History of Plasencia
Municipality in Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The history of Plasencia, a municipality of Spain in the province of Cáceres, an autonomous community of Extremadura, began in 1186 when King Alfonso VIII of Castile founded the city following the conquest of the area from the Almohad Caliphate. However, there are several indications of occupation of the area since prehistoric times.[1] Various peoples frequented and inhabited the region until the arrival of the Romans, whose legions set up a military camp there. At the time of the Alandalus (Islamic occupation of the Iberian Peninsula), there would have been a Kasbah on the site where the city stands today.[2]
The city prospered between the 12th and 17th centuries, reaching its apogee in the 16th century, as attested by its historic center and the various civil, military, and religious buildings. From the end of the 17th century on, the city went into decline, from which it would only recover in the second half of the 20th century.