Places of la Mancha

Abstract

This article reports on the Spanish population around 1600 and its distribution, specifically, in Castilla-La Mancha, the place of origin of Don Quixote. The population centers were small and the city was well distinguished from the town and from the place or village. However, Cervantes uses these words interchangeably in his novel, despite the fact that cities as such were scarce, especially in the already emptied interior of Spain at that time. The article intends to try to discern where Don Quixote lived in La Mancha, taking into account what "villa", "place" and "city" meant, respectively, in the 16th century and in previous centuries.