Don Benito


Don Benito is a Spanish town and municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, near the left bank of the Guadiana river. According to the 2014 census, the municipality has a population of 37,011.

History

Don Benito dates from the 15th century, when it was founded by refugees from Don Llorente, who deserted their own town due to the danger of floods from the Guadiana.

Battle of Medellín

On 28 March 1809, the 9 km separating Don Benito from Medellín was the site of a major French victory against Spanish troops during the Peninsular War.

Geography

Don Benito has 37,048 inhabitants, and is part of an urban area with Villanueva de la Serena 5 km away.
The municipality is composed by the town of Don Benito and seven villages:
SettlementPopulation
Don Benito32,783
Conquista del Guadiana133
Gargáligas549
Hernán Cortés921
Ruecas718
El Torviscal549
Valdehornillos664
Vivares731

Demographics


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Transport

The town is served by a railway station on the Ciudad Real-Badajoz railway, part of an international line that links Madrid with Lisbon. It has been interested, along with the nearby Villanueva de la Serena, by a project of a tramway, not yet finalized. The town is also the southern terminus of the EXA2 motorway from Miajadas.

Famous residents