Madrid, Barcelona and Seville are the stars of the tourist dollar.
Extremadura, on the other hand, is not a go-to destination for the average Spanish tourist. It has
developed a reputation of being Spain’s best-kept secrets. It’s sandwiched
between western Andalucia and Madrid and traversed by the A-5 highway meaning
most tourists speed through the region en-route to Seville from Portugal.
This
is Spain’s ancient past, from Roman ruins that rival those in Rome to medieval
quarters and castles that give a glimpse of Spanish life in years gone by. It
is a land of ancient civilisation extending to the golden age of Spanish
exploration. This is a region that has the potential to attract visitors and
their tourist euros.
In a nutshell, the Roman domination from 1 BC declined when
the Moors moved in during the first few years of the eight century. Merida was
one of the Caliphate’s most strategic regions due to its proximity to Portugal.
Then, during Spain’s golden age, Extremadura took its place in the sun under Christian
domination - the region is known for the number of Conquistadors who came from
these parts. Cortes and Pizarro are the most famous of the men who followed in
the footsteps of Columbus and explored, charted and conquered large areas of
the New World.
Merida has some amazing Roman ruins - not surprising that
it was founded in the 1st century BC and was once the third largest city in the
Roman empire. The city houses an excellent museum with artefacts from the Roman
era and forward into the Moorish occupation.
Around Merida, Extremadura’s
regional capital, there is still much evidence of the Roman occupation. The
Roman theatre looks as if it could have been built in the latest Spanish
building boom, it’s so well preserved. The Teatro Romano is Merida’s most
spectacular roman monument and still hosts performances. It seats 6000 and was
built in 15 BC. The centrepiece is the well preserved central stage, with its
large Corinthian columns, and the facade with the statues of gods framed within
the arches.
In addition to the theatre, the site also houses the
anfiteatro, which was used since 8BC to stage gladiatorial fights and seated
over 10,000 people.
The Roman bridge at Merida is the longest surviving bridge
in the world, with nearly 100% of the bridge still intact. At nearly a
kilometre long, it arches over the Rio Guadiana.
The alcazaba fortress was built in the 9th
century, on a site that was already inhabited by the Romans. It looks out over
the Puente romano and the towns major river.
Casa del Mitreo is a roman house from the 1st
century and has many well preserved frescos and intricate mosaic floors,
including one depicting the cosmos.
The city is simple, letting the Roman architectural wonders
jumbled into a living streetscape speak for themselves. Roman ruins appear
almost casually on an otherwise unremarkable urban landscape with the bridge for
example, looping across the broad Guadiana River having been incorporated into
everyday life.
Caceres’ elegantly preserved walled city with a mix of
Roman, Moorish, Gothic and Renaissance architecture. The suburbs and town
centre of Caceres are unremarkable in much the same way as any other Spanish
city, the historic centre is extraordinary.
Plaza de Santa Maria is an impressive square within the
historic centre and is surrounded by medieval palaces and renaissance period
facades, overlooked by the cathedral.
From Torre de Bujaco, we get a wonderful view over Plaza
Mayor and we walk over the Arco de la Estrella, which guards the entrance into
the historic centre.
The Bujaco Tower is a unique and well preserved tower, located in the Plaza Mayor of Caceres.
Located next to the Bujaco Tower is the Arch of the Star, one of the five access gates into the old town of Caceres. Beyond the gate and inside a small grotto, you can see the Virgin of the Star and the icon after which the gate is named.
Iglesia de San Francisco Javier is a Jesuit church which
rises above from the square below. The towers afford a beautiful view across
Caceres.
The Palace of the Golfines is considered a true nobleman's compound and this was built after the Spanish Reconquista (Spanish golden age and the Conquistadors). It is representative of the Caceres grandiose constructions.
Museo de Caceres is an excellent museum which depicts
Caceres through its establishment across ages. The museum is built over a 12th
century aljibe (cistern), which is the only surviving Moorish element of the
castle.
Our walk through the old town continues, wandering the narrow streets and make the obligatory visit to yet another church, Iglesia de San Francisco Javier, built in the 18th century by the Jesuits. the towers afford a nice view across the old town of Caceres.
The old Jewish quarter show the remnants of the Jewish
population, which lived in Caceres until their expulsion in the 15th
century.
Narrow cobbled streets, ancient stone walls, palaces, arches and churches abound and the skyline is punctuated with spires and turrets. Not a lot has changed in Caceres’ historic centre since the 16th century.
The influence of Cortes and Pizarro is commemorated in Trujillo.
The walled city of Trujillo showcases its Conquistador heritage in all its
glory. Trujillo is also a well preserved medieval
town, with its square, labyrinth of houses, churches and courtyards enclosed
within the city walls. Trujillo personifies the Extremaduran feeling of a
society calmly going about its business unconcerned about the modern age.
There's a green-bronze statue of Francisco Pizarro, the Trujillo native son who became conqueror of Peru, rearing on his horse in the gracefully stepped Plaza Mayor and eyeballing the grand palace his family built in Trujillo's 16th century heyday.
Zafra is an understated town, bordering Andalucia. Its cobblestone streets, courtyards and geraniums adorning the buildings make it a charming stop-off point as we were passing through Extremadura onto Seville. It does have a pueblo blanco look about it. It is a quiet place, with narrow streets, lined with churches, old fashioned shops and neat as a pin houses. The white is occasionally broken up by red geraniums. The main square, Plaza Grande, is punctuated by a stand of palm trees at one end and this makes the plaza a very serene place to enjoy an afternoon tea or coffee. It also has the last two surviving gates of the city- the Door of Jerez and the Arch of Cubo.
What appealed to us about Extremadura is that it hasn’t experienced the heavy tourism like other parts of Spain. This is largely a regional area that goes about its daily business untroubled by outside distractions. This was evident by the fact that our Spanish skills (and Google translate) were tested. If it is authenticity that you are seeking, in the food, hospitality and observing daily Spanish life, then the Extremadura region should be in your travel plans.
