Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Cabañas del Castillo

We are at the foot of one of the best viewpoints of the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Global Geopark of the UNESCO: the wall of granite on which rises the Arab castle, later of the Order of Alcántara, the remains of which still stand and give the village its name. At the base of this imposing location stands the Church of Our Lady of La Peña (explicitly The Crag), one of the many important examples of Mudejar style existing in this territory.

The Church of Santa María de las Peñas or the Parish Church of the Virgen de la Peña, as it is also known locally, is mainly built of stone masonry although it also includes brick elements such as the top of the church tower, the arches of the entrance, and the windows. This combination of materials is typical of the Mudejar style in which the tendencies of the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula meet the building tradition of Moslems who remained under the control of the former, in particular when religious architecture is concerned.

Its design and image are in keeping with the Mudejar architecture of Extremadura with its simple wall faces and scarcely any openings. The stamp of the Mudejar of Guadalupe can be appreciated; driven by the rise of the Hieronymites in the Real Monasterio it extended its area of influence all over the current Geopark.

This church dates from the late 15th and early 16th centuries and consists of a single central nave crowned by a raised polygonal transept. In this type of construction the lack of buttresses on the side walls is typical as the wood ceilings of the central naves make this unnecessary.

On the outside on the left-hand side of the central nave (the side of the gospel) stands the tower which is quadrangular. On the façade a fine brick doorway can be appreciated with a basket arch and slender Gothic columns. It is finished off with an ogee frame surrounded by an alfiz (a decorative element which frames the opening of a doorway).The said doorway, one of the greatest attractions of the church, is of Gothic-Mudejar style. Furthermore this façade has superimposed layers of brick between the entrance and the corners of the tower. In the interior the central nave is formed of a succession of large round arches and on one of its edges there is a modest choir raised above three other small arches. In one of the sides of the central nave there is a small altar with ornate tiling in the Renaissance style which contains references to the Marian cult in addition to various icons.

Near the church the pillory of the village still stands. In contrast to others it has the peculiarity of having the shaft of brick. On the upper part four arms of wrought iron in the form of serpents can be seen. This monument proves that the settlement acquired the rank of town in the late Middle Ages. On the second Sunday in September the inhabitants of Cabañas del Castillo celebrate here the festival of the Virgen de la Peña. All the churches of the municipal district made up the Real Abadía de Cabañas under royal patronage. It was an important institution until the mid-19th century when its last abbot died.