Plasencia

Plasencia is a walled mercat ceety in the province o Cáceres, Extremadura, Wastren Spain. In 2010, it haed a population o 41,447.

Situatit on the bank o the Jerte River, Plasencia haes a historic quarter that is a consequence o the ceety's strategic location alang the Siller Route, or Ruta de la Plata. Syne the 15t century, the noblemen o the region began tae muive tae Plasencia, definin its current appearance.

History

Foondit as a ceety in 1186 bi Keeng Alfonso VIII o Castile on the banks o the Jerte as a ceety-fortress, wi the dooble purpose o colonizin an guardin the then sooth-wastren mairch o the Kinrick, it fell briefly tae the Moors o Yaqub al-Mansur in 1196, bein reconquered bi the Christians the year efter.

The ceety remained unner direct Ryal rule till John II o Castile gae it tae the Hoose o Zúñiga in 1442 abolishin its Fuero. This encoontered the opposition o the local nobles an the general population at lairge an resultit in periodicals revolts throughoot the seicont hauf o the 15t century. In this hostile climate against the croun, in 1475 Plasencia played host tae the wedding o 13-year-auld Princess Joan La Betraneja, pretender tae the throne o Castile an her ambitious uncle Keeng Afonso V o Portugal. Efter La Beltraneja's cause wis defeatit in the Battle o Toro, Plasencia peyed the penalty an the Castilian Croun capped the touers o the noble's pailaces. The Fuero wis eventually restored in 1488. The shortened Touer o the venue o the wedding, La Casa de Las Argollas, is still staundin in Calle del Rey, juist aff Plaza Mayor.

Convent St. Dominic.

Aqueduct o Plasencia.

Main sichts

• The dooble line o walls, wi sax gates an 68 touers, datin tae 1197. The Keep (or Alcázar) wis demolished in 1941.
• Remains o the Roman aqueduct
• Les Catedrales, a complex o twa cathedrals. In 1189, bi request o Alfonso VIII, Plasencia wis declared heid o dioceses bi Pape Clement III an wirk on a Romanesque Cathedral stairtit shortly efter, concludin sometime in the 18t century, bi which time fashions haed chynged an Gothic elements haed been addit in the forms o pointit airchs tae the Nave an a rose window tae the main Sooth Entrance, while the closter, on the East side borderin the ceety walls, wis enterely Gothic. In the 15t century the Dioceses decidit tae big a grand Gothic Cathedral in the same site, demolishin the auld cathedral as the new ane wis bein biggit. Wirk stairtit in 1498 an bi the 16t century, staundart Renaissance elements haed been addit sic as the East Entrance an the elaborate Choir Seating, while the local style o the period, Plateresque, is present in the Wast (main) an the Presbytery Entrances. Wirk continued till the 18t century, when, wi anerlie the Sanctuary an the Transept o the New Cathedral finished, the project wis abandoned leavin ahint a somewha odd result, as maist o the Nave o the Auld Cathedral, its closter an its unique Octagonal Touer housin the Sala Capitular Chapel is still attached tae the New Cathedral, while the new choir, that wis supposed tae staund alang the New Nave, wis poseetioned athort the transept.
• The Museum, near the Cathedral, is hame tae airtwirks bi Jusepe de Ribera an Luis de Morales.
• Renaissance Toun Hall, in the Plaza Mayor
• Casa consistorial (16t-18t centuries)
• Palacio de los marqueses de Mirabel (16t century) wi a twa-order court
• Kirk o San Martín (13t century). It haes a nave an twa aisles, an a retablo bi Luis de Morales (1570).
• Kirk an convent o Santo Domingo (St. Dominic, mid-15t century)
• Kirk o San Esteban (15t century), wi an apse in Gothic style. The heich altar is transitional Plateresque-Baroque style.
• Sanctuary o Virgen del Puerto, some 5 kilometers frae the ceety, begun in the 15t century but finished three centuries later.

Nearbi are the monastery o San Jeronimo de Yuste, whaur emperor Charles V dee'd in 1558, an the castle o Jarandilla de la Vera (15t century). Nature resorts include the Monfrague Natural Pairk.

Culture

Tamborileros in the Plaza mayor o Plasencia

The specialities o the local cuisine include "migas" (breadcrumbs wi Spainyie sausage an bacon), casseroles, stews an tench, an exceptional freshwater gemme fish.

Festivals include:

• Juin fair, at the beginnin o the month
• Martes Mayor, the first Tuesday o August
• Procession an Festivities o la Virgen del Puerto Plasencia, first Sunday efter Easter Sunday
• Fair o the Cherry-tree in flouer El Jerte Valley

See an aa

• Roman Catholic Diocese o Plasencia

Notable residents

Plasencia wis the birthplace o:

• Rock guitarist, sangwriter, sangster an baundleader Roberto Iniesta (b. 1962)
• Bishop Cipriano Calderón Polo - vice preses emeritus o Pontifical Commission for Laitin America (1927 - 2009)

Freemit airtins

• Offeecial wabsteid
• [1]
• Photos Archived 2007-12-17 at the Wayback Machine
•  "Plasencia" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.