Cáceres ( , ) is a city and
Spanish municipality located in the center of the
autonomous community
The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...
of
Extremadura.
It is the capital and most populated municipality of the
province of Cáceres
The province of Cáceres (; ; ; ) is a province of western Spain, and makes up the northern half of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Its capital is the city of Cáceres. Other cities in the province include Plasencia, Coria, Navalm ...
and houses the headquarters of the Superior Court of Justice of Extremadura.
The
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
has a land area of , the largest in Spain. According to official
INE data for 2021, the municipality had a population of 95,418 inhabitants, of which 94,326 lived in the city itself.
Numerous inhabited places are scattered throughout the municipality, including castles and farmhouses with several centuries of history. The medieval walled city was declared a
World Heritage City by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
in 1986.
Since 2008 the city has been organized into four districts: Center-Old Town, North, West and South; a fifth district, Pedanías, covers the non-urban part of the term.
[Estadísticas de población](_blank)
''Ayuntamiento de Cáceres'' The actual municipal population data varies significantly, fluctuating by more than 30,000 people primarily related to educational centers
'' Hoy'', 22 April 2014 such as the Cáceres Campus of the
University of Extremadura[Campus de Cáceres](_blank)
'' Universidad de Extremadura'' or the CEFOT-1 of the
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
.
[Historial - Centro de Formación de Tropa Nº1](_blank)
'' Ministerio de Defensa'' The city usually empties in summer, when many residents return to their towns of origin.
Cáceres lies at the feet of the Sierra de la Mosca, a modest hill range. It is part of the ''
Vía de la Plata'' ("Silver Route") path of the
Camino de Santiago that crosses the west of the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
in a north–south direction.
The
Universidad de Extremadura, and two astronomical
observatories are situated in Cáceres. Today, the headquarters of the university as well as several regional government departments are found in Cáceres. The city is also a seat of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Coria-Cáceres.
Name
No consensus has been reached among historians regarding the
etymology
Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...
of Cáceres, some considering its origin as
Roman and others as
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
. Among
philologists the consensus is that it is
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
nomenclature deformed by Arabic, until finally adapting to the definitive Christian name, as happened with at least half of all place names of ancient origin in the southern
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
.
Regarding its possible Roman origin, two known Latin names could have evolved into the current "Cáceres." One would come from the colony "''Norba Caesarina''" (founded in 34 BC), "''Norba''" in honor of the hometown of
Gaius Norbanus Flaccus, the Roman general who founded the town, and "''Caesarina''" in memory of
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
. The other name is "''Castra Caecilia''," given by the consul Quinto Cecilio Metelo Pío to one of the military camps near the colony. With any of these
toponyms based on "''castra''" ("camp"), its
ablative "''castris''," which means "in the camp", could have provided the original form of the current "Cáceres."
Historians have debated which of these is the true origin; until the 19th century it was mistakenly thought that Norba Caesarina was the neighboring town of
Alcántara, while it was believed that the walled enclosure of Cáceres was Castra Caecilia.
Due to the documentary obscurity of the
Visigoth period, it is not clear by what name Caceres was known when the
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
arrived here. Documents from the 3rd and 4th Centuries indicate that the name of the area had been shortened in the colloquial form "''Castris''."
The
Ravenna Cosmography fixes the use of "Castris" in the 4th century, however, the following mentions of the locality reappear in Muslim texts:
• The
Baghdadi geographer
Ibn Hawqal located a locality called "''ḥiṣn Qāṣras''" in this place.
• A century and a half later,
Al-Idrisi from
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
reiterates this name.
• A third source from the end of the Muslim period, written in the late 12th century or early 13th century by
Yaqut, suggests that it was renamed "''Qāṣr As''."
In any case, sources from the time are scarce, since the Muslims never considered Cáceres as an important town beyond its use as a military fortification.
