A city where Gothic-Mudejar and Baroque styles overlap

Llerena Llerena is located in the Badajoz region of Campiña do Sul and has a rich monumental heritage that is a legacy of its glorious past. Home to the Order of Santiago (Knights of St. James) and the Grand Master of the Inquisition, this historic district is home to many monasteries, churches and palaces, with overlapping Gothic-Mudejar and Baroque styles. This whitewashed village, close to Seville and the province of Córdoba, will offer us exquisite cuisine, including many lamb dishes, from livestock raised on the ranches of Extremadura. By tasting its delicacies, visitors will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the traditions and customs of a land that was the birthplace of many discoverers and conquerors The wealthy town of Badajoz was already widely known as Ellerina during the Muslim period, but it was not until it was incorporated into the Christian kingdom that it enjoyed a cultural boom. These lands were reconquered in the 13th century and had to be repopulated and cultivated, so the Grand Master of the Order of the Swords of St. James settled there. Years later, the High Inquisition also settled in Lereina and contributed to the development of the city. The new building was influenced by Mudejar architecture, as Islamic culture was part of life in Lower Extremadura between the 8th and 13th centuries. The buildings built between the 13th and 16th centuries thus perfectly combine the Mudejar elements inherited by Muslim craftsmen with Gothic elements. It is worth mentioning that Gothic art arrived in Extremadura centuries later than in other parts of the peninsula. The roof is made of timber and exposed masonry, often secured with pointed arches, pointed vaults and ashlar. With the arrival of great wealth from the Americas, and encouraged by military orders, Baroque art enriched religious, civil, and military architecture. The birthplace of countless discoverers and conquistadors, Extremadura is one of the Spanish regions that benefited most from the colonization of the New World. #2024TravelReview #SpainTravel #Extremadura