Logbook · 7 places

What to see and do in Villanueva de la Serena

What to see and do in Villanueva de la Serena (Vegas Altas, Badajoz): 7 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 1 Activities · 2 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones

When to go to Villanueva de la Serena: festival calendar

July: Feria de Ganado y Feria de Coleccionismo de Villanueva de la Serena (25 de julio (fiestas patronales))

Towns near Villanueva de la Serena

What to see in Don Benito 5.1 km · 7 places
What to see in La Haba 6.1 km · 5 places
What to see in Rena 8.9 km · 3 places
What to see in Magacela 10 km · 5 places
What to see in Villar de Rena 12 km · 3 places
What to see in Mengabril 12 km · 3 places
What to see in La Coronada 13 km · 4 places
What to see in Medellín 14 km · 6 places

Spain › Extremadura › Badajoz › Vegas Altas › Villanueva de la Serena

What to see and do in Villanueva de la Serena

Villanueva de la Serena
Village
Municipality of 25,773 inhabitants (2025) at 300 m altitude, forming a conurbation with Don Benito. It is the birthplace of the conquistador Pedro de Valdivia (1497-1553), who led the conquest of Chile and founded Santiago (1541), La Serena (1544), Concepción (1550) and the city that bears his name, Valdivia (1552).
Patrimonio de Villanueva de la Serena
Monument
The church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción was completed in 1608; the castillo de la Encomienda dates back to the 14th century; the Casa Consistorial (town hall) dates from 1583, and the monastery of San Benito from 1494.
El origen disputado de la tortilla de patatas
Curiosity
Villanueva de la Serena claims to be the birthplace of the Spanish tortilla (potato omelette), based on a recipe documented in the Semanario de Agricultura y Artes of February 27, 1798, promoted by Joseph de Tena Godoy and the Marqués de Robledo, and located by CSIC researcher Javier López Linaje in 2008. The attribution is disputed: a 1767 treatise by Joseph Antonio Valcárcel already mentions an earlier 'tortilla de patatas', so historians do not agree on whether Villanueva was really the origin of the dish or only of its first written recipe intended for practical use. The town has erected a monument to the tortilla and holds a gastronomic festival in its honor between late April and early June.
Feria de Ganado y Feria de Coleccionismo de Villanueva de la Serena
Activity
The February Feria de Ganado (Livestock Fair) dates back to 1909; the Feria Internacional de Coleccionismo (International Collectors' Fair) is held on the first weekend of March. The patron saint festivities of Santiago and Santa Ana take place on July 25.
Ermita de la Virgen de la Aurora
Monument
A chapel located on a municipal estate on the outskirts of Villanueva de la Serena, the starting point each January of the procession of riders and floats that accompanies the Virgin's return to the city.
Donación de Villanueva a la Orden de Alcántara
Historical milestone
King Ferdinand IV donated the then-hamlet of Villanueva to the Order of Alcántara. Centuries later, Isabella II would grant it the title of city.
Las romanas de Villanueva de la Serena
Curiosity
Villanueva de la Serena is known for the artisanal manufacture of 'romanas,' steelyard scales with a tradition going back to Roman times, a craft still kept up by some local artisans.