A detailed study of one of Spain’s most ambitious Enlightenment-era hydraulic projects has been published and presented in Alcázar de San Juan. El Canal del Gran Priorato de San Juan, by Bernardo Sevillano Martín, examines how the Canal del Gran Prior began and was built, along with its historical significance. The project shaped the field and economy of La Mancha for decades.
The presentation took place at the Museo Casa del Hidalgo, with local authorities and cultural advocates in attendance. Cristina Perea, the town’s councillor for culture, joined Sevillano at the event and highlighted the municipality’s efforts to preserve and promote the region’s heritage. Based on Sevillano’s doctoral thesis, the book was published by the University of Córdoba in collaboration with the Alcázar de San Juan City Council.
Sevillano’s research traces the canal’s nearly thirty-year construction, from 1782 to 1811, under the direction of architect Juan de Villanueva. It examines the project’s motivations and aims within the context of the Spanish Enlightenment, along with the challenges that shaped its development. Drawing on archival research, the study considers the canal’s effectiveness and its effects on the surrounding territory, including its links to other initiatives around the Real Sitio de Ruidera.
The canal’s legacy in Alcázar de San Juan is reflected in surviving structures, including the bridges at Alameda de Cervera and the Villacentenos lock. These remains offer a tangible record of the project’s scale and ambition, as well as its intended role in transforming the region’s economy and society. Sevillano has stressed their historical value and their association with Villanueva, a leading figure in Spanish neoclassical architecture.
At the presentation, Perea described the publication as a valuable resource for deepening local historical knowledge and making the region’s heritage more accessible. She also referred to restoration efforts and the municipality’s intention to continue investing in heritage conservation and promotion. The collaboration between the University of Córdoba and the city council was basic to bringing the book to publication.
The book is aimed at researchers and readers interested in the Canal del Gran Prior and the Enlightenment heritage of Alcázar de San Juan and its surroundings. It is available through the University of Córdoba’s publishing website and online platforms, as well as at presentation events.
Alcázar de San Juan continues to host public heritage programming. In 2026, a videomapping presentation at Santa María la Mayor focused on the church’s eight centuries of history; Europa Press reported that José Manuel Caballero, vice-president of the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, attended the anniversary event. The programming offers a broader local backdrop for public engagement with the town’s history and heritage.
The Canal del Gran Prior was among the large-scale hydraulic projects pursued in Spain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, reflecting the period’s lead for modernization and economic development. Villanueva, best known for his design of Madrid’s Prado Museum, played a prominent role in Spanish architecture. The surviving canal structures in Alcázar de San Juan preserve a record of the technical and social ambitions associated with the Spanish Enlightenment.