Both the transliteration of the Arabic toponym into the Latin alphabet and the creation of a name in the
Romance languages
The Romance languages, also known as the Latin or Neo-Latin languages, are the languages that are Language family, directly descended from Vulgar Latin. They are the only extant subgroup of the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-E ...
were disparate. In some ancient writings and medieval documents various names appear, such as:
• "''Caceres''" in a
bull of 1168 by
Pope Alexander III, awarding the territory to the
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
of Coria in the first
Leonese conquest;
• "''Castes''" in a
Castilian document from 1171 by
King Alfonso VIII, through which he recognized the
Fratres of Cáceres as owners of the land;
• "''Carceres''" in the mandate of
Alfonso IX of León dated in the year 1222 (however, the same king adopts the form "''Caceres''" in another document of the same year signed during the siege);
• «''Canceres''» written the document of 1229 through which Alfonso IX gave concessions to the
Order of Santiago.
History
Visitors can see remains from
Prehistoric,
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
times, the
Roman occupation,
Moorish occupation and the
Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain. Cáceres has four main areas to be explored: the historical quarter, the Jewish quarter, the modern center, and the outskirts.
Prehistoric
There have been settlements near Cáceres since prehistoric times. Evidence of this can be found in the caves of
Maltravieso an
El Conejar 
The
Maltravieso Cave (discovered in 1956 by the academic and official chronicler of Cáceres Carlos Callejo) contains hundreds of paintings, including the world's oldest known
cave painting, a red hand stencil older than 67,000 years. This is 20,000 years before the known arrival of ''
Homo sapiens
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
'' to Europe and therefore is believed to have been made by
Neanderthals
Neanderthals ( ; ''Homo neanderthalensis'' or sometimes ''H. sapiens neanderthalensis'') are an extinction, extinct group of archaic humans who inhabited Europe and Western and Central Asia during the Middle Pleistocene, Middle to Late Plei ...
. These paintings date to several of the
Upper Paleolithic periods.
In the nearb
El Conejarcave, ceramics and lithic utensils have been found that date the occupation of the cave to the Ancient
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
(VI-V millennium BC); the possibility that the cave was occupied during the
Epipaleolithic period should not be ruled out. Location of trepanned skulls and decorated ceramics suggest that the Maltravieso cave was also occupied during the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
.
Roman rule
The city was founded by the
Romans in 25
BCE. Cáceres as a city was founded as ''Castra Caecilia'' by
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius and started to gain importance as a strategic city under Roman occupation. Remains found in the city suggest that it was a thriving center as early as 25 BCE. Some remains of the first city walls built by the Romans in the 3rd and 4th centuries still exist, including one gateway, the ''Arco de Cristo''.
During the 1st century BCE the Romans settled in camps (''Castra Cecilia'' and ''Castra Servilia'') permanently around the hill where the ''Norba Caesarina'' colony would be located next to the important communications route that would later be known as ''Vía de la Plata''.
The old municipality of Aldea Moret, 2 km to the southwest, is currently a neighborhood of the same name integrated into the city, around which two Roman archaeological sites can be seen: Cuarto Roble and El Junquillo. The signposted Vía de la Plata can be traveled south of the city. An excavated section in Valdesalor, where the road crosses the Salor River through a recently restored medieval bridge, occupies the place of an ancient Roman bridge, now lost.
After the fall of the
Western Roman Empire
In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire was the western provinces of the Roman Empire, collectively, during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a separate, independent imperial court. ...
, the city was occupied by the
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
, until the
Arab
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
s conquered Cáceres in the 8th century. The city spent the next few centuries mostly under Arab rule, although power alternated several times between Moors and Christians. During this time, the Arabs rebuilt the city, including a wall, palaces, and various towers, including the Torre de Bujaco. Cáceres was reconquered by the Christians in the 13th century (1229).
During this period the city had an important
Jew
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
ish quarter: in the 15th century when the total population was 2,000, nearly 140 Jewish families lived in Cáceres. The Jewish population was expelled by
Queen Isabel I (Isabella I) of Castile and
Fernando II (Ferdinand II) of Aragon in 1492, but many remains of the Jewish presence of the period can still be seen today in the Barrio San Antonio.
Middle Ages
Around the 5th century, the Visigoths devastated the Roman settlement, and until the 8th-9th century the city was not heard of again.
