UNESCO World Heritage Site – Old Town of Cáceres

A view of the Torre de Bujaco, the Ermita de la Paz, and the buildings adjoining the Plaza Mayor in Cáceres' old town. The issuing state 'ESPAÑA', the year '2023', and the mint mark of the Madrid Mint appear above the design; the commemorative inscription 'CÁCERES' below.

Cáceres is one of the best-preserved medieval town centres on the Iberian Peninsula. Its old town, known in Spanish as "Ciudad Monumental", brings together architecture spanning almost three millennia within a very small area: Roman foundations, Arab fortifications, Gothic churches and the characteristic town palaces of the Extremaduran nobility from the 15th and 16th centuries. Because local noble families largely left their towers and residences unchanged after the Reconquista, the historical fabric has remained unusually intact to this day. UNESCO recognised this exceptional universal value in 1986 and added the old town of Cáceres to the World Heritage List — one of the first Spanish town ensembles to be listed.

Spain is among the countries with the highest density of UNESCO World Heritage sites worldwide and has for years devoted particular attention to its World Heritage coin series. Within this series, Cáceres represents the cultural heritage of the Extremadura region, which in the national memory is closely linked to the Conquista and the emergence of the Spanish colonial empire — many of the most notable conquistadors came from this area. The old town, with its towers, walls and squares, is today not only a tourist destination but a central anchor of identity for the city and the region. Spain's 2023 2-euro commemorative coin marks this heritage.