Walk through monuments and places to visit in Plasencia in Extremadura

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Walls of Plasencia in Extremadura

If you like to go for a walk monumental city with medieval layout, Plasencia, north of the province of Cáceres in EstremaduraIt is a highly recommended visit.

In recent years I have had the opportunity to visit this city several times, because although Plasencia It is not a provincial capital, because of its size and population, about 40,000 inhabitants, it is considered the great city of north of Extremadura.

Along the history,Plasencia It has been very important, and it is currently the center of economic activity in that area of ​​Extremadura, one of whose reflections is the avant-garde building of its congress palace, not long ago opened.

I have precisely visited Plasencia to attend a couple of professional congresses, but also taking advantage of trips to places as interesting as the Monfragüe National Park or, the most recent, to enjoy theJerte Valley in autumn.

Well, indeed, although Plasencia well justify your visit by itself, being located very close to both natural enclaves you should not miss the opportunity to visit it if you plan a trip to Monfragüe or Jerte.

History of Plasencia

With a long history with origins in the time of the Celts and later presence of the Romans, in your Plasencia visit now you can see the configuration of an old medieval city It was established at the end of the 12th century.

Specifically it was in the year 1196 when Plasencia was founded by the king Alfonso VIII in the context of the war with the Muslims.

After a new conquest of the pillows, it was in 1201 when it was approached to build the walls, of which there are still several sections in which several doors open to give access to the historic center.

Romanesque cover of the Old Cathedral of Plasencia

An outstanding fact was when in 1442 it was transferred to Pedro de Zúñiga by a Royal grant, until in 1488 the city passed control of Catholic kings.

Highlights were the wedding of Juana la Beltraneja and the King Alfonso of Portugal, or what Fernando the Catholic choose to Plasencia as a place of residence for a while.

As a result, during the fifteenth century the city had a great boom when residing in Plasencia a good part of the Extremadura nobility that left a great monumental and artistic heritage that you can now see on your visit.

Another current sample of the historical importance of Plasencia it is his main role in the Route of Isabel the Catholic in Extremadura.

What to see in Plasencia

At the time of visit Plasencia, you should focus on its historic center, as the main monuments and corners are located within what is left of the old walled enclosure.

Trujillo Gate in Plasencia

The city extends from its downtown Main Square, and in your walk through its narrow streets you will see numerous palatial buildings, churches and old convents.

Plasencia Walls

From the original fortification of the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, there are now some sections and doors.

So, of the 75 cubes that the wall had, you can still see 20, as well as the gates of the sun, Trujillo, Berrozana and the Lucia Tower.

In the Trujillo Gate, corner that you should not miss, is the Hermitage of Health, with a barrel vault, and in the Lucia Tower the Interpretation Center of the Medieval City of Plasencia.

Grandfather Mayorga in the Plaza Mayor of Plasencia

Plaza Mayor of Plasencia

The Main Square It is the center of Plasencia's life.

Always with a great atmosphere, in them you will see the terraces of the bars located in the arcaded galleries that extend for a good part of the square.

The most prominent building is that of town hall, from the 16th century with a transition style from Gothic to Renaissance, which is culminated by a clock tower where you can see the figure of the Grandfather Mayorga, a popular icon of Plasencia.

In another order of things, the narrowest building in Plasencia will also call your attention, and it will "squeak" the architecture of a reddish building that was built in 1936 to cover the view from the Plaza de la St. Stephen's Church.

To highlight the great jumble sale that on Tuesdays takes place in the Plaza Mayor of Plasencia, where in addition to fruits and vegetables, you can buy iron and leather goods.

Town Hall in the Plaza Mayor de Plasencia

If you go on a Friday, you will see another fruit and vegetable market.

From the Main Square, on the way to the cathedral, you will pass through the aforementioned St. Stephen's Churchwhere the poet got married Gabriel and Galán, and for the market building.

You can also see the flamboyant Gothic building of Convent of the Claras, current headquarters of Municipal Cultural Center and of the Plasencia Tourist Office.

Plasencia Cathedral

You may also be surprised to find one Cathedralin Plasencia, which is the reflection that only three years after its foundation it already had archbishop's seat with hierarchy over Medellín and Trujillo.

With a chaotic exterior design, it's really abouttwo cathedrals built successively and superimposed from the thirteenth century.

New Cathedral of Plasencia

The Old Cathedral It is in the transition style from Romanesque to Gothic, and outwardly it stands out for its beautiful Romanesque cover with archivolts, which you find facing west.

It began to be built in the 13th century and has three naves, and next to it you can visit a Cistercian style cloister.

Known as New cathedral It began to be built in 1498 and the work stopped in 1578, so that it has been left unfinished and overlapped on the building of the Old Cathedral, separated internally by a wall.

The New cathedral It is in the Renaissance style and in the exterior you will be struck by the great Plateresque style cover that was left unfinished, while inside you will see a sumptuous decoration with gold leaf.

Corner of the historic center of Plasencia

Cathedral Square

In the Cathedral Square You can also see other prominent buildings, such as Episcopal palace Renaissance style, the Dean's house, from the 17th century, or the contiguous ones palaces of the Counts of Torrejón and Doctor Trujillo, Plateresque Gothic style.

You can also see the old building Pilgrims Hospital Founded in the fourteenth century, with a Renaissance facade, which is now the headquarters of the Santa María cultural complex.

St. Nicholas Square

I will tell you that the St. Nicholas Square is my Plasencia's favorite corner.

In this enclave and its surroundings it is where you can feel better the historical importance of this city of Extremadura, with the Palace of the Marquises of Mirabel As a great protagonist.

St. Nicholas Square in Plasencia

It is a 15th century building with a two-floor neoclassical courtyard.

Under the building you can see a large arch that the owners had to open after a trial that lasted 150 years in order to give access to the old Jewish District of Plasencia.

On the other side of the square, in front of the palace, you can see the St. Nicholas church with a Romanesque transition cover, and in its back a small square opens where the House of the Two Towers.

From the 13th century, it is about oldest palace in Plasencia, with Romanesque cover and neo-Gothic facade, and stayed there Fernando the Catholic.

National Plasencia Hostel

At the bottom of San Nicolás square is the old building Convent of San Vicente Ferrer, current headquarters of National Hostel of Plasencia.

Cloister of the National Parador of Plasencia

It was built by Lords of Zúñiga in the fifteenth century, and for this they demolished an area of ​​the former Jewish Quarter, whose community was moved to houses located in the streets adjacent to the current Main Square.

When you walk through these streets you can see plates that tell you the name of the Jewish owner of the house that was in a certain place.

In this Dominican convent, so it was also known as Santo Domingo, highlights a beautiful Renaissance cloister or the old sacristy that is decorated with Talavera tiles.

No doubt that of Plasencia It is one of the best hostels from the point of view of its architectural interest.

In addition to those indicated, during your visit or stay in it you can see very interesting corners, such as the stairs to the cafeteria, a great architectural work, or eat in the old cabinet.

Plasencia Aqueduct

Plasencia Aqueduct

Finally, you may be surprised to know that in Plasencia there is an aqueduct.

He Aqueduct of San Antón It was built in the mid-16th century to supply the city with water from the nearby mountains.

Photos of Plasencia

As an advance to your visit, here are more pics of Plasencia, city to visit in Extremadura.






How to get to Plasencia

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Video: Extremadura Spain Tourism IgeoNews (March 2024).