A surprising concentration of historical landmarks in a small city area
Exploring the Central Spanish Plateau ~ Cuenca (Region)
Huete, located in Cuenca (Alcarria region), is a charming small town where you can visit monasteries, convents, towers, remnants of city walls, palaces, churches, and six museums, as well as a precious Roman mine just a few kilometers away.
One of the highlights is the ancient La Merced Monastery, built between the 17th and 18th centuries. Once a very significant monastery, it now serves both religious (as the Church of San Esteban, the town's main church) and public purposes: housing the town hall, library, tourist office, and three museums, such as the Museum of Sacred Art, the Florencio de la Fuente Contemporary Art Museum, and the Ethnographic Museum. For instance, the Antonio Pérez Foundation Photography Museum is located in the old Renaissance-era Convent of Jesus and Mary (16th century); the San Juan Evangelista Visitor Center; and the Forge Museum, situated in a former metal-forging house. Other notable landmarks include the Baroque-style Church of San Nicolás el Real de Medina (early 18th century); the bell tower; or the Gothic apse of the old Church of Santa María de Atienza, which is open to visitors for concerts or astronomical observations. Less than 10 kilometers from the town center, you can explore the Sanabrio Cave or the Roman mines of Lapis Specularis, where gypsum used for making window glass was extracted.