Cáceres

Cáceres goes back to the Roman fortress Castra Caecilia, which was built in 79 BC. A Celtiberian settlement that dates back to around 35 BC. In the 6th century, large parts of the city were destroyed by the invading Visigoths and only later rebuilt by the Moors. The Arabs rebuilt the city, including a wall, palaces, and various towers.
Cáceres was reconquered by the Christians in 1229. During this period the city had an important Jewish quarter. In the 15th century when the total population was 2,000, nearly 140 Jewish families lived in Cáceres. The Jewish population was expelled by Queen Isabella and Ferdinand of Aragon in 1492.

Cáceres flourished during the Discovery of the Americas, as influential Spanish families and nobles built homes and small palaces there, and many members of families from Extremadura participated in the voyages where they made their fortunes.

Today Cáceres is a city with a population of about 100.000.

The old town of Cáceres has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986.

From the UNESCO papers:

“The authenticity of the property has been largely preserved in the Gothic-Renaissance city, with a large number and quality of 15th-century noble buildings (fortress houses) and 16th-century palatial houses with a significant proportion of granite masonry still remaining. Cáceres still has a considerable number of buildings that testify to the noble battles and the peace created by the unification of the different kingdoms by the Catholic King and Queen."