Alcántara - Santa María de Almocóvar

Alcántara is a small Spanish town (pop 1500) that got its name from the Arabs for the nearby Roman bridge (see previous uploads). In 1213 the area was reconquered by the troops of Alfonso IX. A few years later the place came under the command of the Alcántara Knights.

Santa María de Almocóvar is the parish church from the 13th century

During the Andalusian period, the local mosque stood here, which was used as a church after the reconquest in 1213. In 1254, the Order of Alcántara decided to demolish the building and begin construction of the church, of which some Romanesque elements have been preserved. Today's predominantly Baroque church dates back to important renovation work carried out between the 16th and 18th centuries.