Puebla of Guadalupe it is located in the Mountain of Villuercas, in the Eastern part that the province of Cáceres, concretely in the southernmost chest of the hill of Altamira. The common one was on declared Historic Artistic building September 27, 1943 and Sainte María de Guadalupe was declared Patron of Estrémadure in 1907 and it Reigns of Españas on October 12 of 1928.

Of all it started with the chance discovery a height of wood of the María Virgin with the Child. It had been buried with the river "Guadalupe" (dissimulated river).

It counts the legend that its first owner was San Lucas there, for century I. When it died the figure it was buried at its side. Later, roughly by century IV both would be transferred in Constantinople and since here would travel directly to Rome by order of the Gregorio cardinal. It would be in this city where it would act its first miracle by cleaning with its step by the streets the plague which agitated with the Roman people, which acclaimed it with enthusiasm. The image would be transferred subsequently to Seville and would be delivered to San Leandro, archbishop by that then of this city. There it would remain until year 711. Little then, while fleeing of the dangers of the Sarracena invasion, of the Seville's monks carried the figure until high Estrémadure where they considered it necessary to dissimulate it for their protection. And it was in a "dissimulated river", in the river "Guadalupe".

Several centuries there remained the missing virgin, until roughly for century XVI one counts that a shepherd cacereño found one of his cows dead. At the time when its skin the cow laid out to leave it has resurrected and him it virgin appeared itself by indicating the place to him where the image was. This same day the virgin resurrected with the son of the shepherd who was deceased when this it is turned over to his house. In the same site where one proceeded to the exhumation height, one built a hermitage which was useful immediately like centres peregrination.

Beyond the legend the height of polychrome wood represents with a brown Virgin with Enfant most probably carried out during century XII on the wood of cedar, measures 60 centimetres roughly and weighs some four kilos. It is believed that its appearance occurred between the 1260 and 1300. The current figure is what is original, although it underwent some modifications throughout time. Like curiosity, the right hand of the Jesus Child was replaced by one of money, which is that that it currently shows.

When we enter for the first time the Greater Seat of the village, the feeling is indescribable which produces to find the frontage imposing of this monument. This frontage, that of the Basilica, are accompanied two turns by stone, that of Holy Ana built in the century XV and that of the portería, built in the XIV. On the principal door an enormous rivet washer mudéjar gives it to us welcome.

This sanctuary was monastery almost since the beginning of its construction, at the beginning of century XIV, him they lived by the monks about San Hieronymite up to 1835, by transforming it one of the centres more important than the devotion mariana. For this year and has had up to 1908, during which the Franciscan Order took care of the temple, it underwent the consequences of the total abandonment. It was the latter Order that which obtained, after many restorations, which the monastery recovers its preceding splendour.

The monastery is an enormous construction, a jewel and a pride of Extremadura, which is made up of four parts: Temple the Basilica, the building of the Auditorium, a Mudéjar Cloister and the Gothic Cloister. Its interior dissimulates infinity of treasures of an incalculable value. At summer declared on December 11, 1993 Inheritance of Humanity by UNESCO. Although its entire interior is really admirable, we can underline the enormous beauty of their Mudéjar Cloister in the centre of which one finds a beautiful house built at the beginning of century XV. Of visit the museum of the embroidery is also worthy where one exposes a rich person collection of crowned ornaments and other fabrics devoted to the worship. The monastery has one of the most important collections of books painted in miniature of the world (the Book of hours of the Prior of century XVI underlines). In addition, in the sacristy one finds a collection of fabrics of Zurbarán, between which we can consider: "the Father Cabañuelas", "Fray Gonzalo d' Illescas". And in the hood of San Hieronymite is one of works more important than Zurbarán, ' the Apotheosis of San Hieronymite '. Other stays which we visit with a great interest are "the Reliquary" and the Niche of the Virgin. The first is a sumptuous hood devoted to San, which contains objects of great value like "the rich Coat of the Community" (one of the parts richest in embroidery of the world) with funds embroidered gold and of PER they and aljófares and 243 gold coins worked with diamond points. The niche of the Virgin is perhaps the stay more surprising that the monastery. Of style baroque, it is built in the form of Greek cross. It is decorated with paintings of Luca Giordano, and with the heights of the eight strong women of the Bible: María Prophetess, Deborah, Jael, Sara, Ruth, Abigail, Esther and Judith. By all that is exposed here and by much more than you will discover after a rested visit, the monastery of Guadalupe is one of these places which we cannot cease visiting.