During the first centuries of the "
Reconquista
The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
" (Reconquest), it was the Muslims, from
North Africa
North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
, who took advantage of the strategic place on which the primitive Roman colony was based as a military base to confront the Christian kingdoms of the north. Thus, in the year 1147
Abd al-Mumin refounded the city on the Hispano-Roman and Visigoth remains. The current name of ''Vía de la Plata'' comes from Arabic, the name of the Roman road that linked
Astorga with
Mérida (from the Arabic "''balata''" (road), from which the word "silver" was derived).
The Christian Reconquest of Cáceres occurred in 1229, the result of a long process that from the second half of the 12th century to the beginning of the 13th century. During this period, which began in 1142 with the conquest of Coria, the
Tagus River marked an unstable border between Christians to the north and Muslims to the south. The
kingdom of Castile partly ignored the possibilities of conquering this area; attempts to incorporate Cáceres came from the
kingdom of Portugal and the
kingdom of León, which both wanted to expand their width in their southern expansions. The Portuguese
Geraldo Sempavor conquered Cáceres in the mid-12th century in a campaign that began in 1165 and reached the entire center of present-day Extremadura, but an alliance between
Ferdinand II of León and the
Almohads gave the Leonese control of the town in 1170.
The
Almohads carried out an expedition in 1174 in which they managed to regain control of Cáceres. Except for an attempted siege in 1183, the Leonese did not approach the Muslim town again until the 13th century. After the
battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, the conquest of Alcántara took place in 1213, after which the Christians besieged Cáceres in 1218, 1222, 1223 and 1225, producing the definitive Reconquest on 23 April 1229. Although the conquest was led by Alfonso IX of León, becoming part of the Kingdom of León, the death of Alfonso IX in 1230 led to Cáceres becoming part of the
Crown of Castile and León.
The privileges of the reconquered town were granted by Alfonso IX and configured Cáceres as a royal town directly dependent on the Leonese Crown with no local government other than its own council. Through this jurisdiction, the Crown reserved a notable portion of land between those of the Order of Santiago and those of the
Order of Alcántara.
Cáceres flourished during the
Reconquista
The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
and the
Discovery of the Americas, as influential Spanish families and nobles built homes and small palaces there, and many members of families from Extremadura participated in
voyages to the Americas where they made their fortunes.
In the 15th century, the city suffered from internal disputes among the nobility. The
Catholic Monarchs issued several ordinances and provisions to try to pacify the local nobles; The most notable was issued by Isabel I (Isabella I) in 1477, during her stay in the town on the occasion of the
War of the Castilian Succession, whereby it was established that the twelve aldermen of the council would become perpetual. The prohibition of stately properties in this jurisdiction prevented the formation of a strong nobility, leaving the town governed by a mesocracy of agricultural knights.
The Old Town (''Parte Antigua'') still has its ancient walls; this part of town is also well known for its multitude of
storks' nests. The walls contain a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
town setting with no outward signs of modernity, which is why many television shows and films have been shot there.
Cáceres was declared a
World Heritage City by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
in 1986
because of the city's blend of
Roman,
Moorish, Northern
Gothic and Italian
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...
. Thirty towers from the
Islamic period still stand in Cáceres, of which the Torre del Bujaco is the most famous.
Modern Age

During the War of the Communities of Castile, Caceres joined the rebel ranks. On 15 April 1522, the monarch granted amnesty to the city, with the exception of the most committed community members.
In 1653 the town of Cáceres, along with five other towns in the current autonomous community, acquired a joint vote in the
Cortes of Castile, giving rise to the purchase of the vote to the province of Extremadura, which in 1822 would be divided into those of Cáceres and Badajoz. Cáceres was represented in the Cortes of Madrid from 1660 to 1664 as part of said joint vote.
