Badajoz

Badajoz (Spanish: [baðaˈxoθ]; formerly written Badajos in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The population in 2011 was 151,565.

Originally a settlement by groups such as the Romans and the Visigoths, its previous name was Civitas Pacensis. Badajoz was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century and re-founded as Baṭalyaws, and later in the 11th century the city became the seat of a separate Moorish kingdom, the Taifa of Badajoz. After the Reconquista, the area was disputed between Spain and Portugal for several centuries with alternating control resulting in several wars including the Spanish War of Succession (1705), the Peninsular War (1808–1811), the Storming of Badajoz (1812), and the Spanish Civil War (1936). Spanish history is largely reflected in the town.

Badajoz is the see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz. Prior to the merger of the Diocese of Mérida and the Diocese of Badajoz, Badajoz was the see of the Diocese of Badajoz from the bishopric's inception in 1255. The city has a degree of eminence, crowned as it is by the ruins of the Moorish castle Alcazaba of Badajoz and overlooking the Guadiana river, which flows between the castle-hill and the powerfully armed fort of San Cristobal. The architecture of Badajoz is indicative of its tempestuous history; even the Badajoz Cathedral, built in 1238, resembles a fortress, with its massive walls. It is served by Badajoz Railway Station and Badajoz Airport.