Cuenca is a city located in the central part of Spain on a steep, rocky hill between the two rivers –Huécar and Júcar. The area of land on the hill that was suitable for development was limited so the medieval townspeople were forced to build their houses on the edge of the abyss. When in the 15th century the population of the town began to grow rapidly, higher and higher houses were built. Some of them had as many as seven stories. In result Cuenca is a city piling up over the edge of a cliff and its unusual buildings are commonly called the hanging houses (Spanish: Casas Colgadas).
