General information
The capital of the province of Cáceres. The city has the same name and has over 90,000 inhabitants. The origins of the city’s name are still a topic of discussion between two sides. One side believes it comes from the name of the roman colonies Norba Caesarina and Castra Caecilia. The other side thinks that it has an Arab origin; they named the city Al-Qazires or Al-Qazeres.
The city is also known as the city with a 1001 weapon shields, thanks to the enormous amount of family weapons that you find on many buildings in the centre.
It is the primary tourist centre for Extremadura, making tourism the primary source of income for Cáceres. As it is the biggest city of the region it also is the commercial and administrative centre of the province, and the services sector has developed especially well.
History
Like in Badajoz prehistoric remains were found in Cáceres. In various caves images of human handprints were found that date back to the Palaeolithic Age. During the 1st century a.C. the Romans established two encampments near the colony of Norba Caesarina and near the route of communication that we nowadays know as the Ruta de la Plata. The Visigoths arrived after the fall of the Roman Empire and destroyed the city in the 5th century a.C and for over 4 centuries nothing was heard of the city. There are no documents of that time and in history books there is also no mention of the city.
The Arabs reconstructed the city because of its strategic location near to the frontlines of the war against the Christians. During the 12th century the Arabs built a defensive wall, causing the city to fall only after a long assault on 23 April 1229 when King Alfonso IX of León rode victoriously into the city. The city received many funds coming from the Americas with which many churches, palaces and other monuments were built.
After the reconquest the city knew peace and could grow further. Because it didn’t suffer more attacks and sieges it is now one of the best preserved monumental cities of the world. Besides being a monumental city, the Cáceres of today is also a modern city that has everything available that you need. But it are the monuments that you encounter everywhere in the city that are the primary tourist attractions for which you have to visit Cáceres.
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