Age of the spanish literature.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This square has had several denominations throughout its history. Initially it was the "Market Square", then the "Constitution Square" and, since 1879, it is the "Plaza de Cervantes" in memory of his favorite son Miguel de Cervantes. However, popularly it is also called "main square", as it is the main and largest of Alcala de Henares.
The set of the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso and Rector of the University of Alcalá was established as center of the university structure designed by Cardinal Cisneros from 1499. Its facade was built from 1537 by Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón, architect of cathedrals of Salamanca and Segovia, was finished in 1553 rigger being the same Pedro de la Cotera. In its elegant decor they worked the most qualified of the time and forged their teachers bars admirable Cathedral of Toledo Francisco de Villalpando and Ruiz Diaz of the Corral carvers. Retains the Patio de Santo Tomas de Villanueva, the Philosopher and the trilingual. The Auditorium and the University Chapel are the only two buildings of the College built in the days of its founder. Escolástico the auditorium or theater, Located in the western bay of the Trilingual Patio, it was destined to the imposition of degrees and where solemn academic events took place.
It owes its origin to the old Jewish aljama of the city, around the twelfth century, which was built along the path of the Caesar Augusta Roman road that passed through Complutum. As today, it was the commercial street of Alcalá par excellence during the Middle Ages, so it was supported almost entirely, to place the stores at street level, while the houses were on the upper floor (with a gallery that communicated to the inhabitants of the different homes without having to descend to the public thoroughfare).
Miguel de Cervantes’ place of birth has long been debated and questioned, and it wasn’t until 1948 that Luis Astrana Marín, author of The Heroic and Exemplary Life of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, proclaimed this very building as such. The property is situated in the historic old city of Alcalá de Henares, next to the ‘Hospital de Antezana’, where the writer’s father, Rodrigo de Cervantes, worked. As a result of this discovery, the Alcalá de Henares City Council bought the property in 1954 to establish a Cervantes museum. The current Museum, inaugurated in 1956 as the ‘Cervantes Museum and Library’, is a product of the reconstruction work done to the original property. The reconstruction involved the creation of a garden and a new entranceway at number 48 Calle Mayor. It had previously been located at number 2 Calle Imagen. By way of Royal Decree 680/1985 of April 19 the Casa Natal de Cervantes was given over to the Community of Madrid.
Cathedral Magistral of Saints Justo and Pastor, stands as throughout the Middle Ages was the center of the town. With a concentric circle structure, this place departed the various streets leading to the gates of the walled enclosure. In addition to its status as a religious center, it was to turn the political and social center of Alcala. in the Plaza de Abajo and Picota the council houses were located. Its origin dates back to the martyrdom of Justo and Pastor, happened in this place at the beginning of the fourth century, as the cathedral stands on the site where according to tradition were beheaded and buried martyrs Justo and Pastor. On earlier buildings, from 1497 it begins to build in Gothic style, the current building by decision of Cardinal Cisneros, entrusting the work to Anton and Enrique Egas brothers, aided by complutense Pedro Gumiel. The Church has dignity reinstating Cathedral of the Diocese Complutense in 1991.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wheelchair accessible
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- The use of facemasks during the tour is mandatory. Should you forget, we offer the possibility of adquiring one at the price of 1€
Reviews(201)
Excellent tour. History. Culture. Good tour. David excellent guide. Thank you. Highly recommended.
Estimada viajera, Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia y por recomendarnos. Nos alegra saber que disfrutó del recorrido por Alcalá de Henares, descubriendo su historia, su cultura y su estrecha relación con Cervantes. Gracias especialmente por destacar el excelente trabajo de David; estaremos encantados de hacerle llegar sus palabras. Gracias por elegir Fun and Tickets. Esperamos volver a acompañarla en otra experiencia muy pronto. Un cordial saludo, Equipo de Fun and Tickets
Very good explanations from the guide. Very interesting city.
Estimado viajero, Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia con nuestra excursión a Alcalá de Henares. Nos alegra saber que disfrutó descubriendo una ciudad con tanta historia y que las explicaciones de nuestro guía le ayudaron a conocerla y apreciarla aún más. Comentarios como el suyo nos animan a seguir ofreciendo visitas interesantes y enriquecedoras. Gracias por elegir Fun and Tickets. Esperamos volver a acompañarle muy pronto en otra experiencia. Un cordial saludo, Equipo de Fun and Tickets
David is a great guide; I would definitely take a tour with him again.
