This grand Renaissance convent was built in the 16th century to house the Orden de Alcántara, an order of Reconquista knights – part monks, part soldiers – who ruled much of western Extremadura as a kind of private fiefdom; it was abandoned in the 19th century. Now restored, the highlights of the down-at-heel monastery include the Gothic cloister and the perfectly proportioned three-tier loggia. Admission is by free guided visit (ring the bell if the door is shut).
