Guadalupe is a
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' ...
of
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
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 ...
,
Extremadura
Extremadura ( ; ; ; ; Fala language, Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is a landlocked autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, Spain, Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central- ...
.
It has a total area of 68.19 km
2 and, as of 1 January 2021, a registered population of 1,822.
The
monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe is situated here.
Geography
The
Guadalupe River has its origins near the town in the
Sierra de las Villuercas. Its highest point, the
Pico la Villuerca reaches an altitude of 1603 m.
History
According to tradition, a shepherd discovered a carved statue of the Virgin Mary in the
Guadalupe River in the late 13th or early 14th century. A hermitage was built near the site where the image was found, around which the current settlement, named Puebla de Santa María de Guadalupe, developed. Since the construction of the first sanctuary, Guadalupe has become the second most important pilgrimage site on the Iberian Peninsula after
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 ...
—a status it maintains today through pilgrimages arriving from across Spain via the Paths of Guadalupe. This prominence stems from the Virgin of Guadalupe’s role as the patron saint of all Spanish-speaking lands and her title as Queen of the Spains in Catholic tradition, while Santiago (St. James) remains the patron saint of Spain itself. The
Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe is regarded as one of Extremadura’s most iconic landmarks, and the Virgin of Guadalupe is also the region’s patron saint. The town boasts numerous historical monuments alongside the monastery.
Guadalupe has been listed among The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain (Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España) since 2018 and has been a member of the association since then.
On 14 December 2017, Guadalupe was awarded the title of First Rural Wonder of 2017. This recognition was followed by its victory in the
Ferrero Rocher "Showcase Your Village" (Luce tu Pueblo) contest to select Spain’s Most Beautiful and "Good" Village, officially granted on 16 December 2017.
Additionally, Guadalupe hosted the national broadcast of the 2019 New Year’s Eve bell-ringing ceremony. The town was also honored with the Ferrero Rocher prize, and its residents received samples of Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
See also
*
Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe
*
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
Municipalities in the Province of Cáceres
Our Lady of Guadalupe
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