Until the 18th century, Cáceres was just another town among the many in Extremadura. In the
Cadastre of Ensenada, carried out in Cáceres in 1753, it is indicated that only 1,698 families lived in the town itself. However, during the second half of the 18th century, the town began to grow, motivated by the arrival of both temporary and permanent foreign settlers, whose presence gave rise to the formation of a local
bourgeoisie
The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted wi ...
that until then did not exist due to the rural nature of the population. Starting in the mid-18th century, ranchers from the center of the peninsula, many of them from the Sierra de Cameros, began to settle in Extremadura, fleeing the crisis suffered by
transhumance
Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or Nomad, nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and low ...
. Prominent textile merchants from Cameros and
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
also settled here.
Evolution from town to city

In 1790 a decisive event occurred in the history of Cáceres that made it evolve over time from a simple town to a city with regional importance:
Charles IV established there the headquarters of the Royal Court of Extremadura, the highest judicial body of the region. Numerous officials and professionals from very different places in Spain began to settle in the town, which increased the weight of the local bourgeoisie. At the beginning of the 19th century, merchant neighborhoods could already be distinguished in the Old Town extramuros (outside the walls), with their houses located in the Plaza Mayor and in several streets in its surroundings such as Barrionuevo, Empedrada, Parras, Pintores and Santo Domingo.
The judiciary was not the only public sector that provided urban character at that time: the defective division into provinces of the Crown of Castile caused many enlightened people to demand the division of Extremadura into two provinces, which benefited Cáceres by establishing itself as the provincial capital. In 1810, the French tried to create the prefecture of Cáceres during the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...
, with limits similar to those of the current province. Ten years later and during the
Liberal Triennium in 1822 the province of Cáceres was created with its capital in this town.
Civil war
In the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
, the military forces of Cáceres supported the
coup d'état of 1936. When the
rebel forces freed the
Falangist Luna, he mobilized about a thousand sympathizers in the city and began to issue orders to occupy the principal surrounding towns, as well as the capture of the main strategic points such as the border points with Portugal, ports, and bridges. The repression by the
Francoists began immediately, with the assassination of the director of Union and Labor, Pedro Montero Rubio, and the mayor of Cáceres Antonio Canales González, among others, a total of more than 600 people shot, about 220 during Christmas 1937. The constitutional governor and mayor were imprisoned and replaced by soldiers; the first, Ignacio Mateos Guija, was shot dead by Falangists and four relatives were thrown into the Tagus River, and the business run by his father was illegally confiscated.
The uprising in Cáceres facilitated
General Francisco Franco's advance along the roads of Mérida and
Badajoz. On 26 August 1936, General Franco arrived in Cáceres, where he established his headquarters before beginning the advance on Madrid. There he received his wife
Carmen and his
daughter, whom he had not seen since the day of the
military coup d'état. Between 8 and 10 October 1936, and on the occasion of Franco's request for military aid to
Hitler, The first
Panzer I model battle tanks arrived at the Arguijuelas de Abajo and Arriba castles, which had arrived in
Seville
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
by boat. For several months, a training academy for armored vehicle drivers was established in the castles, directed by the German colonel
Wilhelm von Thoma. Later the training academy was moved to Cubas de la Sagra, in the
province of Madrid and its military equipment took part in combat near the Madrid fronts. The Cáceres airfield also had important air movements, from which the aircraft that attacked the
Republican forces and the
Condor Legion departed.
One of the few reactions of the Republican forces was the bombing of the city on 23 July 1937. That day five
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
twin-engine
Tupolev aircraft under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Jaume Mata Romeu, of the Air Force of the Spanish Republic, which had taken off from the Los Llanos de Albacete airfield, dropped 18 bombs, which affected various buildings (such as the Mayorazgo Palace), the food market, Santa María, the back of the
Civil Guard barracks, the town hall, and Nido and Sancti Espíritu streets, causing 35 deaths and numerous injuries.
Historic quarter
The walls contain a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
town setting with no outward signs of modernity, which is why many television shows and films have been shot there, including scenes for
''Game of Thrones'' ' and the Spanish series ''Isabel''.

