Almendralejo

Wine and olive oil made from the fruits of the fertile plains that characterise its landscape. Moreover, these are what give Almendralejo its special aroma. The town, noted for its white façades, its wine cellars, olive oil producers and liqueur industry - among which you have acorn liqueur -, is also acknowledged as the capital of Spanish Romanticism, given that it is the birthplace of illustrious writers of that age, such as José de Espronceda and Carolina Coronado.

Start out your visit from the park, the Parque de la Piedad, where the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de la Piedad stands, who is the town's patron saint, the Devotional and Wine Science Museums and the town's unique bullring Plaza de Toros, the only one in Spain with a wine cellar under its terraces, and then head for the Convent of San Antonio, currently the town's Cultural Centre and Municipal Library. There you have the Monsalud Collection of archaeological pieces. The same street is also home to the Convent of Santa Clara and the palace of the Marqueses de la Encomienda.

In the centre of the town, which is surrounded by ancestral homes and palaces such as that of the Condes de Osilo or the Condes de la Oliva, you will find some of its most important buildings: the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Purificación with its large Herrera style tower known as the “Torre de los Almendros”. It was built in the 16th century over the ruins of the previous church. Nearby stands the Palacio de Monsalud, a palace which is currently used as the Almendralejo Town Hall and the place of birth of Espronceda, an illustrious son of the town if ever there was one. Don't miss the interesting Baroque coat of arms on its corner.

You'll find another corner coat of arms at the Marqueses de La Colonia palace, which is a school nowadays, next to the Plaza del Corazón de María square. The neo-Classical façade of the Palace of Justice is well worth a visit, as are those of the Círculo Mercantil, the Teatro Carolina Coronado, and the Extremeño Workers' Society, the latter being from the start of the century.

The belfry of the neo-Gothic Church of the Corazón de María will no doubt attract your attention, while the nearby Chapel of Santiago in Plaza de Santiago is also worth seeing.

Don't leave Almendralejo without visiting the neo-Mudejar Plaza del Mercado, on the large esplanade of which a traditional outdoor market is held every Friday; the modernist Parish Church of San José, with its belfry supported by four free-standing pillars and the traditional southern-style Parish Church of San Roque.

You might also find its praiseworthy Estación Enológica, the headquarters of the Ribera del Guadiana Designation of Origin Regulatory Council and some of its wine or "cava" (sparkling wine) cellars worth a visit. February visitors can take part in the "Las Candelas" fiesta. Held on 1st and 2nd of February every year, this fiesta has been declared a Fiesta of Tourist Interest in Extremadura.