Plaza de Santa María
As you climb Calle Arco de la Estrella, the first old town square you’ll reach—and one of the most picturesque—is Plaza de Santa María. Framed by the honeyed façades of noble palaces, it is dominated by the Concatedral de Santa María, the city’s cathedral—a Gothic hulk to which Renaissance embellishments were added when Cáceres became rich (see above). Inside, it contains the tombs of conquistadors and nobles, and a magnificent, gilded cedar altarpiece. Climb the belltower for views over the old town. Opposite the cathedral stands the Palacio Episcopal, the bishop’s palace. Above its Renaissance doorway you’ll see carved medallions with the heads of an Aztec and a Filipino, representing Spain’s global empire. Felipe II, after whom the Philippines are named, stayed here in 1583 on his way back from being crowned king of Portugal. On the corner of the square is a bronze statue of San Pedro de Alcantara. Pilgrims passing through Cáceres consider it good luck to touch his feet, which gleam in the sun.
As you climb Calle Arco de la Estrella, the first old town square you’ll reach—and one of the most picturesque—is Plaza de Santa María. Framed by the honeyed façades of noble palaces, it is dominated by the Concatedral de Santa María, the city’s cathedral—a Gothic hulk to which Renaissance embellishments were added when Cáceres became rich (see above). Inside, it contains the tombs of conquistadors and nobles, and a magnificent, gilded cedar altarpiece. Climb the belltower for views over the old town. Opposite the cathedral stands the Palacio Episcopal, the bishop’s palace. Above its Renaissance doorway you’ll see carved medallions with the heads of an Aztec and a Filipino, representing Spain’s global empire. Felipe II, after whom the Philippines are named, stayed here in 1583 on his way back from being crowned king of Portugal. On the corner of the square is a bronze statue of San Pedro de Alcantara. Pilgrims passing through Cáceres consider it good luck to touch his feet, which gleam in the sun.
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