Facades of the Plaza Grande in Zafra
Guess, riddle… They call her the little one Seville , but it is not Andalusian. One of its tourist posters has an error to be corrected for years. It does not have a main square but a Chica and a Grande… What city are we talking about?
From one of the towns of Extremadura with more character: Zafra. Of possible Celtic origin and in Tierra de Barros Badajoz, Zafra displays its quiet charm in the shadow of a past of Jewish quarter and commerce, of medieval nobles and Roman routes.
Zafra is next to the old Roman Via de la Plata and there is talk of a Celtic origin (where it would be called Segeda), but it is its medieval past that stands out, being a border between the Taifa kingdoms of Seville and Badajoz.
The pleasure of strolling looking at the sky
In 1394, King Enrique III gave the town to Gomes I Suárez de Figueroa, waiter of the queen of Castile. The Suárez de Figueroa became counts of Feria in 1460, building a wall and several monumental buildings before and especially after the granting of the dukedom.
In the 17th century, the Duchy of Feria was annexed by the Marquesado. Apart from noble power, in Zafra the merchants had great importance, with a Jewish community that helped the prestige and advancement of the city. Display of buying and selling activity are the arcades that surround its two emblematic squares, the Chica and the Grande, intended to protect shopkeepers and their material.
Our tour of Zafreño starts at the tourist office, at the Spain Square , a spacious, pleasant place to read for a while or stop to observe the peculiarities of some of its constructions. Look for the red house.
Before, the Plaza de España was the Campo de Sevilla, where cattle fairs were held. And it is that throughout the text we will remind you of the commercial importance of Zafra, where a group of Riojan merchants who promoted their businesses here from the 17th century and, therefore, the city itself.
walk, just that
From the tourist office go out and look for Seville street, in a nod to that nickname that we reveal to you in the first line of this report. The historic center of Zafra is equivalent to the old area of the walls, Of those that are still standing, some doors that we recommend you go looking for to take advantage of and wander around. Before the street was here the Gate of Seville, one of those of the wall of Zafra.
Before entering Calle Sevilla, especially on hot days, you have an ice cream stand that will attract your attention: that of Agustín Mira, from a family of Jijonenco origin (like nougat, yes) that enjoys innovation and will surely make you enjoy both here and in Mérida, where they also have a stand.
But thinking about this cold, you may prefer to go directly to Calle Sevilla, a narrow route, full of shops and surprises such as the Big House of the Daza Maldonado. Today it's just a clothing store, but you can pop in to see its Renaissance courtyard and staircase, from the 17th century. It was the residence of the merchant Hernán López Ramírez, and its façade can still be seen on the outside. In the 18th century it was the Daza Maldonado family who gave it its name.
In front of this house you will find the Convent of Santa Clara, or Monastery of Santa María del Valle , of cloistered nuns and that offers a visit to the chapel and the classic convent sweets, in this case, bishop's hearts Yum.
Part of your visit can be dedicated to Santa Clara Museum , the main museum in the town, which develops its activity in parallel with the monastic closure of the Poor Clares.
In fact, to enter you have to go through a gate that already warns you: you are about to move to a different place. A museum, yes, with works of art testifying to the patronage that the Suárez de Figueroa had for this convent until the 19th century. The visit allows us to access the conventual church and sacristy, the infirmary and two chapels, and shows us the steps, the cell and the cloister, all buildings from the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries.
Choral concerts are sometimes held in the convent and there are various temporary exhibitions, which coexist that monastic closure that seems from another time with our haste, our curiosity and the desire to contemplate whom they behold.
From Sevilla street you can get lost along the different routes that leave, to one side or the other, but we have a clear destination: the Big and the Girl.
Big square
We first come to the Big square , which once occupied a church. The commercial success of Zafra was such that in the fifteenth century it began to extend from the Plaza Chica to the cemetery that was here, demolishing it and moving the church to build this spacious space, with arcades, a fountain and beautiful buildings: You will have a hard time deciding where to focus your eyes.
Called in its day Plaza del Rey or Plaza de la Constitución, in 1986 the city council decided to give it the name that everyone gave it: Big square. In its day it was used, as is the case in Madrid's Chinchón, as a bullfighting arena.
Whether it is spring time or if a sunny day arises in the Extremaduran autumn, we advise you stop for a drink on one of its terraces, but you can also go inside places like L'Artesa, a place with a pleasant interior whose tapas menu will make your stomach happy.
Crossing this square diagonally you reach the small square . Before, at the intersection of both, we challenge you to find the measuring rod: testimony in stone of Zafreño's commercial past. 83.53 centimeters measures this rod engraved on one of the columns of the arcades of the square, which was used to attest that the merchant sold the measure without cheating. In it there are several notches that indicate different measures of the time. It is something almost exclusive to Zafra. By the way, the connection between both squares is through the so-called arch of bread, where there is a small baroque chapel, that of La Esperancita.
small square
The Plaza Chica, which was always popularly known by this name, previously had others: Isabel II, de la Libertad... And it has always it has three of its sides with arcades and columns, except one, the one for the town hall and court hearings, today the Municipal School of Music. Zafra's town hall is currently located in Pilar Redondo. The arcades that were the scene of purchases and sales today are the perfect accommodation for bar terraces.
From the Plaza Chica comes one of our favorite streets in Zafra: sherry street, that leads to another gate, this one still standing, of the old wall, the Jerez Gate. And despite the Andalusian references that we carry, this Jerez is not from Cadiz but that of the Knights, a nearby town.
The Arco de Jerez is the only gate in the wall that remains. Above it you can see a chapel and outside, in the area outside the walls, you will see another medieval unit of measure: the foot, apart from images of the patrons of the shoemakers' guild. A curiosity is that in Zafra, outside the walls, you can find constructions such as monasteries or the Rosario church, next to the Arco de Jerez.
