Trujillo

Trujillo stands between the basins of the Tagus and Guadiana, its castle and medieval walls overlooking the plains of Extremadura. The old fortified town grew under Muslim rule and passed to the Christians in 1232. John II granted it city status in 1430. Below the ancient heights, a newer town developed around the Plaza Mayor, where noble houses and palaces display the wealth of the sixteenth century. Trujillo was the birthplace of Francisco Pizarro and several other men who took part in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Their expeditions tied the city to distant lands, while the fortunes and ambitions of its families found expression in the imposing residences built around its square.