Trujillo Attractions
Originally the Roman town of Turgalium, Trujillo was held by the Moors for many centuries before being recovered by Christian forces in the 13th century. The town now calls itself the "Cradle of the Conquistadors", having been the birthplace of many men who went out to seek their fortune in the New World and conquered vast territories for Spain. Chief among them was Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of Peru, who was born in Trujillo in 1475. Other notable figures were Francisco de Orellana, the first man to sail up the Amazon; Diego García Paredes, the "Samson of Extremadura", a man strong as an ox, who founded Trujillo in Venezuela; and Ñuflo de Chaves, who founded the Bolivian town of Santa Cruz. They and their descendants brought some of their wealth back to Trujillo and built great palaces which still give the town its distinctive stamp.
Alberca
Diagonally opposite the Palacio de los Escobar are the remains of Roman baths of the Augustan period, including an 11m/36ft deep cistern.
Castillo
From the church of Santiago a street leads up to the Castillo, built in Moorish times on the remains of a Roman fort and given its present form in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Chaves Cárdenas House
The Chaves Cárdenas House is a gothic building with Renaissance elements. It was the house of the Chaves Cárdenas family.
Equestrain Statue of Francisco Pizarro
This 6500kg bronze statue was created by North American artist Charles Rumsey.
House of Los Sotomayor
The 16th C House of Los Sotomayor features a unique facade of hewnstone blocks.
La Coria Museum
Located in the former San Francisco el Real de la Puerta de Coria Convent, the museum explores the history of the Conquest of the Americas.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | 11:30 | 11:30 |
| Close | 14:00 | 14:00 |
Los Altamiranos Citadel
The citadel was begun in the 13th C. The main entrance, marked by two towers, bears the coat of arms of the Altamiranos family.
Los Bejaranos Citadel
Two towers are all that remain of this citadel. The oldest of the two dates to the 13th C.
Palacio de los Escobar
From the Palacio Orellana-Pizarro it is a short distance to the Gothic Puerta de San Andrés, which leads into the part of the old town within the walls. Here too there are numerous noble mansions. Immediately inside the gate, to the right, is a small square with the 15th century Palacio de Escobar.
Hours
Always closed on:
Extremadura Day - Spain (September 9)
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Santa María la Mayor
Farther northof the Palacio de los Escobar, to the left, is the Gothic church of Santa María la Mayor (13th C.), with the tombs of Diego García de Paredes (b. Trujillo 1466) and Juana Yupanqui, daughter (and also daughter-in- law) of Francisco Pizarro. The retablo has paintings by Fernando Gallego. In the square in which the church stands is the birthplace of Francisco de Orellana.
Santiago
The 12th century church of Santiago contains a statue of St James (Santiago), the town's patron saint, and a Gothic retablo. Adjoining the church is an old town gate, the Puerta de Santiago.
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