Montánchez is a municipality located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is situated at , some 702 metres above sea level. The municipality has an approximate population of just over 2,000. The town sits in the

Sierra de Montánchez Sierra de Montánchez is a mountain range in the greater Montes de Toledo range, Spain. It is named after nearby Montánchez town, the capital of the Tierra de Montánchez comarca, located on its slopes. This range gives its name to the Mancomun ...

, a small mountain range rising above the plains of Extremadura. Its elevated position has earned it the nickname "the balcony of Extremadura". The town's economy relies principally on agriculture. It is one of the main centres in Spain for the production of ''

jamón ibérico ''Jamón ibérico'' (; pt, presunto ibérico ), "Iberian ham" is a variety of ''jamón'' or ''presunto'', a type of cured leg of pork produced in Spain and, to a lesser extent, Portugal. Description According to Spain's '' denominación d ...

'', and also produces wine.

History

Although there is evidence of prehistoric settlement,http://www.montanchez.net/historia/prehistoria.html the first major residents were the Romans, who founded the town in the 1st century AD. Moorish invaders captured the town in 713, taking advantage of its strategic location in the mountains to build a castle, which still dominates the village today. The town reverted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

in 1230, when it was taken by Alfonso IX. The castle was updated at this time, but continued to form an important defensive line.

References

External links

History of the town in Spanish - currently incomplete, but with some detailed information on Prehistory

Rural accommodation in Montanchez / Alcuescar area

Information about activities in English also rural accommodation in Montanchez area
Municipalities in the Province of Cáceres {{extremadura-geo-stub