The "Monumental City of Cáceres" was declared by the Council of Europe as the Third Monumental Complex of Europe in 1968 (after Prague and Tallinn) and World Heritage by Unesco in 1986. Cáceres also has other awards: Pomme d'Or to "Tourism Merit", awarded by the International Federation of Tourism Journalists and Writers in 1996; Les Etoiles d'Or du Jumelage, awarded by the European Commission in 1999; The Archival prize awarded to him by the Association for the Recovery of Historical Centers in 2004 and the Citizens 2008 Award granted by the Association of Radio and Digital Television Entities, with the collaboration of the Citizen Audiovisual Council for the support that the citizenship provided to The candidacy for the European Capital of Culture of 2016. Cáceres is also a member of the Roads Networks of Sefarad, of the Vía de la Plata, being chosen by the Autonomous Community as Cultural Capital of Extremadura Enclave 92, and together with the solidarity effort of The administrations, private companies, official entities and private citizens, aspired between 2003 and 2010 to be European Capital of Culture in the year 2016.
Main sights
Cathedrals, churches, convents and monasteries
* Convento de San Pablo (15th century)
* Convento de Santa Clara
* Convento Jerónimas
* Convent de la Compañía de Jesus, in Baroque style, today used for art exhibitions
* Iglesia de Santa María, cathedral built in the 13th century, in
Gothic style
* Iglesia de San Mateo, a 15th-century church built on the site of a former mosque
* Iglesia de San Francisco Javier (18th century), in
Baroque style
* Iglesia de San Juan, large majestic church built between the 13th and 15th century
* Iglesia de Santo Domingo
* Monasterio de Santa María de Jesús
* Parroquia de San Blas
* Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Fátima
* Parroquia Sagrada Familia
* Parroquia de San José (Cáceres)
* Parroquia San Juan Macías
* Ermita (Hermitage) de las Candelas
* Ermita (Hermitage) del Calvario
* Ermita (Hermitage) de la Paz
* Ermita de San Antonio
* Ermita del Vaquero
* Ermita del Cristo del Amparo
* Ermita de San Marcos el Nuevo (San Marquino)
* Ermita de San Ildefonso
* Santuario de Nuestra Señora la Virgen de la Montaña
Palaces and Stately Houses
The following palaces and noble houses are located in the historic center:
* Palacio Episcopal Palace (Palacio Episcopal)
* Lower Golfines Palace (Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo) - Queen
Isabella I of Castile and King
Fernando I soujourned here.
* Carvajal Palace (Palacio Carvajal) (15th century) - Now seat of the Patronage Office for Tourism and Handicraft of the province.
* Palace of the Storks (Palacio de las Ciguenas)
* Veletas Palace (Palacio de las Veletas) is part of the Cáceres Museum complex.
* House of the Sun (Casa del Sol)
* Upper Golfines Palace (Placio de los Golfines de Arriba)
*
Toledo-Moctezuma Palace (Palacio de Toledo-Moctezuma) - The palace dates to the 15th century with changes in the 16th Century, after the marriage of Mariana de Carvajal y Toledo with Juan de Toledo Moctezuma, who was a descendant of Juan Cano de Saavedra and Isabel de Moctezuma, daughter of the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II Xocoyotzin.
* Palace of the Commander of Alcuéscar (Palacio del Comendador de Alcuéscar)
* Isla Palace (Palacio de la Isla)
* Francisco de Godoy Palace(Palacio de Francisco de Godoy)
* Generala Palace (Palacio de la Generala)
* House of Ovando (Casa de los Ovando)
* House of Becerra (Casa de los Becerra)
* House of Cáceres Ovando (Casa de los Cáceres Ovando)
* House of Sánchez Paredes (Casa de los Sánchez Paredes)
* House of Paredes Saavedra(Casa de los Paredes Saavedra)
* House of Lorenzo de Ulloa (Casa de Lorenzo de Ulloa)
* House of Saavedra (Casa de los Saavedra)
* House of Aldana (Casa de Aldana)
* House of Ovando Perero (Casa de los Ovando Perero)
* House of the Monkey(Casa del Mono)
* House of Moragas (Casa de Moragas)
* House of Ribera (Casa de los Ribera)
* House of Caballos (Casa de los Caballos)
* House of Pereros (Casa de los Pereros)
* Palace-Fortress of Torreorgaz (Palacio-Fortaleza de los Torreorgaz) - today a Parador hotel.
