Caceres Travel Guide

Caceres, lies on a hill and is characterised by its constant evolution in history from Roman times until the present day. Two periods in it development have left their mark on today's city: the Arab stronghold before it fell to the Christians in 1229, and the feudal city between the 14th and 16th C, when it was swamped with palaces and towers of aristocratic families. This urban complex full of its own personality became part of World Heritage in 1986.

The city's history of battles between Moors and Christians is reflected in its architecture which is a blend of Roman, Islamic, Northern Gothic, and Italian Renaissance styles. From the Moslem period remain about 30 towers, of which the Torre del Bujaco is the most famous.

With the 14th C, Caceresis invaded by noblemen, and in only a few dozen years there are fortress-like houses and towers everywhere in the city, which becomes feudal in nature and is at the mercy of fighting rival factions. Of this period are the Palace of La Generala, Las Cigueñas House and Tower, the house of the Ovando-Oerero family, Espadero-Pizarro House or the House of El Mono..

The Catholic Monarchs ordered many of these buildings to be destroyed, bestowing the privilege of not being demolished on only a few, such as the Palace of Los Golfines de Arriba or Las Cigueñas Palace. During the 15th and 16th C, the palaces were replaced by magnificent stone houses which differed from the palaces only in size and fewer defensive means. This is the case of Aldana House, El Sol, Ulloa and Carvajal House... In their company, churches and convents were built, such as the Gothic Church of Santa Maria, which has cathedral status, the one of Santiago, which has an important reredos by Berruguete, the one of San Mateo, which was built in the 14th C on the site of a mosque, the Gothic Convent of San Francisco.

In the course of the centuries, the old city of Caceres has preserved surprisingly well the distribution of space of an Arab city transformed into a feudal one with the addition of towers, palaces and fortified houses of rival families. Arab and Gothic influence, Italian Renaissance, art from America.., all of them can be found in this unique city of Extremadura.

Courtesy of:Spaintour.com