Ciudad Rodrigo information
The main defining feature of the city is the imposing medieval wall that surrounds it. This was constructed in the 12th century during the reign of Ferdinand II. The walled enclosure has a perimeter in excess of 2 kilometers and seven gates, the oldest of which are the Puerta del Sol and the Puerta de Santiago.
The Puerta de la Colada leads to the promontory on which the Castle of Henry II was erected in the 14th century. A square-plan keep presides over the fortress. The complex currently houses the city's parador.
Situated in the Plaza Mayor are several stately buildings, such as the House of the First Marquis of Cerrablo, the 16th-century Casa de los Cueto, and the City Hall. The latter was constructed during the mid-16th century in the Renaissance style but also contains elements added at the beginning of the 20th century. Its main façade has two emblazoned towers and a gallery supported by columns with plateresque capitals.
The boom enjoyed by the city during the Renaissance period gave rise to the emergence of numerous palaces and mansions. One of the most outstanding of these is the so-called Palacio de los Castro with its beautiful plateresque portal flanked by spiral columns crowned by figures of lions. Particularly outstanding in this context is the Palacio de los Águila (16th-17th centuries), an austere mansion adorned with the coats of arms of its former owners. A tour of the city could also include the Neo-Gothic Palacio de la Marquesa de Cartago constructed during the 19th and 20th centuries, the Moctezuma palace, which now houses the municipal cultural centre and the Palace of the Count of Alba de Yeltes.
Salamanca guide