From the Plaza Chica to the Arch, this street is well worth a walk and many photographs (whether mental, in the form of memories, or real), since it is full of balconies with flowers and bright white. Seek, for the pleasure of your sight, the Callejita del Clavel.
Arch of Jerez
Speaking of flowers, we will tell you that In May, Calle Ancha de Zafra is literally carpeted with them, which can serve as an excuse to plan a getaway, right?
Strolling along the sidelines of squares and flowers, we find a sign in Zafra that catches our attention: the clergyman Rui López de Segura was born here, who may only ring a bell if you are a chess fan. He is the first world champion (unofficial, to understand us) of chess and a writer considered the creator of the Spanish Opening, one of the most used in the world to start this noble game. The treaty can be seen in the Santa Clara Museum.
his square, Ruy López, is between Calle Jerez and Calle Badajoz, which will lead to the Gate of the same name in the old wall. Centuries ago, the door was closed to open the Arco del Cubo, which still stands, with an image of Santiago Matamoros.
We will tell you, as a curious fact, that this Zafreña wall does not have so much a military defensive objective as a commercial one: know who enters and who leaves, and with what products.
Cube Arch
to remember what was the Jewish quarter, enter Badajoz street itself, El Pozo, San José, Sor Ángela de la Cruz or Alfonso XII. The wealth of the merchants you will see gave rise to beautiful mansions, some today with a decadent air , which you will discover through your walks, for example, in the Huelva street (the casino of Zafra), Gobernador street, Pilar Redondo square (where the town hall is now, the former palace of García de Toledo y Figueroa, which changed hands with the confiscation) or the Chica and Grande squares themselves, especially this one.
Beautiful balconies and sumptuous railings majestically decorate these enormous façades, owned by illustrious names of the time such as Mendoza de la Rocha, Marqués de Solanda, the beautiful façade of the Hospital de Santiago or the Casa del Ajimez, on Calle Boticas.
And whether you let yourself go by your steps or if you leave Calle Sevilla through Calle de Santa Marina towards Puerta del Acebuche... You will arrive at another strong point of the visit: the Zafra Inn.
Lorenzo II Suárez de Figueroa ordered the construction in 1437 of a fortress in this place, similar to the Gothic constructions of the century and with a Mudejar aftertaste. At the change from the 16th to the 17th century, the second Duke of Feria ordered the building to be remodelled. Today it remains on the outside like a fortress, rather than a palace.
Zafra Parador
Whether you decide to stay here or not, enter their patio to have a drink, indulge yourself eating in their restaurant and, after this, ask them to tell you how to climb the tower There, wind in your hair and skin, you will be able to see the surroundings. About 20 kilometers away the small town of Feria, on a high, proud and isolated, and which gives its name to the dukedom.
It is at the door of the parador where we found a historical failure in the information sign , of which we are informed in the tourist office itself: according to this, the architect of the building in the remodeling around the year 1600 is Juan de Herrera (yes, the one from El Escorial in Madrid) but, apparently, A few years ago, some documents were found that deny it, attributing its authorship to Francisco de Montiel, who together with his son built several buildings in the town of Badajoz. De Montiel, major master of the ducal works (according to the official tourism websites), was the architect of the beautiful marble patio, among other things, which we have told you about before.
And if at this point you are still not hungry... we will do because you are. If he doesn't make you a Parador menu, you can always stay nearby, at the restaurant of the Hotel Huerta Honda or in the Acebuche , near the door of the same name. But we encourage you to get away from this area a bit to enjoy The marquesse . This restaurant It is located on an old mill, where the oil was made, in the 17th century. If you enter the room, you can see the jars below, and in the main room, as soon as you enter, the huge stones that were used to grind the olives.
La Marquesa's menu will make you salivate and, if you can't decide, we recommend partridge rice or salad with foie gras, exquisite. Wash them down with a glass of local wine, from the Riverside of the Guadiana, to make the experience worthy of a noblewoman from past centuries.
This restaurant is located on an old mill
We make a brief paragraph to talk to you about wines: a Ribera del Guadiana presents wines of higher quality and personality , from Tierra de Barros, Zafra and Río Bodión, all in Badajoz.
And whether you want to take a wine or if you are more of an Iberian, ** Iberllota opens its doors near the parador, with cheeses, oils and jams ** to complete its offer. Once you've done your homework, recharge your batteries at the Figueroa Coffee and sooner or later take the opportunity to see the sunset, If it's a sunny day, Parador tower. So Zafra will remain in your memory forever.
And not only from Zafra lives our initial riddle, because we take advantage of the last lines to recommend you to visit nearby places: the intellectual and inquisitorial Llerena, with beautiful houses and an intense history, and the templar and sinuous on plane Sherry of the Knights , which passed from one order to another, that of Santiago, to see better times. Indeed, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, discoverer of the Pacific Ocean, was born here. And since he can be seen from the parador, although in the distance, Come and see the Fair up close, small town where you can stop for a drink and go up to see his castle.
To end the riddle… What place that today serves for the rest of the traveler and his joints was discovered by a little pig? Surely this is right by the Extremadurans who read us... the El Raposo Spa, in the 19th century.
Legend has it that a 'pig' with mobility problems lay down in a mud puddle in the area. When the guard found her, the animal got up without problems and he could walk as if he had never done anything else.
In just over 20 years, the first bathhouses were built there, in 1886, and in 1925 a hotel was built. The waters of El Raposo and its mud are rich in minerals and help rheumatological conditions (tendinitis, rheumatism), respiratory, digestive, dermatological or vascular conditions. And if you are not convinced to try the sludge discovered by a pig, you can always let yourself be massaged or take a bath in its heated pool. Not a bad reward for so little riddle...
Sherry of the Knights