After the reconquest of Badajoz in 1230 by King Alfonso IX of León, the new bishop Pedro Pérez initially adapted the former mosque in the Badajoz Alcazaba (citadel) as a cathedral.
A new cathedral was not begun until the mid-13th century.
The site chosen was that of a pre-existing Visigothic and Mozarabic church in the Campo de San Juan, situated outside the citadel.

In 1270, though the construction was not finished, the new cathedral was consecrated  and dedicated to St. John the Baptist.
The various works on the building lasted until the 15th century, and were followed by some modifications and renovations in the 16th-17th centuries.

The church was declared a national historical monument in 1931.
On July 28, 1994, Pope John Paul II established the Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz, making the Church of Saint John the Baptist its metropolitan cathedral.
After the reconquest of Badajoz in 1230 by King Alfonso IX of León, the new bishop Pedro Pérez initially adapted the former mosque in the Badajoz Alcazaba (citadel) as a cathedral. A new cathedral was not begun until the mid-13th century. The site chosen was that of a pre-existing Visigothic and Mozarabic church in the Campo de San Juan, situated outside the citadel.
In 1270, though the construction was not finished, the new cathedral was consecrated  and dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The various works on the building lasted until the 15th century, and were followed by some modifications and renovations in the 16th-17th centuries.
The church was declared a national historical monument in 1931. On July 28, 1994, Pope John Paul II established the Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz, making the Church of Saint John the Baptist its metropolitan cathedral.
Badajoz Cathedral