 The town was named provincial capital of La Mancha, a position it enjoyed from 1750 to 1761.The Conde de Valdeparaíso, unsuccessful in his attempts to permanently make Almagro an administrative center, promoted commerce, especially in textiles, encouraging the trade in appliqué lace and pillow lace ("encaje de bolillos").The sale of church lands under Charles III of Spain jeopardized the future of many church buildings in Almagro, and the university disappeared by the 19th century.