The visit was excellent. The driver made for a very pleasant trip by explaining interesting aspects of Madrid to us. The guide for Alcalá de Henares, David, was great. Detailed and clear explanations.
Estimada mariadelasaludf: Muchas gracias por elegir Fun&Tickets y por compartir su experiencia. Nos complace saber que disfrutó del trayecto y de las interesantes explicaciones sobre Madrid. También trasladaremos a David sus amables palabras por la claridad y el detalle de su visita en Alcalá de Henares. Esperamos volver a recibirle muy pronto. Un cordial saludo, El equipo de Fun&Tickets
Excellent, and our guide David was very good.
Estimada Rosa, Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia en nuestra visita a Alcalá de Henares. Nos alegra mucho saber que disfrutó del recorrido y que David contribuyó a que la experiencia fuera tan positiva. Nos hace especial ilusión conocer que valoró su trabajo y sus explicaciones. Le haremos llegar sus amables palabras. Gracias por elegir Fun and Tickets. Esperamos tener el placer de darle la bienvenida nuevamente en otra de nuestras experiencias. Un cordial saludo, Fun and Tickets Team
My tour guide cancelled the day before and promised a refund. I messaged back and forth with Fun and Tickets with many more promises of a refund that never came. After a week of this, I decided to cut my losses and leave a two-star review describing what happened, saying I’m sure it’s a great tour, I just didn’t get to go. I tried to keep things peaceful. Imagine my surprise when Fun and Tickets replied to my review saying I was lying (despite me having lots of screenshotted proof of the cancellation and refund promises), I did go on the tour, and I would never get a refund! Quite surprised. I’ve never been gaslit by a tour before. I’ve also never left a bad review before, but this felt like the time to do it. Anyway. I’m sure it’s a great tour, I just didn’t get to go! They’ve since deleted their reply to me, and they finally gave me a refund, but only after I called them out for the crazy reply. The communication was absurd.
Good afternoon Emma, We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the cancellation of the tour and for any misunderstanding. The refund has been made. Kind regards, Fun and Tickets Team
Very well served, a lot of patience with the group And a charming person Both the guide As well as the transport
Estimada Pilar, Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia con nuestro tour guiado a Alcalá de Henares y la visita dedicada a Cervantes desde Madrid. Nos alegra mucho saber que disfrutó de una experiencia tan positiva y que tanto el guía como el transporte estuvieron a la altura de sus expectativas. También agradecemos especialmente sus palabras sobre la paciencia y la atención durante toda la visita, ya que son aspectos que valoramos enormemente. Gracias por elegir Fun and Tickets. Esperamos tener el placer de darle la bienvenida nuevamente en otra de nuestras experiencias. Un cordial saludo, Fun and Tickets Team
The guide is a very kind person.
Estimado Daniel, Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia. Nos alegra enormemente saber que disfrutó de la excursión a Alcalá de Henares y que nuestro guía contribuyó a que la visita fuera tan agradable. La amabilidad y la atención a nuestros viajeros son aspectos que valoramos especialmente, por lo que nos encanta recibir comentarios como el suyo. Le agradecemos su confianza y esperamos tener el placer de acompañarle nuevamente en otra de nuestras experiencias para seguir descubriendo la riqueza histórica y cultural de España. Un cordial saludo, Fun and Tickets Team
The driver was great and provided us with a lot of information on the way to our destination. Punctual and comfortable car. The city visit was very interesting and had a good route. The guide was very friendly and explained everything very well.
Estimada Gemma, Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia. Nos alegra saber que disfrutó tanto del trayecto como de la visita a Alcalá de Henares. Es fantástico que valorara la puntualidad, la comodidad del transporte y la información compartida durante el camino, ya que creemos que la experiencia comienza desde el momento en que se inicia el viaje. También nos encanta saber que la visita por la ciudad le resultó interesante y que el guía contribuyó a hacerla más enriquecedora con sus explicaciones y su trato cercano. Gracias por acompañarnos en este recorrido por la ciudad natal de Cervantes. Esperamos volver a verle en alguna de nuestras próximas excursiones. Un cordial saludo, Fun and Tickets Team
Very hot. Guide not as good as expected. Had tabacco in his mouth The Whole time. Gross. Meanwhile, Alcala was not as expected. A lot of hype which didn’t live up to what was there.
Dear Odalis, Alcala is a World Heritage City declared by UNESCO. We are sorry to hear that the city and guide didn’t meet your expectations. With regards, Fun and Tickets Team
