Rugged and Full of History

1 Oct

Discover Extremadura with Ambiente Tapas

Outside of Spain, Extremadura is one of the country’s lesser-known regions. Sitting against the Portuguese border in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula, it has often felt like Spain’s wild frontier: sparsely populated, rugged and a long way from the beaches and big cities that most visitors associate with the country.

Rather than focus on one story this month, I thought we’d take a quick journey through a few interesting snippets from Extremadura’s remarkable history.

The rugged hills of Extremadura, Spain — *Extremadura, Spain*

For somewhere relatively little visited, Extremadura contains no fewer than three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Chief amongst them are the extraordinary Roman remains at Mérida.

The city was founded as Augusta Emerita by Emperor Augustus in 25 BC, partly as a settlement for veteran Roman soldiers, and went on to become the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania. At its height it was one of the most important Roman cities in the Iberian Peninsula.

The ruins of a magnificent roman theatre — *Roman Theatre ruins*

Today, an astonishing amount survives. The magnificent Roman Theatre still hosts performances during Mérida’s annual Classical Theatre Festival, while elsewhere you can explore an amphitheatre, the Temple of Diana and the Acueducto de los Milagros – the remains of an enormous Roman aqueduct system that once supplied the city with water.

Moving forward into the Middle Ages, Cáceres is one of Spain’s most atmospheric historic cities. Its maze of narrow streets, fortified houses, towers and palaces looks so convincingly medieval that it has inevitably attracted the attention of film and television producers.

The royal monastery of Santa Maria — *Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe*

Fans of Game of Thrones might recognise parts of Cáceres, which were transformed into King’s Landing for the series. Nearby Trujillo Castle also appeared as the exterior of Casterly Rock, home of the Lannisters.

Extremadura’s third UNESCO World Heritage Site is the spectacular Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe. Founded in the 14th century, it later became closely connected with Spain’s voyages to the Americas. Christopher Columbus visited the monastery, and its influence eventually spread across the Spanish-speaking world.

That brings us neatly to two of Extremadura’s most famous – or notorious – sons.

Hernán Cortés was born in Medellín, while Francisco Pizarro came from Trujillo. Between them, they played leading roles in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca Empires.

Their legacy is obviously a deeply controversial one. Conquest, warfare, forced rule and, above all, Old World diseases contributed to catastrophic population losses amongst the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Ruins in Trevejo Estremadura — *Ruins in Trevejo, Estremadura in Spain*

Even so, purely as historical events, the story can sometimes seem closer to fantasy than reality. Cortés and Pizarro initially commanded forces numbering only in the hundreds against enormous established empires. Of course, the popular version of a few hundred Spaniards simply defeating millions is misleading: both relied heavily on indigenous allies, while Cortés benefited from divisions within the Aztec Empire and Pizarro arrived just after a devastating Inca civil war.

The Extremaduran connection can still be seen on maps today. Medellín in Colombia, Mérida in Venezuela and Trujillo in Peru all echo the names of towns and cities back in this relatively small corner of western Spain.

For a region that today feels quiet and somewhat overlooked, Extremadura has left a remarkably large footprint on world history

Rob

Discover Extremadura in our Restaurants

If you fancy trying a taste of Extremadura, without having to climb rugged mountains, then you can checkout our Extremadura specials:

🥩Carrillera de Cerdo Ibérico

Oloroso Braised Ibérico pork cheek with figs and confit garlic mashed potato

🥩Jamon Ibérico de Bellota

Premium Jamon Ibérico de Bellota from the Pata Negra

Throughout the month, our restaurants will be serving our Extremadura wine menu featuring a selection of wines that you wouldn't normally find available by the glass – plus two Extremadura wine flights so you can taste your way through the region.

Come and give them a try while they're on the menu. Available throughout September.

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