Iglesia de Santa Catalina en Baños de Montemayor

If you decide to travel the Vía de la Plata from its beginning, you will cross Extremadura until you reach Castilla y León and then, finally, Galicia. In the stage that goes from Aldeanueva del Camino to Calzada de Béjar, the border of Cáceres is crossed to enter Salamanca. Just halfway there is Baños de Montemayor, bordering the Castilian province. If you know this town, it is probably because of its thermal baths of Roman origin, but there is more to discover in this village.

What the church hides within its walls

Although its population is small, this town has two very different churches. The one that concerns us is the church of Santa Catalina, a fifteenth-century building marked by sobriety in all its elements. It is built in granite and its interior has been restored. Its floor plan is a single rectangular nave, with a flat head, and the bell tower is attached to it. Its façade is simple, in line with the style of the rest of the building: it is made up of a semicircular arch framed by an alfiz and crowned by a small figure of the Virgin carved in stone. 

This church was deconsecrated and currently all religious services are held in the church of Santa María de la Asunción. For this reason, in 2015 the altarpiece of Santa Catalina, dating from the 16th century, was moved to the neighboring church, where it is better preserved. However, the fact that religious use has ceased does not detract from the historical and cultural value of this church. In its place, it now serves as a municipal auditorium and a venue for other cultural activities such as photography exhibitions.