The territory occupied by the province of Albacete has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by cave paintings in the
Cueva del Niño and
Cueva de la Vieja. In Roman times, the territory of the present province of Albacete was part of
Carpetania and
Celtiberia,
Contestania,
Bastetania and
Oretania. The Romans built a significant settlement at
Libisosa, and during the age of the
Visigoths,
Tolmo de Minateda grew in prominence. During the Muslim era, territories of the province were under different zones of influence, and numerous farmhouses, castles and watchtowers developed to fight off invaders. A number of battles were held here in the Middle Ages, and on April 25, 1707, the
Battle of Almansa was held in the vicinity of the town of
Albacete, a major Spanish battle which culminated in the triumph of
Philip V who ascended to the throne, establishing the monarchy for the
House of Bourbon in Spain. In 1822, the short-lived Province of Chinchilla was created, composed of municipalities in the provinces of
La Mancha,
Cuenca and the
Kingdom of Murcia. Its capital at
Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón, very close to the city of Albacete, would be the basis on which the province of Albacete was created in 1833 as dictated by
Javier de Burgos. Following the adoption of the Constitution in 1978, the province of Albacete joined the
Castile-La Mancha Region from the
Murcia Region, and its Statute of Autonomy was approved in 1982. ==Geography==