Castile

For all the variety in the towns and countryside around Madrid, there's an underlying unity in Castile—the high, wide meseta (plain) of gray, bronze, and (briefly) green. This central Spanish steppe is divided into what was historically known as Old and New Castile, the former north of Madrid, the latter south (known as "New" because it was captured from the Moors a bit later). No Spaniard refers to either as "Old" or "New" anymore, preferring instead Castilla y León or Castile-León for the area north of Madrid, and Castilla y La Mancha or Castile-La Mancha for the area to the south.

Stone, a dominant element in the Castilian countryside, gives the region much of its character. Gaunt mountain ranges frame the horizons; gorges and rocky outcrops break up flat expanses; and the fields around Ávila and Segovia are littered with giant boulders. Castilian villages are built predominantly of granite, and their solid, formidable look contrasts markedly with the whitewashed walls of most of southern Spain. Over the centuries, poets—most notably Antonio Machado, whose experiences at Soria in the early 20th century inspired his haunting Campos de Castilla (Fields of Castile)—and others have characterized Castile as austere and melancholy. There is a distinct, chilly beauty in the stark lines and soothing colors of these breezy expanses.

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