Wall

* Torre de Bujaco (12th century)
* Arco de la Estrella (18th century)
* Torre de Sande (14th-15th centuries)
Museums
* Cáceres Museum - ALJIBE - housed in La Casa de las Veletas y la Casa de los Caballos in the historical quarter.
* La Casa-Museo Árabe, between the Plaza San Jorge and the Arco del Cristo. Arab culture, art and remains.
* Museo Concatedral de Cáceres, in the Plaza Santa Maria. Religious art.
* Museo Piedrilla - Guayasamín
Castles
Several castles are located in the municipality of Cáceres:

* Arguijuelas de Abajo Castle, located south of the city on N-630, was built in the 15th and 16th Centuries and is privately owned. It is used for hospitality activities;
* Arguijuelas de Arriba Castle, located next to Arguijuelas de Abajo on the same road, s from the 15th century and is also privately owned;
* Salor Castle, on N-630 next to Valdesalor;
* Fortress of Santiago de Bencáliz or Santiago de Vencáliz, on N-630 next to the town of
Casas de Don Antonio
Casas de Don Antonio is a municipality in the province of Cáceres and autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Af ...
, dates from the 15th Century and is privately owned. The property on which it is located is used as the headquarters of the Casas de Don Antonio pilgrimage;
[Holiday Calendar](_blank)
''Town Hall of Casas de Don Antonio''
* Carretona Fortress, on the Carretona estate in EX-100, was built in 1469 and is currently used as a farm.
* Las Seguras Castle Palace, in EX-100 near the Salor River, is a privately owned 14th Century palace.
* Mogollones Castle, in front of the Las Seguras castle, was built in the 14th Century and was destroyed in the 17th Century. It is currently a ruin.
* Mayoralguillo Tower, next to the Las Seguras castle, was built in the 13th Century.
* Castillo de Castellanos, near the provincial border with
Cordobilla de Lácara, was built around 1477 as part of the manor of Fernán Gutiérrez de Valverde, and is currently in a state of progressive ruin. Although it is private property, it is not used in any way and access is free.
Tourism
The city has more than 3,500 hotel beds and, with 660 668 visitors registered by the municipal tourist centers during 2009, it became the first tourist center in the region in number of visitors. In 1996 Cáceres received the ''Pomme d'Or'' tourism award.
Nature reserves and rural tourism
*
Monfragüe National Park: It encompasses or 17,852 hectares. The park contains one of the largest areas of Mediterranean forest and scrub in Spain with over 1,400 different species of trees. A favorite with birdwatchers, the park has the world's largest colony of Black Vulture and Spanish Imperial Eagle.
*
Los Barruecos Natural Monument, away from the city, in the locality of
Malpartida de Cáceres. It has massive granite boulders with the only colony of White Stork nesting on them. There is also a medieval reservoir and a mill for wool washing. The building complex has been restores and houses a surprising collection of art by German artist Wolf Vostell, who was an important member of the
fluxus
Fluxus was an international, interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers, and poets during the 1960s and 1970s who engaged in experimental performance art, art performances which emphasized the artistic process over the finishe ...
movement. Spring brings an explosion of colour with the blossom of Spanish White Broom all pervasive in the area.
*The Cáceres and Trujillo Plains are protected under the ZEPA (Spanish for
Special Protection Area for birds or SPA) protection figure.
Festivals

* The Festival of the Martyrs (''La Fiesta de los mártires'') is held is held the Sunday closest to 20 January in the hermitage of the Martyrs.
* ''Carnival'', The Festival of the Candles (''La Fiesta de las Candelas'') and ''Fiesta de San Blas'' are held are held from 1 to 3 February.
* The Easter Festival (''
Semana Santa'') is held during the week before Easter Sunday. Processions wind through the narrow streets in the historical center.
* The ''San Jorge'' Festival, held on 22–23 April, involves a dragon being burnt in a
bonfire
A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used for waste disposal or as part of a religious feast, such as Saint John's Eve.
