Talavera de la Reina

Talavera de la Reina stands on the Tagus west of Toledo, famed for its glazed pottery and tiles. Its workshops supplied vessels and decorative tiles to churches, houses and royal palaces, developing blue and richly coloured designs that travelled far beyond the town. The craft prospered into the early eighteenth century, when polychrome wares and hunting scenes were among its characteristic products. In July 1809 British and Spanish armies fought the French outside Talavera during the Peninsular War. The struggle and the wider conflict brought heavy damage to the town and a sharp decline in pottery production, although some workshops continued their craft.