DESCRIPTION

The Parish Church of San Pedro Apóstol constitutes one of the main religious and heritage landmarks of Casas de Don Pedro. It is a church built between the 14th and 16th centuries, located in the urban center of the town, whose architecture follows the characteristic models of late rural Extremaduran Gothic style.
The building stands out particularly for its southern portal, created around the year 1499, as well as for the presence of decorative and construction elements linked to the civil Gothic style.

HISTORY

The church likely began to be built at the end of the 14th century and was later renovated and expanded over time. The constructive evolution developed between the 14th and 16th centuries gave rise to the building’s current architectural configuration.
For centuries, Casas de Don Pedro was linked to the lordship of the Sotomayor family and to the Duchy of Béjar, a circumstance reflected in the heraldry preserved on the church’s main portal.

HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC DESCRIPTION

The Parish Church of San Pedro Apóstol features architecture in the civil Gothic style, distinguishing itself from other churches in the area through its construction and decorative characteristics.
The building is constructed mainly with slate walls, while brick is used in doors, windows, and the mullion. Externally, the walls are reinforced with cylindrical buttresses in the apse and rectangular buttresses along the nave.
One of the most remarkable elements of the complex is the portal located on the southern wall, corresponding to the final phase of Gothic architecture and dated around the year 1499. The portal features delicate ornamentation combining Gothic thistles, flowers, and figures of animals and chimeras typical of the late Gothic style.

The entire portal is framed by an alfiz and topped with a drip molding bearing the coat of arms of Don Alfonso II de Sotomayor and his wife Doña Isabel.
The building consists of a single nave articulated by five transverse arches supporting a wooden roof. The main chapel is crowned by a large enclosed dome supported by four transverse arches with their corresponding pendentives. This dome was possibly built during the 16th century, coinciding with the installation of the church’s great altarpiece.
Inside, cruciform pillars also stand out, along with ribs and corbels decorated with medieval sculptures related to the customs and beliefs of the time. The architectural ensemble is completed by a square tower crowned with battlements.

RELEVANT FIGURES RELATED TO THE POI

San Pedro Apóstol, patron saint of the church, was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and one of the main figures of early Christianity. Considered the first pope of the Catholic Church, his dedication has historically been linked to numerous rural parishes throughout Extremadura.
Likewise, the coat of arms present on the church portal refers to Don Alfonso II de Sotomayor and his wife Doña Isabel, historically linked to the lordship of the locality.

MOVABLE HERITAGE
The church once housed a large altarpiece covering approximately 153 square meters in the main chapel, probably installed during the 16th century. Likewise, the interior preserves medieval sculptural and decorative elements integrated into pillars, ribs, and corbels.

INTANGIBLE HERITAGE

The Parish Church of San Pedro Apóstol constitutes the main religious space of Casas de Don Pedro and maintains its liturgical function linked to the town’s religious celebrations and local festivities.