Etymology
The earliest attestations date to the late 15th century, with the Catholicon Anglicum spelling i ...
in the town square (''La Plaza Mayor''), accompanied by a
fireworks
Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...
display.
* May Fair, founded by Alfonso IX of León, is celebrated between 28 and 30 May.
Music festivals
Cáceres hosts several music festivals at different times of the year. The most crowded are the
WOMAD, a
world music
"World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...
festival held in the month of May, and the
SonoraCC, dedicated to
pop,
rock and
indie national.
* World of Music, Arts and Dance (
WOMAD) music festival is held at the beginning of May. WOMAD is organized by the global organization WOMAD and created by
Peter Gabriel in 1982. The one held in Cáceres is the first of the two, in Cáceres and
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
, held during the year in Spain. The Caceres WOMAD is unique among the 9 held around the world for taking place in the interior of a monumental city;

* Cáceres Pop-Art, in September: festival that brings together different artistic manifestations referring to pop culture, such as music, art, photography, cinema, literature, comics or fashion. Exhibitions are organized, film series take place in the city at the
Filmoteca de Extremadura and a series of free concerts, giving priority to emerging groups and artists who stand out in national and international independent music. It culminates with the presentation of the Pop Eye awards to musicians and creators linked to non-commercial circuits;
* Aldea de la Amex, in September, is a festival organized by the Association of Musicians of Extremadura and held in the neighborhood of
Aldea Moret dedicated to the integration of gypsy culture through music and art;
* Cáceres Irish Fleadh, cultural event that occurs between October and November, is a festival of traditional Irish and Celtic music in general, with performances in pubs and theaters in the city. The idea comes from
Fleadh Cheoil which is an Irish music event that happens every August in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
.
* Festival del Oeste, in the first week of July, with national and international hard rock, heavy metal and punk-rock groups;
* Ciudad de Cáceres International Black Music Festival, in July, is a festival that unites different styles such as
soul,
funky,
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
, disco and others;
* Ibero-American Early Music Festival, in September, with concerts and ancient music courses held in different locations and temples in the monumental city;
* International Folk Festival of the Peoples of the World, in July: with performances, parades and workshops;
* Musical autumn.
Film and theater festivals
* The Cáceres Classical Theater Festival, the most important theater festival in the city, is held in June, opening the season of classical theater festivals in Spain.
Several film festivals are held in Cáceres throughout the year, concentrated in the months of March and November.
* In March the Solidarity Festival of Spanish Cinema of Cáceres and the Envideo Cáceres Festival are held.
* In November the Extremadura Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (Cáceres is one of its venues along with
Mérida and
Badajoz) and the EXTREMA´doc International Documentary Film Festival and Development Cooperation.
* In August, a Summer Film Series is held at the Foro de los Balbos, organized by the Filmoteca de Extremadura. The sessions are held on
weekends, and between four and six films are screened each year. Attendance is free until capacity is reached.
Painting exhibitions
* South Forum. Contemporary Ibero-American Art Fair, in April: is held at the San Jorge exhibition center, in the heart of the Monumental City of Cáceres, although it also has artistic manifestations in the rest of the city. It tries to spread knowledge of contemporary art, promote the art market and promote collecting. Currently, it is classified as the second most important contemporary art fair in Spain after
ARCO.
Historical reenactments
* Medieval Market, in November: it is interesting to visit this market that is located inside the walls, considered the second most important in Spain, where you can buy curious, classic or artisanal objects, typical products and local foods, with a historical setting for the entire Monumental City. It consists of the celebration of the cultures that coexisted in Cáceres.
Climate
The city of Cáceres is located in the
province of Cáceres
The province of Cáceres (; ; ; ) is a province of western Spain, and makes up the northern half of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Its capital is the city of Cáceres. Other cities in the province include Plasencia, Coria, Navalm ...
, in the
Extremadura region of western central Spain. The city has a
Hot-summer Mediterranean climate (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Csa'') which is tempered by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. In winter the average temperature does not exceed maximum, reaching minimum, with some frost. In summer the average maximum temperature is and the average minimum is . Rainfall is abundant in the months of October, November, March, April and May, but very intermittent.
