A large, bronze equestrian statue of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro by American sculptor Charles Rumsey dominates the Plaza Mayor. But all is not as it seems. Apparently Rumsey originally sculpted it as a statue of Hernán Cortés to present to Mexico, but Mexico, which takes a dim view of Cortés, declined it, so it was given to Trujillo as Pizarro instead.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Real Monasterio de Santa María de Guadalupe
29.62 MILES
Guadalupe's renowned, Unesco World Heritage–listed monastery is located, according to legend, on the spot where, in the early 14th century, a shepherd…
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0.02 MILES
Trujillo's main square is one of Spain's most spectacular plazas, surrounded by baroque and Renaissance stone buildings sporting intricately carved…
26.19 MILES
As you head up the steps to the Ciudad Monumental from the Plaza Mayor, turn left to climb the 12th-century, 25m-high Torre de Bujaco, home to an…
26.16 MILES
As the closest square to the Plaza Mayor, the Plaza de Santa María and the surrounding tangle of lanes provide most people's introduction to the Ciudad…
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Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo
26.15 MILES
The sumptuous home of Cáceres' prominent Golfín family has been beautifully restored. Built piecemeal between the 14th and 20th centuries, it's crammed…
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26.15 MILES
The excellent Museo de Cáceres, spread across 12 buildings in a 16th-century mansion built over an evocative 12th-century aljibe (cistern), is the only…
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0.11 MILES
Atop the town's 600m-high summit, Trujillo's castle is of 10th-century Islamic origin (note the horseshoe arch just inside the entrance) and was later…
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27.09 MILES
Arguably the most spectacular spot in the national park is the Mirador Salto del Gitano. From this lookout point, 5km south of Villareal along the EX208,…
Nearby Extremadura attractions
0.02 MILES
Trujillo's main square is one of Spain's most spectacular plazas, surrounded by baroque and Renaissance stone buildings sporting intricately carved…
0.03 MILES
Trujillo's 16th-century Iglesia de San Martín looms over the Plaza Mayor, with delicate Gothic ceiling tracing in its single nave, striking stained-glass…
3. Palacio de los Duques de San Carlos
0.04 MILES
Off the northeastern corner of the Plaza Mayor lies the 16th-century Palacio de los Duques de San Carlos, with its sober classical patio, grand granite…
0.04 MILES
Once part of the defensive walls guarding the fortress, this 15th-century tower later became a fortified aristocratic dwelling. Inside, you'll find an…
0.05 MILES
On the south side of Plaza Mayor, carved images of conquistador Pizarro and his lover Inés Yupanqui (sister of the Inca emperor Atahualpa) adorn the…
6. Centro de Visitantes Los Descubridores
0.07 MILES
This museum inhabits the 17th-century Iglesia de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo with a high-tech display on Spain's conquest of the Americas and the larger…
7. Palacio de Juan Pizarro de Orellana
0.09 MILES
A grand, arched Renaissance entrance leads to a cloistered patio flanked by the coats of arms of the Orellanas and the Pizarros inside this splendid…
0.1 MILES
Head up into the old town along Calle de los Ballesteros and you'll pass through the 15th-century Puerta de Santiago.