Juana Galán (1787–1812), nicknamed La Galana, was a guerrilla fighter of the Peninsular War (1808–1814) who took to the street to fight against the French cavalry that tried to pass through the town of Valdepeñas. At twenty years old, she was considered the best informed woman of the village, because she worked in a strategic location, the first tavern in the village. This battle led, in part, to the French army abandoning the region of la Mancha, which in turn led to the decisive victory for the Spaniards at the Battle of Bailén. This town was granted the title "very heroic".