Plaza Mayor of Trujillo

What it is

A large, sloping, arcaded square, surrounded by palaces of the lineages that grew rich from the conquest of America. In the centre is the equestrian statue of Francisco Pizarro, and on one side the church of San Martín de Tours. From here you walk up to the medieval town and the castle.

What to look at

Look at the Palacio de la Conquista, with its corner balcony and coats of arms, and at the Palace of the Dukes of San Carlos, four storeys of ashlar, which has a corner balcony topped by an eagle: a privilege granted by Charles V to the family. The Casa de las Cadenas closes another side. The tourist office is in the square itself and opens every day.

When to go

First thing in the morning or last thing in the afternoon, when the stone takes on colour and there are fewer people on the terraces. In spring and summer, look up at the roofs of San Martín and the San Carlos Palace: that is where the lesser kestrels breed.

The day Pizarro was a dragon

In the first season of House of the Dragon, the square became a medieval-style market and the equestrian statue of Francisco Pizarro was swapped for that of a dragon for the duration of the shoot. Turismo de Extremadura also names La Alberca, a cistern dug into the rock about 14 metres deep, among the corners of Trujillo that appear in the series. Earlier, Game of Thrones had gone up to the castle, which played Casterly Rock.