Discover the rich history of Badajoz from 875, the year the city was founded, to the present day through different tourist sites. Not only does Badajoz host festivals, fairs and festivals that are renowned throughout the country, it is also home to a rich supply of hotels, which usually reach 100% occupancy on dates such as Easter or Carnival.
Badajoz also has a considerable historical and cultural heritage, as showcased by the old town, which holds a great number of historical and archaeological sites and monuments. Puerta de Palmas, the Espantaperros tower or the Alcazaba (the largest Moorish fortification of this kind in Europe) are three of its most recognizable and unique landmarks that, together with the rich heritage of its squares and churches, make the city a great place to visit.
Numerous cultural events are held in the city throughout the year, bringing a large influx of people. Among these are the Al Mossassa festivities or La Noche en Blanco (“The Sleepless Night”) event, without forgetting the city’s main festivals, Carnival, Easter and the San Juan Fair. Its ambitious cultural calendar has made the city the cultural capital of the Iberian Southwest.
Other important events held in the city are its festivals, among which are the Flamenco and Fado Festival of Badajoz, the International Folklore Festival, the International Jazz Festival or the Theatre Festival.
Churches
ROYAL MONASTERY OF SANTA ANA The Royal Monastery of Santa Ana was founded in 1518 by Leonor Laso de la Vega y Figueroa, a member of the noble Badajoz family of Figueroa, Dukes of Feria, with notable figures such as Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa, ambassador of the Catholic Monarchs in Italy, whose sepulchral slab is preserved in the cathedral cloister.
CHURCH OF SANTO DOMINGO The church belongs to the former Convent of Santo Domingo founded in 1556. This religious center was inhabited by Dominican friars from its foundation until the disappropriation and expulsion of the monks in 1822. Since 1927 until today, it has been managed by the Vincentian Fathers.
CHURCH OF SAN JUAN BAUTISTA The church currently houses the Tabernacle of the Cathedral, sharing the same name, and although it may seem like a recent construction due to the renovations it has undergone, it is indeed a truly historic building.
CHURCH OF SAN ANDRÉS The Church of San Andrés already appeared in the first parish division carried out in Badajoz in 1274, after the Christian reconquest by Alfonso IX of León. Subsequently demolished, the current church belonged to the old convent Madre de Dios de Valverde from the 16th century and is the result of significant renovations carried out in the 19th century.
CHURCH OF SAN AGUSTÍN The façade features a white marble portal built in the 17th century in a classicist style. It has fluted columns on a podium and is topped by a statue of Saint Augustine, with the city of Badajoz’s coat of arms and that of the Augustinian Bishop Fray Agustín Antolinez visible on the upper part of the façade.
CHURCH OF LA CONCEPCIÓN The original Church of la Concepción dated from the 16th century and, along with the hospital of the same name, was located on the site now occupied by the neighboring Convent of Los Remedios. The current design of the Church of la Concepción dates from 1768 and is attributed to one of the best Spanish architects of the 18th century, Ventura Rodríguez, who also collaborated on the Royal Palace of Madrid; this explains the beauty of this magnificent building that marks a true milestone in its style in the extreme monumental heritage.
CHAPEL OF SOLITUDE The original Chapel of Solitude was built in 1664 at the instigation of D. Francisco de Tutaville and de Tufo, Duke of San Germán and Captain General of Extremadura. The temple was built to house the wonderful image of Our Lady of Solitude, which the duke himself had commissioned in 1660 from a sculptor in Naples.
CONVENT OF SAN JOSÉ (ADORATRICES) It stands in Plaza de San José, located next to the Arab Alcazaba. On this site, the old Hermitage of San José was built, which gave its name to the place. The great importance of this saint in Badajoz is determined by the fact that he was for centuries the city’s “Patron,” with his feast day celebrating the conquest of Badajoz by Alfonso IX of León on March 19, 1230.
CONVENT OF THE DISCALCED Popularly known as “The Discalced,” it was founded by the Badajoz bishop of the Mercedarian order, Fray Simón de Sousa, in 1317. The construction of the new convent was only completed in 1700, thanks to the support of the distinguished prelate Marín de Rodezno.
CONVENT OF THE CARMELITES It is known that there was already a beaterio on this site in the 17th century, called “Our Lady of the Angels” or “Saint Anthony,” whose images were venerated by the local population in a small chapel.
