Santa María Co-Cathedral

What it is

The main church of the monumental city, in Plaza de Santa María, surrounded by palaces and a few steps from the Arco de la Estrella. It is the oldest church in Cáceres: it stands on a 13th-century church, keeps Romanesque remains and its current Gothic fabric was built between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Since 1957 it has had the rank of co-cathedral of the Diocese of Coria-Cáceres. On one corner, at ground level, is the sculpture of Saint Peter of Alcántara.

What to see inside

It is an ashlar church with three naves, rib vaults and three Gothic doorways; the one on the Gospel side is the oldest. On the floor you can see slabs with the coats of arms of the city's lineages, and at the sides several Gothic tombs. The main piece is the high altarpiece, Renaissance from the 16th century and Plateresque in style, carved in wood and unpainted. There is also a choir with Gothic stalls and a pulpit of the same style. Look for three crucifixes: the Black Christ, a Romanesque-period carving in the old Blázquez chapel; the Christ of the Battles, beside the choir, and the Christ of Refuge, which came from the convent of San Francisco. Through the Plateresque doorway of the sacristy you pass to the sacred art museum, with pieces lent by other parishes of the city and the province.

The tower is climbed by a spiral staircase and, according to the Junta's tourist office, gives one of the best views of the monumental complex.

Hours and tickets

Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 20:00; Sundays, 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:30. The last entry is half an hour before closing, and service times may change the day's hours. General admission costs €7 with an audio guide in Spanish, English, French, German and Portuguese; reduced (over-65s), €6; young people aged 12 to 18, university students up to 25 and accredited pilgrims, €5. It is free for accompanied under-12s and for accredited Cáceres residents. It is bought online from the co-cathedral's website or at the door, and bookings are made on 660 799 194.

There are two guided visits of its own. The night one, on Fridays at 20:00, lasts about 90 minutes and costs €12. The LUX visit, one hour and €9, covers the nave, the altarpiece, the sacristy-museum, the choir, the tower rooms and the belfry; from May to September it leaves on Fridays at 18:30 and Saturdays at 12:00 and 18:30, and from October to April at 17:30 instead of 18:30.

How to combine it

Allow half an hour for the church and a little more if you climb the tower. From the Plaza Mayor you reach it by crossing the arch, and the Plaza de San Jorge and the Golfines de Abajo palace are a few minutes away. It is also part of the Activa Tours full tour.

The square in the two series

Plaza de Santa María, in front of the co-cathedral, appears in Game of Thrones and in House of the Dragon. In the first it is part of Euron Greyjoy's walk through King's Landing, in the seventh season. In the second it is already recognisable in the first episode, as is the Aldana slope, according to Turismo de Extremadura. For the photo, stand in the lower part of the square, with the co-cathedral tower on your left: it is the most repeated framing.