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Wise Pilgrim APPLa Calzada takes its name from being situated on the Roman calzada — the paved road that connected Emerita Augusta to the north. Once an important frontier outpost, the town has lost 90% of its population in the last century. What remains is quiet and dignified.
The albergue receives praise from most pilgrims, and several homes have been converted into comfortable rural accommodation. Near the Roman road, remains of a 3rd-century fortified enclosure have been identified — a military control point that monitored trade, troops, and travellers along the Via de la Plata.
La Calzada owes its existence to the Roman road that connected Emerita Augusta (Merida) to Asturica Augusta (Astorga), laid out in the 1st century BC during the reign of Augustus. The name Via de la Plata doesn't refer to silver -- it comes from the Arabic al-balat, meaning paved road, a description of the Roman engineering the Moors found still intact centuries later. A fortified enclosure near the village dates to the late Roman Empire and served as a checkpoint for trade and troop movements.
Mostly straight and mostly flat walking all the way to Valverde de Valdelacasa. The terrain is open and exposed -- on a hot day, you'll feel it.