CATHEDRAL OF SAN JUAN The cathedral, commissioned by Alfonso X the Wise in the 13th century, has been declared a Historical Artistic Monument since 1931. Its exterior fortress-like appearance, possibly due to the continuous wars that plagued the city, contrasts with the treasures it houses inside. The construction is of plastered masonry with reinforcing blocks at the base of the walls, corners, and important elements. On the exterior, a good number of bishops’ coats of arms are distributed, along with the diocesan coat of arms and those of some noble Badajoz families.
Bastioned Wall
THE ALCAZABA The Alcazaba of Badajoz was built in adobe in 875 by Abd-al-Ramman Ibn Marwan “El Yilliqui,” forming the first known city of Badajoz under the name of Batalyaws, Batalyos, or Bataliús; almost the entire current fortress belongs to the reform carried out by the Almohads in the 12th century. The area of the enclosure is 80,000 square meters, with a maximum height of 208 meters above sea level and 43 above the river. It has an oval shape and measures 400 meters from North to South and 200 from East to West.
PILAR GATE The Pilar Gate is one of the entrances to the bastioned fortification of the city and was built at the end of the 17th century in front of the Pardaleras fort, near another previous gate called Jerez or Santa Marina; construction was completed in 1692. It gets its name from a small image of this devotion that its benefactor, the Captain General of Extremadura, Count of Montijo, had placed in a small niche.
PALMAS GATE It is one of the most emblematic monuments of Badajoz. It is an entrance to the city made in its walled enclosure. It led to the road that led to Portugal and, due to its location, was the link between the Spanish and Portuguese courts and a mandatory passage for royal entourages of both countries when there was a need to celebrate marriages and other meetings.
MÉRIDA GATE The Mérida Gate is one of the lesser-known gates of the Walled Enclosure of Badajoz. It is located in the eastern part of the fortress and is named after the direction it led to.
TRINITY GATE Built in 1680, it is located in the Bastion of Trinity, forming a wide vaulted passage under the wall. The exterior façade is in a classicist style and is made of stone, featuring an arch crowned with the royal coat of arms of the Austrians, made of marble. The path that opens from it leads to the Bastion of San Pedro.
PALMAS BRIDGE It offers a pleasant walk, from which you can enjoy beautiful views of the river and the Palmas Gate itself. This construction is connected to the gate, with which it shares the construction date. It has a total length of 585 meters.
PALMAS BRIDGE BASTION This architectural element is formed by two semi-bastions. From this point, communication was established via a covered passage with the Fort of San Cristóvão.
FORT OF SAN CRISTÓVÃO Located on the other side of the river, it is a magnificent exterior fortress of excellent design, built in the 17th century during the War with Portugal (1640-1668) and the first construction carried out of the entire bastioned system. It could accommodate 12 cannons and up to 300 infantrymen, and its defenses were complemented by more advanced elements that made it almost impregnable.
CHAPEL OF THE LITTLE BIRDS An old oratory of small dimensions. The chapel, likely originating from the 15th or 16th century, was part of the Badajoz walls and also served as a tower and city gate for the river, with a portal attached.
BASTION OF SANTIAGO Built in 1765, it has the curiosity that the right corner of its wall is semicircular, forming what is called in engineering an “orejón.” In this bastion, General Rafael Menacho died in 1811 during battle, heroically defending the city against the assault of Napoleon’s French troops in the War of Independence.
BASTION OF SANTA MARIA OR THE LAGOON Located between the bastions of San Roque and Trinity. Its name “The Lagoon” is due to the appearance it had when its moat was flooded by the waters of the nearby Rivillas stream. It was possible to flood all the moats of the Bastioned Enclosure of Badajoz, turning it into a walled island. Thousands of English soldiers who fell in the capture of the city by Lord Wellington in 1812 are buried here.
BASTION OF SAN VICENTE This is the first bastion encountered on our route. It has a wall of 50 meters in length and 7 in height, providing a panoramic view of the area. It was erected around 1665 and is built of solid stone and mud masonry, with its defensive elements being bastioned.
BASTION OF SAN ROQUE It was the first bastion to be built in a triangular shape, as previous ones were in the shape of a half-moon. Additionally, it was the first to be constructed outside the medieval city walls. Its current appearance is the result of major renovations carried out in 1730.