Located north of the community of Estremadura and limiting the west with Portugal, Cáceres is one of the Spanish cities that stands out for having one of the Historical Sets most complete in the world. This fact caused it to be declared World Heritage Y Third Monumental Ensemble in Europe, in addition to being integrated within the tourist routes of the Jewish quarters and the Silver Route.
Brief historical note
Its long history dates back to Superior paleolithic, makes more than 20,000 years. This is attested by paintings found in the Maltravieso Cave, south of the town's urban area. Also the caves of the Rabbit and the Santa A Cavernsna, they have revealed data about the Neolithic era.
Likewise, Celtiberians, Romans and Visigoths, left an imprint that today has been revealed through numerous findings. On the contrary, the remains of later cultures are very scarce, which leads us to think of an abandonment of the city until the 12th century. From this date, the Arabs rebuilt all the fortifications and walls, based on those that already existed from the Roman era.
Much of the stately architecture that is preserved today was made after the reconquest, experiencing its maximum splendor from the XV century. Let's take a closer look at the lavish legacy architectural:
Monastery of San Francisco. Built at the end of the XV century, mixing the Gothic and Renaissance styles.
Golfines de Arriba Palace. It belonged to the Golfines family and its construction began in the second half of the 15th century. It is a strong house with turrets in the corners.
Palace of Las Veletas. Currently the headquarters of the provincial museum, this building stands on the remains of the old Muslim Alcázar (XII-XIII centuries). Out of the whole complex, the cistern that has been preserved to this day stands out.
Mayoralgo Palace. One of the most significant buildings in the old town of Cáceres as it merges medieval and Renaissance elements. It dates from the year 1,430 and the family crest is still preserved on its facade.
Religious architecture:
- Church of San Juan (ss. XII-XV), Gothic.
- Church of Santa Maria (XV and XVI) Romanesque style of transition to Gothic, with some Renaissance elements.
- Church of Santiago, of Romanesque construction, transformed in the s. XVI. It has a main altarpiece of 1,557.
- Church of San Mateo (s. XIV) and the hermitage of the Virgen de la Montaña (s. XVII), with an altarpiece by J. Churriguera.
- Hermitage of the Mountain, in honor of its patron saint, the Virgin of the Mountain.
- Convent of San Pablo.
- Hermitage of La Paz.
- San Francisco Javier Church.
Civil architecture:
- Los Caballos Palace, current museum of Contemporary Art.
- Palace of Los Golfines de Abajo
- Los Perero House.
- Las Cigüeñas House
- Godoy Palace
- Los Espadero Pizarro, known as «Casa del Mono».
- Moctezuma Palace
- Episcopal palace
- Palace of the Comendador de Alcuescar, current Parador Nacional de Cáceres.
- Provincial Palace Diputación de Cáceres.
- San Antonio neighborhood, popular neighborhood with details of Arab architecture (Casa Almohade).
Nature
– Monfragüe Natural Park, maximum exponent of Mediterranean vegetation and fauna.
– Hell's Throat, declared a Nature Reserve for its great fauna importance and its exceptional flora.
- Llanos de Cáceres, with the population of protected birds of the Iberian Peninsula.
– The Barruecos, declared a Natural Monument for its curious rocky outcrops.
Cáceres monumental de noche, Ciudad Patrimonio de la Humanidad (April 2024)
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