Trujillo, Spain
Trujillo is a town in
Spain, in the
Extremadura region. Originally the Roman town was called Turgalium, which is probably of Arabic origin. 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. Celts, Romans, Moors, and Christians have inhabited Trujillo over the centuries.
Trujillo has a population of 9.219 (
2001 census), situated in the
Cáceres province in
Spain, at 564 metres above
sea level. Its coordinates are . It is connected to
Cáceres with RN 521, at 47
kilometres to the east. It is connected to Madrid with N-V about 250 kilometres to the north west. Trujillo municipality has an area of 655 km
2.
Trujillo has a
castle which overlooks the town and the surrounding plains. A
fortification has existed for a long time before it was occupied by the
Moors. It came in Christian hands in
1233.
Juan II awarded city rights in
1431. The castle is on the top of a hill called "fox's head", and the patron saint, the Victoria Virgin, is on a window on the top of the castle.
|
Francisco Pizarro's statue with San Martin church in the background |
Trujillo was the birth place of
Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of
Peru, who has a statue on the central square. It was also the birth place of
Francisco de Orellana. Other monuments include the churches of Santa María, (XIIIth century) and San Francisco. It has too palaces like the Chaves "El viejo" palace where the treatment of "Tanto monta, monta tanto" where signed by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabel and Fernando.
Like many smaller towns in Spain, Trujillo has its own bullfighting ring. There are generally only one or two fights a year, but the ring is also used for other events.
Trujillo's "
Plaza Mayor" (Main Plaza) is a bustling area with several cafes, restaurants, and shops. A popular festival is the "Chiviri", one party celebrated on the main square ("Plaza Mayor") where people from the town dance traditional dances and eat and drink as they do when they were pastors and country people.
In the movie
Gladiator Maximus tells
Marcus Aurelius of his home and farms in Trujillo, although he should have referred to it by its Roman name of Turgalium.
