San Clemente is a surprise — a small Manchego town with a remarkably beautiful old quarter. The Renaissance architecture here is exceptional for a town of this size. The Plaza Mayor and the surrounding streets have elegant facades, noble houses, and a sense of former importance that the current population doesn't quite explain.
The town has good services — bars, restaurants, shops, and accommodation. It's one of the more rewarding stops on the Levante's long Manchego crossing.
San Clemente was briefly the seat of the Chancillería (high court) of Castile and served as a temporary residence for the Spanish court. This explains the disproportionately grand Renaissance architecture in what is now a small provincial town. The town's noble houses, church facades, and public buildings date from its 16th and 17th-century heyday.
