An ancient town almost abandoned by the railway

Traveling westward in Spain ~ Cáceres (region) Placencia is located on the Jerte River in Cáceres, in the province of Extremadura, and has a historic neighborhood that is the result of the city's strategic location along the Silver Route or Via de la Plata . The town was inhabited by Romans and Arabs until King Alfonso VIII reconquered it in the 12th century. Since the 15th century, nobles from the area began to migrate to Placencia, forming its current appearance. Palaces, ancestral houses and important religious buildings make up the unique Old Town. The Parador de Turismo (hotel) in Placencia is housed in an ancient monastery and allows visitors to enjoy the best cuisine of Cáceres in the most spectacular surroundings. The medieval layout of the city can be seen in the remains of the city walls, with some great towers and gates, such as Porta Sol and Porta Santa Maria. There is a main square in the center of Placencia, the Plaza Mayor, which is the gathering place for the celebration of the tourist destination "Mayor Martes" (Shrove Tuesday). The town hall is also located in this square. One of the most representative collections of monuments in the city is the Old and New Cathedral. Although the old cathedral was built in the 13th century, it still follows a Romanesque floor plan. Since Extremadura was the border between Christian and Muslim kingdoms, almost all European artistic styles arrived after considerable delays. Therefore, although the Romanesque style arrived in the northern part of the peninsula in the 10th-11th centuries, it was not implemented in the region until the 13th century. The main facade of the Old Cathedral, the San Pablo Chapel and the Statue of Our Lady of Forgiveness all show the transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles. The new cathedral has many Gothic and Renaissance elements, such as the choir, vaults and slab facade. The Cathedral Museum exhibits the sixteenth-century Gothic panel "Bodas de Caná" (The Wedding of Caná). The Spanish Baroque masters Gregorio Fernandez and the Churiguera brothers also left important artistic marks in the repainting of the cathedral. #2024Travel Review