La Roda

Celtic and Roman remains show the land around La Roda has been occupied for a very long time. In 1305, King Fernando IV granted the territory to the Infante Saúl García Nesta as part of the Señorío de Alarcón, and in 1310 don Juan Manuel set the town's jurisdictional boundaries. La Roda later became part of the Marquesate of Villena, then broke away in 1476 to pass directly to the Crown under the Catholic Monarchs.

The Renaissance brought a period of economic growth, still visible in the town's buildings and art.

La Roda's old quarter was declared a historic-artistic ensemble in 1973. At its heart is the parish church of El Salvador, a Spanish Renaissance building raised over earlier Gothic remains. Nearby stands the Lienzo de Doña Ana, a Plateresque structure close in style to the High Renaissance and considered one of the area's most architecturally significant monuments.

Several grand houses fill out the quarter: the Casa del Inquisidor, the Casa del General Latorre, the Casa de Alcañabate — where Saint Teresa of Jesus once stayed — the Doctor La Encina house with its fine doorway and coat of arms, and the Countess of Villaleal's house, known for its ironwork balconies. Heraldic shields, Gothic arches, and ornate window grilles appear throughout the streets and squares.