Starting from the main door of the City Hall, where our visit to the Monumental City will begin, we will access the staircase of the Ermita de la Paz, which will quickly lead us to one of the main entrance doors to the Monumental City, the Arco de la Estrella, whose remodeling took place in the 18th century by Manuel de Larra y Churriguera. As a curious historical fact we can add that it is situated as the most important gate, since it was the place chosen by Queen Isabel "la Católica" to swear the Fueros and Privileges of the Villa in 1477 ,. Then we will visit the Torre de Bujaco, an Arab tower from the 12th century, we will walk through a section of wall open to the public up to the Tower of the Pulpits, we will delve into the history of Cáceres by the hand of its Interpretation Center, inside from the same Tower, and finally we will go up to the viewpoint, about 25 meters above the Plaza Mayor.
From here we will go to the Plaza de Santa María, where we can see the Cathedral Church of Santa María in the transitional Romanesque to Gothic style and enter it, to see its large altarpiece in unpolychrome cedar wood, the work of Guillén Ferrant and Roque Balduque ; and the famous "Black Christ". In the same Plaza we will visit the Palace and Tower of Carvajal that currently houses the Cáceres Provincial Council's Tourism Service.In this same Palace we can enjoy contemplating the cloister and also visit its wonderful Renaissance garden that has some typical tree species of this area , highlighting a fig tree of millenary origin. As we leave we will find around us: the Episcopal Palace, the oldest part of which dates from the 13th century and the most modern from the 18th century; the Mayorazgo Palace, with a Gothic facade with Renaissance elements; the House of Hernando de Ovando, where the coats of arms of two of the most important families in the city are united by marriage: the Ovando and the Ulloa family; the Palace of the Provincial Council and the Palace of the Golfines de Abajo, one of the most emblematic buildings and where we will know some anecdotes about its owners, the nobles who inhabited it.
Between the Plaza de Santa María and the Plaza de San Mateo, is located the Plaza de San Jorge, dedicated to the patron saint of the city, where the Baroque-style Church of San Francisco Javier is located. Forming an angle with the temple, rises the Convent of the Jesuits, whose facade is similar to that of the Church and the latter being topped with the marble shield of Carlos III. These two buildings attract the attention of the Monumental City because they are whitewashed. This square serves as the setting for the Womad festival held in May.
From the Plaza de San Jorge we will go up the slope of the company to the Center for the Disclosure of Holy Week in Cacereña declared of International Tourist Interest Located in the Crypt of the Church of San Francisco Javier (popularly known as the Precious Blood). know the peculiarities of this festivity, with a unique vision that combines the most rigorous information with the emotional, the sensorial and the experimental. It contains information about the Brotherhoods, the Steps and the Processions; We will be able to hear how highlights of the processions sound. From the center we can also access the Aljibe del Convento de los Jesuitas.
Leaving the center, we will access the upper part of the city by taking the steps of the Cuesta de la Compañía that will lead us directly to the Plaza de San Mateo, where the Church that bears the same name is located. In this same square and making an angle with the square of San Pablo we find the Convent of the same name where, through the classic lathe, we can buy the magnificent and tasty sweets prepared by the nuns. Just opposite, we find the Palace of the Storks, which is the only one in the Monumental City that preserves its tower intact, without suffering the topping ordered by the Catholic Queen.
Immediately afterwards we will move towards the Museum of Cáceres, on the site that was originally Alcázar Almohad and later, in 1600, Don Lorenzo de Ulloa y Torres ordered it to be remodeled and fitted out as a palace. Inside the Museum we find archaeological remains from the Upper Paleolithic to Visigothic times, in the upper part of the Palace we have an ethnographic sample, and in the lower part it houses a magnificent Arab cistern, one of the great treasures of the city. From this Museum we will go to the Casa de los Caballos, a solid construction from the 16th century that was stables and later a home. It is attached to the previous building by the garden and was opened to the public, once it was rehabilitated as a museum space, in 1992. Currently it is the Fine Arts Section of the Museum of Cáceres, with paintings and sculptures of great interest among which we can highlight a “ Jesus Salvador ”by El Greco.Our visit will continue along Calle Ancha, leaving aside the Palacio del Comendador de Alcuéscar, current Parador de Turismo de Cáceres. This street will lead us to the Puerta de Mérida, a place through which we can access the extra-wall part, although we will continue our tour by turning left to locate ourselves in the Plaza de Pereros, which will give us entrance to the Barrio de San Antonio, place where we locate the Old Jewish Quarter of Cáceres. It is an area of slopes and steep streets, with small houses that have small openings and lintel doors attached to the wall. The entire Jewish Quarter revolves around the Hermitage of San Antonio, built on the old synagogue. You can access the Baluarte de los Pozos that includes a typical house, a garden-viewpoint and the Torre de los Pozos, a magnificent example of Almohad fortification, from it you can see the most beautiful spaces of the city, such as the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Mountain, the Mountain, the Ribera del Marco, Concejo Fountain, San Marquino ... At this moment our visit to the intramural area will be over, so we will rest for lunch and continue with the visit outside the city walls after lunch.
We will start the second part of the tour in the Plaza Mayor, from where we will go towards Camberos street, which will lead us directly to the Church of Santiago, in Romanesque and Gothic style, highlighting in its interior a wonderful altarpiece of Berruguete. Next to this church we find the Palace of Godoy, in Renaissance style and in which its corner balcony is worth noting. It was ordered to be built by Francisco de Godoy upon his return from America.
From here we will go to the Town Hall, where we can visit the Foro de los Balbos, center of numerous exhibitions among which the International Contemporary Art Fair "Cáceres Abierto" stands out, and the Municipal Museum "Ciudad de Cáceres" that tells the history of the city through objects, among which we point out the Office that King Alfonso XIII used in Cáceres, the room dedicated to the Cáceres Fairs, with posters from the early 20th century and the classic "giants and big heads" and endless curiosities relating to the city.
After visiting this Exhibition Hall we will go to the Palace of the Island, Municipal Historical Archive, where you can see itinerant exhibitions. From this Palace we can highlight that it is the place where the Judería Nueva de Cáceres synagogue was located. Then you can go to the Sanctuary of the Mountain, located in the Sierra de la Mosca, approximately 3 kilometers from Cáceres. Inside the Sanctuary we can appreciate the image of the Virgin of the Mountain, Patron Saint of Cáceres and a beautiful Churrigueresque altarpiece. Outside there is an impressive view of the entire city. .
To finish our route we will go to the “Cáceres el Viejo” Interpretation Center, located approximately 2.5 kilometers from the city, taking the Monroy road. In this center we can learn about the life of the Romans who settled in the old "Castra Caecilia" and see some tools, clothes, beds ... as well as know the impressions of a Roman destined in our city through a letter that he writes to his brother.
