Trujillo: Culture, History and Festivals

Trujillo rises on a striking granite outcrop known as a berrocal; towers and ruins stand out against the sky above the city. Its historic cityscape includes a medieval, Arab-influenced “villa” as well as a “city” dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. Architecture, museums and recurring festivals offer different focuses to consider when planning your trip.

Plaza Mayor and Historic Buildings

Churches, castles and mansions form an ensemble around the Plaza Mayor, which is classified as a Bien de Interés Cultural. The monumental square is dominated by a bronze equestrian statue of Pizarro. For centuries, it was Trujillo’s social and commercial centre; markets, festivals and a wide variety of events were held here.

Trujillo Castle stands at the city’s highest point. It was built in the 13th century over an Arab fortress dating from the 9th or 10th century. Its features include square towers typical of Islamic military architecture, as well as the Patio de Armas and the Albacara. Its history of construction thus links a medieval castle with an older fortification.

The churches, too, showcase different periods and art forms. The Church of Santa María la Mayor dates from the 13th century and retains Romanesque and Gothic elements; it may have been built over one of Trujillo’s Arab mosques. Inside are a Gothic main altarpiece from the workshop of Fernando Gállego and a Plateresque choir. The Church of San Martín de Tours has the late Gothic Portal de las Limas. Its furnishings include a Templar image from the 13th century, an altarpiece from the last quarter of the 17th century and a Baroque organ made in 1762 by Antonio de Larrea y Galarza.

Museums and Special Spaces

The Casa-Museo de Pizarro occupies the site of the former Pizarro family home and is dedicated to a famous conqueror from Extremadura. On the ground floor, it recreates the home of a 15th-century Spanish hidalgo; upstairs, an exhibition explores the life and work of the figure in question. Check whether the exhibition is open before your trip.

Restored in 2016, the Church of the Precious Blood of Christ was adapted to house the “Los Descubridores” Museum and Visitor Centre. The museum presents the process of discovering, conquering, colonising and evangelising the New World. Its four sections display objects, documents and graphic information from the perspectives of seafaring and overland exploration. The Coria Museum is housed in the former Convent of San Francisco el Real and focuses on key stages in the discovery of the New World; check visiting arrangements before your trip.

The “Enrique Elías” Costume Museum is housed in the former refectory of the Franciscan convent. It displays historical costumes beneath Europe’s largest barrel vault. The Trujillo Planetarium is located in the cloister of the Conventual de San Francisco. Its hemispherical pneumatic dome is twelve metres in diameter; digital projection creates an immersive experience.

Cisterns, Towers and Historic Sites

The Aljibe de Altamirano is an Arab cistern with three naves and three barrel vaults. Since opening to tourism, it has been adapted for visitors; check visiting conditions in advance. The Torre del Alfiler was originally a defensive bastion in the wall of the Alcazaba. After its restoration in 2004, an interpretation centre on Trujillo’s history opened there.

La Alberca is partly carved into the living rock and fed by two springs. A broad, carefully crafted stone staircase leads down to them. On the other side of La Alberca, beyond the round tower, lie the remains of a fortified Visigothic building. It is associated with Trujillo’s first knights and the origins of the Order of Alcántara.

Festivals and When to Visit

Chíviri is a festival of regional tourist interest held every year on Easter Sunday in the Plaza Mayor. Traditional songs and local dress are central to the festival; its date changes with Easter. The National Cheese Fair has been held since 1985 over the long weekend around 1 May. Cheeses are displayed and sampled there. The fair features more than 300 varieties from Spain and some European and Latin American countries, as well as tasting competitions for sheep’s and goat’s cheeses; the number and mix of countries of origin may vary from one edition to the next.

For trip planning, the two events provide different date markers: Chíviri is tied to Easter, while the Cheese Fair takes place over the long weekend around 1 May. Check the dates and programmes for your travel year before deciding when to visit. The municipal tourism portal offers an online booking system for official guided tours of Trujillo; check the latest information there if you would like to include a tour.

Discover more destinations: San Clemente, Navaconcejo, Palomero, Rosalejo, Herguijuela, Losar de la Vera, Jaraicejo, Casas del Castañar.

For the wider travel overview: Cáceres.