| Description : Cáceres is a provincial capital in the Autonomous
Region of Extremadura, known for its extensive grazed cork and holm oak groves called 'dehesas', where pigs have been kept
for centuries and whose 'Iberian' ham (Jamón Ibérico) is one of the most important products of Spanish
agriculture. A historic military and trade road, the 'Vía de la Plata' (Silver Road), connected Seville with Astorga via
Cáceres and was already completely paved in the 1st century AD. Since the Middle Ages, La Plata has also
been used as a pilgrimage route; it is part of the network of the Camino de Santiago, whose common destination is the city
of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Cáceres dates back to the Roman fortress of Castra Caecilia, founded in
79 BC. In the 6th century, large parts of the city were destroyed by the invading Visigoths and only later
rebuilt by the Moors. In 1139, the city was temporarily conquered in the course of the Reconquista (reconquest [from Arab
rule]), but it was not until 1229 that it was finally captured for the Kingdom of León. In the 15th century,
Isabella I of Castile ordered the demolition of all the towers of the houses whose owners had not supported her in the
succession dispute with Joan of Castile. As a result, Cáceres was badly affected; only two palaces remained
unscathed. This is why Cáceres is still called the "decapitated capital". The old town of Cáceres has been a
UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. The coin shows part of the south‐eastern perimeter of the Plaza Mayor (main
square), the traditional meeting place of the cacereños, with the stairway leading up to the star‐arched gate
Arco de la Estrella, built by the Baroque architect Manuel de Lara y Churriguera (∼1690‐1755). At the top
left, you can see the top of the Bujaco Tower, bastion of the Knights of the Order of Santiago, the Order of Saint James
of the Sword. At the bottom it says "CÁCERES", at the top it says "ESPAÑA" (Spain) and below it the year
of issue "2023" and on the right there is the letter "M" adorned with a crown, the mint mark of the Spanish mint Real
Casa de la Moneda in Madrid. |
