Church of Santa María la Mayor

Santa María la Mayor has been Trujillo's most important church for more than seven hundred years. It is in the upper part, inside the medieval town, on the way to the castle, and can be recognised from afar by its two towers. It is an Asset of Cultural Interest and, according to Turismo de Extremadura, the second most important parish of the diocese of Plasencia, behind only the cathedral.

History in three periods

The church was born in the 13th century as a Romanesque church, built in the image of Plasencia cathedral. From that building survive the Julia tower, the eastern one, and the apse, with Cistercian influence. In the 14th century a higher central nave and two side aisles were added. At the beginning of the 16th the rib vaults, the new tower and the baptistery were commissioned. That is why, as you walk round it, you pass from Romanesque to late Gothic without leaving the building.

What to see inside

The main piece is the high altarpiece, with paintings from around 1490 by Fernando Gallego and Bartolomé. In its panels German, Flemish and Castilian techniques and styles are mixed: it deserves a good while in front of it. Around the naves open the funerary chapels of Trujillo's nobility, the lineages that built the city's palaces. It is a visit for those who enjoy art and history; with small children it is a short one.

Opening hours and admission

The official listing publishes neither hours nor price. Ask at the tourist office in the Plaza Mayor, on 927 322 677, before climbing up: that way you will not find a closed door after the slope. As a church in use, it can be visited outside services. Allow half an hour. Note: the guided tour of the medieval town includes admission to the castle, the Pizarro House-Museum, the church of Santiago and the Discoverers' Centre, but not to Santa María.

Getting there

It is on Paseo Ruiz de Mendoza, in the medieval town. From the Plaza Mayor you walk up through cobbled, sloping streets: comfortable shoes. If you have a car, park below and walk up.

What to combine it with

A few steps away, in Plaza de Santa María, is the Pizarro House-Museum, and a little higher up, Trujillo Castle with its cisterns. If you want to see it in the last light, the sunset visit up to the castle goes through the upper town. For a meal on the way down, the Mesón La Troya is in the Plaza Mayor.