Education
The
University of Extremadura (founded in 1973) has a campus in Cáceres.
Transport
The city is served by the
Cáceres railway station, which serves around 100,000 passengers annually. Also, across the street is the bus terminal, with multiple buses daily to other cities.
Cáceres is situated close to the
Autovía A-66 from
Seville
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
to
Gijón.
Neighbourhoods
* Centre: 26,914 inhabitants.
* West (new): 15,726 inhabitants.
* South: 14,738 inhabitants.
* Mejostilla: 11,484 people.
* Aldea Moret: 6,756 inhabitants
* Old Town, 5,799 inhabitants.
* West: 4,591 inhabitants.
* North: 4,656 inhabitants.
* East: 2,646 inhabitants.
* Pedanías (Rincón de Ballesteros, Valdesalor, and Arroyo-Malpartida Station): 749 inhabitants.
* rest: 295 inhabitants.
Cuisine

The small streets in the historical centre have many small shops selling typical products. The convents sell homemade sweets and pastries. Typical wines from Extremadura are affordable, full-bodied reds. Local liqueurs include cherry liqueur from the nearby Jerte valley, or other original liqueurs such as chestnut and blackberry. Other produce in the Province include sheep's cheese (Torta del Casar, is not made of goat's milk, but with milk from merino sheep), fig cake, chestnuts, hams and other pork products, lamb, olive oil, and paprika (pimentón de la Vera).
Salt-cured ham and red wine are produced locally and are officially recognized by the Spanish government. Both goat's and sheep's cheese are produced by traditional methods and renowned throughout the country. Cáceres is also famous for its stews, roast meats (especially pork, lamb and game), fried breadcrumbs (migas), trout, pastries and honey.
Sports
Among others notable sport teams, Cáceres is home to
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
team
CP Cacereño who currently play in the
Tercera División and the professional basketball teams
Cáceres Basket, who play the
Liga LEB Oro, and Club Baloncesto Al-Qazeres, who play the
Liga Femenina. And Rugby Union Extremadura CAR Cáceres playing DHB, 2nd National división.
Sister towns
*
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela, simply Santiago, or Compostela, in the province of Province of A Coruña, A Coruña, is the capital of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city ...
, Spain (since 1973)
*
La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon () is a Communes of France, commune in the Vendée Departments of France, department in the Pays de la Loire Regions of France, region in western France. It is the capital of the department. The demonym for its inhabitants is '' ...
, France (since 1982)
*
Castelo Branco, Portugal
*
Portalegre, Portugal (since 2006)
*
Piano di Sorrento, Italy (since 2008)
*
Netanya, Israel (since 2010)
*
Lumbini, Nepal (since 2021)
Notable people
*
José de Carvajal y Lancáster (1698–1754), statesman
*
Juan Donoso Cortés, marquis of Valdegamas (1809–1853), diplomat and theologian
*
Belén Fernández Casero (born 1974), politician
*
Carlos Floriano Corrales (born 1967), politician
*
Alberto Ginés López (born 2002), professional rock climber
*
María Guardiola (born 1978), politician
*
Marta Lozano Molano (born 1985), composer and music scholar
*
Elena Nevado (born 1967), politician
*
Cayetano Polo (born 1973), politician
*
María Telo (1915–2014), jurist and feminist
*
Gaspar de Zúñiga y Avellaneda (1507–1571), Roman Catholic cardinal and bishop
*
Joaquín Encabo (1740-1818)
Roman Catholic Bishop Agustino Recoleto of Cebu Philippines
See also
*
List of municipalities in Cáceres
This is a list of the municipalities in the provinces of Spain, province of Caceres (province), Cáceres in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. There are 223 municipalities. List
See also
*Geography of Spain
*List of Spanish citie ...
References
External links
Cáceres City Council website
(No longer working)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caceres, Spain
Municipalities in the Province of Cáceres
World Heritage Sites in Spain
Populated places established in the 1st century BC