Car Hire Cuenca
Cuenca is a city in the autonomous community of Castile La Mancha, in central Spain. The city is also the capital of the province of Cuenca. When the Iberian peninsula was part of the Roman Empire there were several important settlements in the province, such as Segobriga, Ercavica, and Gran Valeira. The first decades of the 20th century were as turbulent as in other regions of Spain. There was poverty in rural areas, and the Catholic church was attacked, with monks, nuns and priests and a bishop of Cuenca. The city has experiences a moderate growth in population and economy, the second one especially due to the growing tourism sector. Here are some of the main attractions in Cuenca tourists can see.
Top Attractions Within Cuenca
Cuenca Cathedral
The cathedral was built from 1182 to 1270. It is the first Gothic style cathedral in Cuenca and Spain, because of the influence of Alfonso VIII's wife, Eleanor, who introduced the Anglo Norman style. The main altar was redesigned during the 18th century by famous architect Ventura Rodriguez, featuring a precious iron-work gate. The facade was also restored in 1902 due to the collapse of the former bell tower.
Saint Paul Bridge
This bridge in Cuenca was built from 1533 to 1589, a construction driven by the canon Juan del Pozo, over the river Huecar's Gorge, aiming at connecting the old town with St. Paul convent. The bridge is up to 40 meters high, and supported upon the remains of the old bridge.
The Seminary
The Seminary is an interestingly rectangular building located in Cuenca, that stretches from Plaza de la Merced to Mangana Square. The building holds a library with numerous ancient books, some of them incunables, previous to 1501. There is also a Rococo meeting room inside and a Gothic altarpiece at the chapel.
El Castillo
El Castillo is the name for the remains of an ancient Arab fortress, representing the older structures of Cuenca. Today, tourists can see only a tower, two stone blocks, the arch and a fragment of the walls. The castle was home of the Holy Inquisition after 1583, and it was finally destroyed during the 19th century by French soldiers during the Spanish War of Independence.