Calle de Castillejos

The name comes from a battle fought on 1 January 1860 on stony heights south of Ceuta, during the War of Africa that pitted Spain against Morocco under Isabella II. There some eight thousand Spanish soldiers defeated an army twice their size and opened the road to the conquest of Tetuán. The same campaign named the entire district. The scene that fixed the battle in memory has one protagonist: General Juan Prim. When his men were retreating, he seized a flag, raised it, and spurred his horse toward the Moroccan positions with the banner held high, trusting his troops to follow. They did, and the day turned. The feat earned him the title of Marquis of Los Castillejos. The victory filled Spain with fervour, and the name spread to other cities. In Madrid, the Calle de Castillejos crosses Bellas Vistas as an echo of that first of January at the gates of Ceuta.