Cáceres, Historic municipality in Extremadura, Spain
Cáceres is a municipality in Cáceres Province within Extremadura, featuring a walled old town filled with stone towers and noble palaces. The alleys are narrow and cobbled, and the buildings in yellowish sandstone rise three or four storeys high.
The settlement began in 25 BC under Roman rule as a military camp and later became a Muslim stronghold before Christians seized it in 1229. In the following centuries, nobles built the towers and palaces seen today after finishing wars and expeditions on the Iberian Peninsula.
The old quarter carries the name Cáceres, derived from Roman Castra Caecilia, and displays coat-of-arms on façades and wrought-iron balconies today. Many of these houses once belonged to families who fought in wars against the Moors and later received titles and wealth.
The old quarter can be fully explored on foot, and most routes start at Plaza Mayor, from which you walk through the cobbled streets. On hot summer days the narrow alleys offer shade, and you can take breaks in small courtyards or under archways.
The old quarter contains more than 30 defensive towers dating from different periods, often resting on older Roman or Arab foundations. The Torre de Bujaco at the entrance to the historic center once served as a watchtower and now offers views over rooftops and squares around it.
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