12 meses, 12 sellos. Badajoz

12 MONTHS, 12 STAMPS. BADAJOZ

February’s stamp in the series 12 months, 12 stamps, 12 provinces features Badajoz. Like the other stamps in the series, it shows the initials of the province, BA, as they used to appear on car number plates, on a blue background, one of the colours of the provincial flag of Badajoz.

Apart from a few exceptions such as Mérida, the province is little known, despite its wealth of culture, tourist attractions and leisure activities. Different elements have been chosen to illustrate the stamp and to introduce the province.

One of the main features is its cuisine, with the star product taking centre stage - its famous ham, from the pigs that roam its pastures and hillsides eating acorns. La Serena cheese also has a protected designation of origin, and is made only from raw milk from the flocks of merino sheep typical of the district of La Serena. And finally, D.O. Ribera del Guadiana wine from Almendralejo.

The local wildlife is represented by a stork. These birds can be seen everywhere in the province, especially at this time of year. And the tree shown is a cork oak, representing both the dehesa, or pastures, and the cork industry.

The columns of the Temple of Diana in Mérida allude to the Roman past, when this temple was part of a great square, the colonial Forum. Surrounded by important public buildings, it was the administrative hub of the province as well as the main meeting place for the citizens of Augusta Emerita. The temple was built of granite from the local quarries and covered with stucco.

Since the 17th century it has been known locally as the Temple of Diana, but we now know that it was consecrated to Rome and the Emperor. In the late 15th century, in response to the growing taste for antiquity, Alonso Mexía, knight of the Order of Santiago, built a mansion on the remains of the Roman temple. Part of the main façade of the Renaissance palace is still conserved. In 1972 the State acquired the building with the intention of restoring the Roman temple, but it was later decided to keep part of the palace extant, for its own heritage value.

The bell tower of the Gothic church of Divino Salvador de Calzadilla de los Barros dates from the 15th century. Inside, the most important element is the main altarpiece, one of the few examples of Gothic art to be found in Extremadura. They were both declared official historic and artistic monuments in 1982.

The tower was built of stone blocks, which are rather uneven at the corners. On a rectangular plan with the addition of a bell gable, it consists of two storeys separated by a line of brackets. There are beautiful views from the top of the tower.

The main chapel houses the most notable work of art in the church, the main altarpiece. From the late 15th or early 16th century, it is one of the few Gothic altarpieces to be conserved in Extremadura. It is the work of Antón de Madrid, with panels in three groups showing scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin.