Plasencia () is a city and municipality in Spain, located in the northern part of the province of Cáceres in the autonomous community of Extremadura. The municipality does not form part of any municipal association with surrounding towns and geographically borders municipalities from six municipal associations: Valle del Jerte, La Vera, Monfragüe and its surroundings, Valle del Alagón, Ambroz Valley, and Trasierra - Tierras de Granadilla. Physically, the city is situated at the gateway to the Valle del Jerte, although administratively it does not belong to it, as the four major population centers in Extremadura (Badajoz, Cáceres, Mérida, and Plasencia) are not part of any comarca or municipal association. The city is the episcopal see of its own diocese and the capital of the judicial district no. 4 of the province. As the most populous city in northern Extremadura, it is home to various services of the General State Administration and the Government of Extremadura, serving both its residents and those of numerous neighboring municipalities.

It was founded as a city by King Alfonso VIII of Castile in 1186. Its establishment was driven by military strategy considerations during the Reconquista, as the city was located just a few kilometers from the Castilian borders with the Kingdom of León to the west and the Muslim territories to the south. The border with León was marked in this area by the Vía de la Plata, an important Roman road now used as a hiking route. Until the 19th century, it was the capital of the Sexmo of Plasencia, a community of villages that covered a quarter of the current province of Cáceres. Despite not exceeding twenty thousand inhabitants until the 1960 census, significant events occurred in the city, such as the marriage of Joanna la Beltraneja during the Castilian War of Succession and the initiative to purchase a vote in the Cortes of Castile, which led to the creation of the Province of Extremadura in 1653.

The municipality's economy is primarily based on the service sector, with over a thousand commercial establishments in the city. At the beginning of the 20th century, the municipality had its own savings bank, which later became the foundation of Caja de Extremadura (subsequently Liberbank and currently Unicaja). Tourism is significant, as its historic center is declared a cultural heritage site and the city has two festivals declared of tourist interest: Martes Mayor and Holy Week. The city has a university center affiliated with the University of Extremadura, offering four undergraduate degrees and one master's degree.

Etymology

The city's toponym derives from the motto given by its founder, King Alfonso VIII of Castile, in the coat of arms granted to the city: "Ut placeat Deo et Hominibus", a Latin phrase meaning "To please God and men". However, before Alfonso VIII's arrival, there was an inhabited place in the area whose exact name is unknown, possibly called Ambroz, Ambrosía, Ambracia, or Pagus Ambracensis.

;Demonym

The most commonly used demonym for the inhabitants of Plasencia is "placentino". According to the Dictionary of the Spanish Language, this word derives from the Latin Placentīnus and can be used as a demonym for both the Extremaduran municipality and the Italian city of Piacenza. and which shares its name with the Guipuzcoan municipality of Placencia de las Armas. Placencia and Plasencia can be homophones in some Spanish dialects due to seseo and ceceo.

In Canada, there is a municipality called Placentia, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, whose name derives directly from the city on the Jerte River. In California, there is also another Placentia. In Italy, there is also a municipality called Piacenza, the homonymous capital belonging to the Emilia-Romagna region, also referred to as Plasencia in Spanish.

Symbols

left|150px|Coat of arms of Plasencia

The heraldic shield of Plasencia is one of the oldest in the province, as Alfonso VIII of Castile inscribed the motto Ut placeat Deo et hominibus on it at the end of the 12th century. The coat of arms, without the motto, is heraldically described as follows:

left|150px|Flag of Plasencia

The flag, which features the coat of arms in its center, is described as follows:

Sports facilities

thumb|La Coronación Football Field

Plasencia has the following municipal sports facilities:

  • Municipal Sports Complex, which offers rentable tennis, paddle tennis, and fronton courts, as well as weight rooms, and facilities for basketball, handball, football, futsal, 7-a-side football, skating, volleyball, swimming, BMX, athletics, table tennis, and climbing;
  • Plasencia City Pavilion, featuring a multi-purpose court;
  • Indoor swimming pool;
  • Outdoor municipal swimming pool, available in the summer.

The city also has private facilities, such as those of the Plasencia City Sports and Social Club, located on the N-110.

In addition to these general facilities, various neighborhoods have other sports facilities:

Media

thumb|Headquarters of Vía Plata TV in Plasencia

;Print Media

Hoy and El Periódico Extremadura have correspondents in the city and each maintains a dedicated Plasencia page in their digital editions. Additionally, local online newspapers include Plasencia Digital and the website of Vía Plata TV.

;Radio

The following radio stations broadcast from the city:

;Television

The city has its own satellite stations. However, Pradochano receives the signal from Hervás, and San Gil receives the signal from Gata. Plasencia is the seat of one of the eight local television demarcations in the province, with its direct scope extending to Malpartida de Plasencia. Local DTT licenses in this demarcation were awarded in April 2010 to Teleplasencia, Producción Canal 30 Cáceres, and Radio Vegas Altas.

Twin towns

The city of Plasencia participates in the twin towns initiative promoted, among other institutions, by the European Union. This initiative aims to establish ties with other municipalities through cultural events, exchanges, or sports activities. Plasencia is twinned with the following cities:

Notable people

See also

  • Diocese of Plasencia
  • List of municipalities in Cáceres

References

Bibliography

  • Official website
  • Ver Extremadura
  • Photos
  • Plasencia is the subject of the Revealing Cooperation and Conflict Project trying to create a virtual 3D model and database describing the city in the time between 1390-1420 CE.