Zafra, Administrative municipality in Badajoz Province, Spain
Zafra is an administrative municipality in Badajoz Province in Extremadura that serves as the capital of the Zafra-Río Bodión comarca. The municipal area includes several smaller settlements and sits in a plain surrounded by low hills.
Roman settlers built several country estates in the area during the first century before Christ, which were known under changing names. Centuries later the Moors founded a new settlement before Christian forces took control in the Middle Ages.
The name Zafra comes from the Arabic word for feast and points to the time when the Moors moved through this area. Many narrow lanes lead to small squares where neighbors meet and spend the day together, while cafés and bakeries fill the neighborhoods with life.
Main roads connect the municipal area with other towns in Extremadura, and the Portuguese border lies less than an hour's drive away. Walkers can explore the surroundings on different farm tracks that run through fields and olive groves.
A 16th-century chess master who wrote one of the first books on chess in Europe was born here. His work influenced players across Europe and helped shape modern chess.
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