Church of Santa María and the Castle Viewpoint

What It Is

Santa María de la Asunción de las Aguas Vivas, which Hervás people simply call "la Iglesia", stands at the highest point of the village. According to the tourist office it was built in the 12th century from a Templar watchtower, with later alterations visible in its walls; the town council presents this as tradition: it is believed to have been built over a Templar castle. The clearest clue to that defensive past is the wall that still surrounds the church, which is why the town council calls it the Church-Castle.

What to See

Look first at the square ashlar tower that tops the bell tower: it bears the coats of arms of the Zúñiga family and the Bishop of Plasencia, and 13th-century mason's marks that the town council cites as proof of the old castle. The doorway has Mannerist elements. Inside, the chapel of Las Angustias stands out, with a Baroque altarpiece.

The church also tells the story of the conversos of Hervás. At the end of the 16th century, the converted Jews had already become part of Catholic worship, controlled the parish and supplied its priests, and according to the town council they rivalled the Trinitarian friars of San Juan Bautista for the village's spiritual life. In the 18th century the parish priest Jerónimo Sánchez Zúñiga, between 1738 and 1784, was an important commissioner of the Inquisition. To understand that context before going up, visit the "Hervás, la historia recobrada" Interpretation Centre, at Calle Braulio Navas, 6.

The Viewpoint

The wall encloses the old Christian cemetery, now turned into a natural viewpoint. From the atrium you see the sierra, the valley to the south and the roofs of the village, with the Jewish quarter at your feet. The viewpoint is always open and free.

When to Go In

The interior can be seen on Sundays and public holidays, at the 12:30 Mass. For other times, the tourist office refers you to the guided visits, on 676 110 051; the Visitas Hervás guided tour of the Jewish quarter also passes this way. The tourist office, on 927 473 618, will confirm the day's hours.

Getting There

You walk up from the centre along sloping streets. Combine it with the Jewish quarter: go up to the church first and then down towards the river and the Fuente Chiquita bridge, or the other way round if you prefer to finish with the view. Allow half an hour between the church and the viewpoint.