Plasencia

Plasencia (Spanish: [plaˈsenθja] ) is a city and municipality in Spain, located in the northern part of the province of Cáceres in the autonomous community of Extremadura. The municipality does not form part of any municipal association with surrounding towns and geographically borders municipalities from six municipal associations: Valle del Jerte, La Vera, Monfragüe and its surroundings, Valle del Alagón, Ambroz Valley, and Trasierra - Tierras de Granadilla. Physically, the city is situated at the gateway to the Valle del Jerte, although administratively it does not belong to it, as the four major population centers in Extremadura (Badajoz, Cáceres, Mérida, and Plasencia) are not part of any comarca or municipal association. The municipal territory of Plasencia covers an area of 217.94 km2 (84.15 sq mi) and includes the city of Plasencia as well as the minor local entities of San Gil and Pradochano. The municipality has a population of 39,829 inhabitants, making it the second most populous in the province of Cáceres and the fourth in Extremadura. The city is the episcopal see of its own diocese and the capital of the judicial district no. 4 of the province. As the most populous city in northern Extremadura, it is home to various services of the General State Administration and the Government of Extremadura, serving both its residents and those of numerous neighboring municipalities. It was founded as a city by King Alfonso VIII of Castile in 1186. Its establishment was driven by military strategy considerations during the Reconquista, as the city was located just a few kilometers from the Castilian borders with the Kingdom of León to the west and the Muslim territories to the south. The border with León was marked in this area by the Vía de la Plata, an important Roman road now used as a hiking...