[1] Established by Visigothic king Liuvigild, who ruled Iberia in 568–86 AD, Reccopolis is one of only two cities in Western Europe known to have been founded between the fifth and eighth centuries.

[2] Its remains serve as a case study for understanding the ideas and ideals of a city in Late Antiquity, reflecting influences from classical Roman models.

[3] Discovered in the 1890s, the site underwent archaeological excavations starting in the 1940s under Juan Cabré, with ongoing efforts revealing the monumental area within the walled enclosure.

The date is given in chronicle of John of Biclaro: With tyrants destroyed on all sides and the invaders of Spain overcome, King Leovigild had peace to reside with his own people.

[9] In 2007, the Museo Arqueológico Regional in Alcalá de Henares mounted an exhibition called "Recópolis: un paseo por la ciudad Visigoda" and published an accompanying catalogue.

Archaeological excavations at Reccopolis have revealed traces of city walls with towers every thirty metres, an aqueduct,[10] commercial and residential quarters covering 30 hectares, several markets, and a mint.

The palace chapel is possibly the last of the Visigothic Arian churches, but it was overlaid by the Romanesque hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Recatel, which was constructed on the ruined site.