Cáceres, Spain
Spanish city with the largest municipal area and a UNESCO World Heritage old town.
Cáceres is a city and municipality in southern Spain, located in the center of the autonomous community of Extremadura. It serves as the capital and most populous municipality of the province of the same name, and it houses the seat of Extremadura's Regional Supreme Court. The municipality covers 1,750.33 square kilometers (675.81 square miles), making it the largest of any municipality in Spain. As of 2025, its population is 96,598, with 95,441 living in the city proper. Scattered throughout the municipality are numerous inhabited places, including centuries-old castles and farmhouses. The medieval walled city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
Since 2008, the city has been divided into four districts: Old Town Center, North, West, and South. A fifth district, Pedanías, covers the non-urban part of the territory. The municipal population fluctuates significantly—by more than 30,000 people—mainly due to educational institutions like the Cáceres Campus of the University of Extremadura and the CEFOT-1 army training center. The city often empties in summer, as many residents return to their hometowns.
Cáceres lies at the foot of the Sierra de la Mosca, a modest hill range. It is part of the Vía de la Plata (Silver Route) path of the Camino de Santiago, which crosses western Iberia from north to south. The University of Extremadura, two astronomical observatories, and several regional government departments are located here. The city is also a co-seat of the Catholic Diocese of Coria-Cáceres.
Historians have not reached a consensus on the etymology of "Cáceres," with some tracing it to Roman origins and others to Arabic. Among philologists, the consensus is that it is a Latin name distorted by Arabic, later adapted into the Christian form—a pattern seen in at least half the ancient place names of the southern Iberian Peninsula. Two possible Roman origins exist: the colony Norba Caesarina (founded in 34 BC), named for the Roman general Gaius Norbanus Flaccus and Julius Caesar, or Castra Caecilia, a military camp named by consul Quinto Cecilio Metelo Pío. The ablative "castris" ("in the camp") could have evolved into "Cáceres." Until the 19th century, Norba Caesarina was mistakenly thought to be the nearby town of Alcántara, while Cáceres' walled enclosure was believed to be Castra Caecilia.
Quick Facts
- Settlement Type
- Municipality
- Elevation M
- 459
- Population As Of
- 2025
- Population Total
- 96598
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Cáceres lies at the feet of the Sierra de la Mosca and is part of the Vía de la Plata path of the Camino de Santiago. The city was founded by the Romans as Castra Caecilia, a military camp named after the consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius (who died around 63 BCE), though the precise founding year is not firmly established. Remains of Roman walls from the 3rd and 4th centuries still exist, including the Arco de Cristo. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the city was occupied by Visigoths, then conquered by Arabs in the 8th century. The Arabs rebuilt the city with walls, palaces, and towers, including the Torre de Bujaco. Cáceres was reconquered by Christians in 1229. The city had an important Jewish Quarter; in the 15th century, nearly 140 Jewish families lived there out of a total population of 2,000. The Jewish population was expelled in 1492 by Queen Isabel I of Castile and Fernando II of Aragon.
Reader's Guide
Cáceres holds significance as a city with continuous habitation from prehistoric times, evidenced by the Maltravieso Cave, which contains the world's oldest known cave painting—a red hand stencil older than 67,000 years, believed made by Neanderthals. Its Roman foundation and subsequent Arab and Christian layers make it a palimpsest of Iberian history. The medieval walled city, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986, preserves remains from Roman, Moorish, and Jewish periods. The city's etymology is debated among historians, with possible origins from Roman 'Norba Caesarina' or 'Castra Caecilia,' later distorted through Arabic. Cáceres is also a co-see of the Catholic Diocese of Coria-Cáceres and hosts the University of Extremadura, two astronomical observatories, and several regional government departments. Its population fluctuates by more than 30,000 due to educational centers like the Cáceres Campus of the University of Extremadura and the CEFOT-1 army training center.
Did You Know?
- Cáceres has the largest municipal area of any municipality in Spain, at 1,750.33 km².
- The city's name may derive from the Roman 'Castra Caecilia' or 'Norba Caesarina,' but its etymology is debated.
- Cáceres was reconquered by Christians in 1229 after centuries of Arab rule.
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