Villanueva de la Serena is a city in Badajoz Province

Badajoz (province)

The province of Badajoz is a province of western Spain located in the autonomous community of Extremadura. It was formed in 1833. It is bordered by the provinces of Cáceres, Toledo, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Seville, and Huelva, and by Portugal....

, Extremadura

Extremadura

Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. It has a population of 26,111 (2010) and forms part of a larger urban area

Urban area

An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...

 with the neighbouring town of Don Benito

Don Benito

Don Benito is a small Spanish city in the Badajoz province, Extremadura, near the left bank of the Guadiana river.- Overview :Don Benito has 35,564 people, being part of an urban area with the Villanueva de la Serena only 5 km away....

.

Founded in the thirteenth century as Aldeanueva de Medellín the city was an important centre for the Mesta

Mesta

The Mesta was a powerful association of sheep holders in the medieval Kingdom of Castile....

 in the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

. It was the birthplace of Pedro de Valdivia

Pedro de Valdivia

Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia or Valdiva was a Spanish conquistador and the first royal governor of Chile. After serving with the Spanish army in Italy and Flanders, he was sent to South America in 1534, where he served as lieutenant under Francisco Pizarro in Peru, acting as his second in command...

 who conquered Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 for the Spanish crown.

Location

Located in the county of Vegas Altas, itself is the main gate of La Serena

La Serena, Spain

La Serena is a comarca located in the east of Extremadura, Spain, in the province of Badajoz. The main town is Castuera....

 another county of Extremadura

Extremadura

Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...

 (and historically belongs to it) separated by only 5 km from the neighbour Don Benito

Don Benito

Don Benito is a small Spanish city in the Badajoz province, Extremadura, near the left bank of the Guadiana river.- Overview :Don Benito has 35,564 people, being part of an urban area with the Villanueva de la Serena only 5 km away....

, forming those two, Villanueva de la Serena-Don Benito, an Urban agglomeration of population around 60.000 inhabitants, making one of the most important agricultural, industrial and services centre in the region and in the community of Extremadura. Merida

Merida

Places of the world named Mérida or Merida include:*Mérida, Spain, capital city of the Spanish Community of Extremadura*Mérida, Yucatán, capital city of the Mexican state of Yucatán*Merida, Leyte, a municipality in Leyte province in the Philippines...

 (capital of Extremadura) and Badajoz

Badajoz

Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain, situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana, and the Madrid–Lisbon railway. The population in 2007 was 145,257....

 (biggest city in the region) is respectively 58 and 116 km from Villanueva de la Serena.

The natural trail (green way) of Vegas del Guadiana

Guadiana

The Guadiana , or Odiana, is an international river located on the Portuguese–Spanish border, separating Extremadura and Andalucia from Alentejo and Algarve...

 or "Vía Verde de las Vegas del Guadiana y las Villuercas" begins in this city.

Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...

 player José Calderón

José Calderón (basketball)

José Manuel Calderón Borrallo is a Spanish professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors and the Spanish national team.-European career:...

was born in Villanueva de la Serena.