The Regional Government initiates proceedings to declare the Cross of Cáceres a Monument

The Regional Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Junta de Extremadura has initiated the proceedings to declare the so-called “Cruz” located in the Plaza de América in Cáceres as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), under the category of Monument. This is established by the Resolution of August 12, 2026, issued by Minister Laureano León Rodríguez, published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura number 159, dated August 18, 2026, with the official reference 2026062163. The resolution opens a one-month public information period.

An urban landmark of Francoist origin

The Cruz de los Caídos (Cross of the Fallen) of Cáceres originated from the municipal agreement of September 9, 1937; it was erected during the Civil War and inaugurated in May 1938, at a cost of 28,041.35 pesetas fully funded by the City Council. Its design is attributed to the municipal architect Ángel Pérez, author of other significant buildings and monuments in the capital of Cáceres, such as the Casa de los Picos or the monument to the Regimiento Argel.

The file emphasizes that the municipal intervention of 1984, promoted by then-mayor Juan Iglesias Marcelo, substantially modified its public interpretation by removing the inscriptions and explicit references exalting the Francoist regime. The original plaque was replaced by another with the text “The city of Cáceres in memory of its sons who died for the Homeland,” which allowed its interpretation to be decoupled from the original commemorative elements.

Heritage values and procedure

The declaration is processed in accordance with Law 2/1999, of March 29, on the Historical and Cultural Heritage of Extremadura, which reserves the category of Monument for buildings and structures of relevant historical, artistic, ethnological, scientific, social, or technical interest. The file includes technical reports dated July 27 and August 3, 2026, prepared by commission of the General Directorate of Cultural and Documentary Heritage, which analyze its historical, artistic, architectural, urban, and cultural values.

The current heritage assessment refers to its formal values, derived from its austere, geometric, and refined language, its monumentality, and its role as a visual reference in the urban memory of the city. The delimitation of the asset comprises the monumental structure, its base, the platform, and the immediate landscaped area, while the protection environment encompasses the area of the Plaza de América that provides environmental and visual support to the monument.

Deadlines and procedures

The resolution establishes the following procedures:

• Opening of a one-month public information period following its publication in the Official Gazette of Extremadura.
• Notification to the interested parties, the Cáceres City Council, and the General Registry of Assets of Cultural Interest of the Ministry of Culture for preventive annotation.
• Publication in the Official State Gazette.
• Consultation of the file at the offices of the General Directorate of Cultural and Documentary Heritage, at avenida Valhondo, s/n, Module 4, 2nd floor, 06800 Mérida (Badajoz).

Any intervention in the monument or its protection environment must be previously authorized by the Department competent in matters of culture and heritage, in accordance with articles 31 to 39 of Law 2/1999.

Relevance for the city

The declaration as an Asset of Cultural Interest will grant the Cross of the Plaza de América the highest level of protection for Extremaduran heritage, safeguarding its conservation, scale, and urban presence against future interventions. For Cáceres, a city declared a World Heritage site, it represents the formal recognition of an element that, despite its controversial origin, has established itself as a landmark fully integrated into the contemporary fabric and the visual configuration of one of its most emblematic public spaces.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, number 159, August 18, 2026, section III (official reference: 2026062163).