Our Rural Tour passes through Medellín, one of the most renowned, deeply rooted, and historically significant towns in Extremadura, treasuring important archaeological remains, buildings, and monument... (plus +)

Our Rural Tour passes through Medellín, one of the most renowned, deeply rooted, and historically significant towns in Extremadura, treasuring important archaeological remains, buildings, and monuments of great artistic value, and being the scene of numerous and momentous historical events. Medellín owes its name to the Roman consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius who founded the Roman colony of Metellinum in the year 79 BC. We will start at the town hall square, where we can see the Clock Tower and the statue dedicated to Hernán Cortés as the most unique elements. We continue north and will come across the church of Santiago, built on the slopes of the hill topped by the castle of Medellín, dating from the 13th century with notable renovations from the 15th and 17th centuries. The church has a beautiful semicircular apse, consists of a single nave with four sections, and houses the interpretation center of the Medellín Archaeological Park. Following the marked route, we will visit the Roman theater of Medellín. It is the most important visible building of Roman Metellinum. It has great monumentality, both for its location and for its excellent state of preservation. The theater takes advantage of the terrain's slope, adapting to its topography as had been done by Greek models and some Roman ones, like that of Sagunto. At its peak, the theater could accommodate up to 3200 spectators, and the seating area is the best-preserved element of the Medellín theater. The next landmark on the Tour is the Castle of Medellín, from the 12th century and rebuilt in the 14th century by the Lord of Medellín, with important renovations from the 15th and 16th centuries. From it, we will get the best panoramic views of Medellín and its surroundings. On the way to the Medellín Bridge, we will pass by the Church of San Martín and the Portacaeli, one of the city's entrance gates. Leaving the town, we will cross the Bridge of the Austrias, of Roman origin but rebuilt in the 17th century. It is 400 meters long and rests on 20 arches each 12 meters wide. In the center, a small temple is erected, which, in addition to the coat of arms of the Austrias, has an inscription referring to its construction during the reign of King Philip IV. Once across the bridge, we will delve into the irrigated fields, very present throughout the region, and walk along the Guadiana River. On the way back to the starting point, we will cross the Bridge of the Austrias again and pass by the Church of Santa Cecilia, in Gothic style. TYPE OF ROUTE: Circular LENGTH: 7.5 km ESTIMATED TIME: 2 hours and 30 minutes DIFFICULTY: Easy TYPE OF PATH: Path, Road and urban layout ELEVATION: 73m
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