Conventual de San Benito

What a surprise this is out in the Extremadura backblocks! Built in the 16th century to house the Orden de Alcántara, an order of Reconquista knights – part monks, part soldiers – who ruled much of western Extremadura as a kind of private fiefdom, this grand Renaissance convent was abandoned in the 19th century. The highlights of the restored monastery include the Gothic cloister and the perfectly proportioned three-tier loggia. Admission is by free guided visit (ring the bell if the door is shut).