Iglesia de San Bartolomé & Its Mudéjar Tower
Most visitors to Jerez de los Caballeros photograph the castle and move on, entirely missing the extraordinary cluster of Baroque church towers that earned the town the nickname 'the Seville of Extremadura' — and the finest of them all is San Bartolomé, a riot of glazed azulejo tiles and Mudéjar brickwork that looks like it was teleported from Andalucía.
A tower unlike any other in Extremadura
The tower of San Bartolomé was rebuilt in the 18th century using a technique more common in Seville than in rural Extremadura: the upper stages are clad in polychrome glazed tiles — deep blue, yellow and white — that flash brilliantly in the midday sun. From the street below, the effect is genuinely startling, a burst of colour against the pale limestone of the surrounding buildings.
The church itself contains a fine collection of Baroque retablos (altarpieces) and a carved wooden choir that local art historians consider one of the best-preserved in the province. Entry is free during Mass times, or ask at the sacristy for the caretaker who can let you in on weekday mornings.
The other towers of the town
San Bartolomé is the star, but Jerez de los Caballeros has four other notable church towers within easy walking distance: Santa Catalina, San Miguel, Santa María and the Monastery of Santa Ana. Walking the 'ruta de las torres' — a signed circuit taking about an hour — lets you compare their very different architectural personalities, from Gothic austerity to full Churrigueresque excess.
The tourist office on Plaza de España distributes a free map of the route with brief notes on each building. The best light for photography is between 10:00 and 12:00 when the sun hits the tiled tower of San Bartolomé from the south and the azulejos shimmer.
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