Church of Santa Catalina

Anyone visiting Monroy on 2 February will find far more than an old building at the Church of Santa Catalina: this is where Las Purificás is held, a festival regarded as one of the best-preserved Candlemas celebrations in the whole province of Cáceres. The day revolves around the image of the Virgen del Rosario and turns the church into the heart of village life, in a tradition faithfully repeated every year.

Outside that special date, the church is still well worth a visit in its own right. It is the parish church of this town in the province of Cáceres, built in the 15th century and dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria, the martyred saint who gives the building its name. Its late-medieval origins place it among the oldest examples of the town's heritage and make it an essential stop for anyone wandering its streets at a leisurely pace.

Once inside, your gaze is drawn straight to the main altarpiece, the most outstanding of the treasures the church holds. Dating from the 17th century, it has a feature that makes it particularly interesting: rather than relying on sculpture, as was usual in so many altarpieces of the period, it is made up almost entirely of paintings. It is worth lingering in front of it to appreciate this ensemble of paintings presiding over the chancel.

Heritage and living tradition go hand in hand in this church, which offers a glimpse at once of 15th-century religious architecture, 17th-century art and a popular festival that Monroy has managed to keep alive. If your schedule allows, timing your visit to coincide with Las Purificás is the best way to understand the role this church still plays for local people.