From Toledo, we continued our western trek across Spain and stopped for a while in the little 9,000 population town of Trujillo in the region of Extremadura. Perched on a hill - what else - about 1250 feet above sea level between the rivers Tagus and Guadiana, Trujillo is crowned by, guess what, its Moorish Castle built on Roman foundations. The origins of this little burg extend back 600 years BCE and of course ran the usual gamut of Celts, Romans, Goths and Moors before it was reconquered by the Christians in 1232.Despite Trujillo’s early medieval presence, most surviving monuments are from the 15th and 16th centuries. Trujillo is associated with the birth place of the Spanish Conquistadors and several famous folk were born there or otherwise have been linked
to its the history. Examples include Francisco Pizarro founder of Lima (Peru not Ohio) and conqueror of Peru; Garcia Paredes, the Sampson of Extremadura founded the city of Trujillo in Venezuela; Francisco de Orellana who discovered the Amazon; Nuflo de Chavez, founder of Santa Cruz in Bolivia and so on. The legacy of the Conquistadors is evidenced in the wealth of noble monuments and mansions in the city. The Plaza Mayor, the city's focal point, features an equestrian sculpture of Francisco Pizarro. See here for more pictures.
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