Discover the town’s history in a different way

Have you noticed the façades of the town’s manor houses? Did you know that they have a hidden story?

Discover the precious noble shields, learn about the lineages of the families to which they belong and delve into the town’s history in a different way. Take a good look at each and every one of their details to discover what they mean.

Valencia de Alcántara has almost a hundred well-preserved noble shields, spread over the different façades of the town. They represent noble families and the main lineages and connections, such as Peñaranda, Sotomayor, Bravo de Jerez, Escobar, Mendoza, Chumacero, Contreras, Marqués de Labrador, Cid de Rivera and Ulloa, among others.

Escudos nobiliarios - Valencia de Alcántara
Escudos nobiliarios - Valencia de Alcántara
Escudos nobiliarios - Valencia de Alcántara

On the façade of the town hall, it is worth taking a look at the shields of Valencia de Alcántara and the Emperor Carlos V.

Set up your own heraldic route, touring the manor houses, palaces and visiting the tombs of the churches of Rocamador and the Incarnation to discover the town’s past.

Did you know that…

  • Coats of arms or crests provide very interesting information about the origin and past of individuals or families.
  • On Calle Juan Durán Street you can find the largest collection of shields in Valencia de Alcántara.
  • On Calle Bordalo Street, you will find a coat of arms of the Court of the Inquisition.
  • Heraldry, a discipline that studies coats of arms, was developed throughout the Middle Ages across Europe and eventually became a code for identifying people. It was progressively incorporated by the estates of feudal society such as the nobility and the church to identify lineages and it was also adopted by other groups such as unions and associations, as well as for the identification of cities, towns and territories.