León, Spain
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León (; ) is a city and
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, capital of the
province of León León (, , ; ; ) is a province of northwestern Spain in the northern part of the Region of León and in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. About one quarter of its population of 463,746 (2018) lives in the cap ...
, part of the autonomous community of
Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of the ...
, in the northwest of the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
. It has a population of 124,303 (2019), by far the largest municipality in the province. The population of the metropolitan area, including the neighbouring
San Andrés del Rabanedo San Andrés del Rabanedo is a municipality located in the Province of León, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2011 census (INE), the city has a population of 31,562 inhabitants, and is the third largest city in the province after León ...
and other smaller municipalities, accounts for around 200,000 inhabitants. Founded as the military encampment of the ''
Legio VI Victrix Legio VI Victrix ("Victorious Sixth Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in 41 BC by the general Octavian (who, as Augustus, later became Rome's first emperor). It was the twin legion of VI ''Ferrata'' and perhaps held vete ...
'' around 29 BC, its standing as an encampment city was consolidated with the definitive settlement of the ''
Legio VII Gemina __NOTOC__ Legio VII Gemina (Latin for "The Twins' Seventh Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was raised in AD 68 in Hispania by the general Galba to take part in his rebellion against the emperor Nero. "Gemina" means the legion ...
'' from 74 AD. Following its partial depopulation due to the Umayyad conquest of the peninsula, 910 saw the beginning of one its most prominent historical periods, when it became the capital of the
Kingdom of León The Kingdom of León; es, Reino de León; gl, Reino de León; pt, Reino de Leão; la, Regnum Legionense; mwl, Reino de Lhion was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in 910 when t ...
, which took active part in the
Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...
against the
Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...
, and came to be one of the fundamental kingdoms of medieval Spain. In 1188, the city hosted the first
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
in European history under the reign of
Alfonso IX Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
, due to which it was named in 2010, by the professor John Keane, the
King of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...
and the Junta of
Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of the ...
, as the cradle of
Parliamentarism A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...
, and the Decreta of León were included in the
Memory of the World Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...
register by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
in 2013. The city's prominence began to decline in the early Middle Ages, partly due to the loss of independence after the union of the Leonese kingdom with the
Crown of Castile The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accessi ...
, consolidated in 1301. After a period of stagnation during the early modern age, it was one of the first cities to hold an uprising in the
Spanish War of Independence The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain, ...
, and some years later, in 1833 acquired the status of provincial capital. The end of the 19th and the 20th century saw a significant acceleration in the rate of urban expansion, when the city became an important communications hub of the northwest due to the rise of the coal mining industry and the arrival of the railroad. León's historical and architectural heritage, as well as the numerous festivals hosted throughout the year (particularly noteworthy are the Easter processions) and its location on the
French Way The French Way ( gl, Camiño francés, es, Camino francés, , literally the "way of the Franks") is the GR 65 and the most popular of the routes of the Way of St. James ( es, Camino de Santiago), the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Co ...
of the Camino de Santiago, which is ranked as a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
, make it a destination of both domestic and
international tourism International tourism is tourism that crosses national borders. Globalisation has made tourism a popular global leisure activity. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual en ...
. Some of the city's most prominent historical buildings are the
Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
, one of the finest examples of French-style classic Gothic architecture in Spain, the
Basilica of San Isidoro In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name t ...
, one of the most important Romanesque churches in Spain and resting place of León's medieval monarchs, the Monastery of San Marcos, an example of
plateresque Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" (''plata'' being silver in Spanish), was an artistic movement, especially architectural, developed in Spain and its territories, which appeared between the late Gothic and early Renaissance ...
and Renaissance Spanish architecture, and the
Casa Botines The Casa Botines (built 1891-1892) is a Modernist building in León, Spain designed by Antoni Gaudí. It currently houses a museum dedicated to Gaudi, Spanish art of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the history of the building itself. After being ...
, a Modernist creation of the architect Antoni Gaudí. An example of modern architecture is the city's Museum of Contemporary Art or MUSAC.


History


Roman origins

León was founded in the 1st century BC by the
Roman legion The Roman legion ( la, legiō, ) was the largest military unit of the Roman army, composed of 5,200 infantry and 300 equites (cavalry) in the period of the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and of 5,600 infantry and 200 auxilia in the period of ...
Legio VI ''Victrix'', which served under
Caesar Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
during the
Cantabrian Wars The Cantabrian Wars (29–19 BC) (''Bellum Cantabricum''), sometimes also referred to as the Cantabrian and Asturian Wars (''Bellum Cantabricum et Asturicum''), were the final stage of the two-century long Roman conquest of Hispania, in what tod ...
(29-19 BC), the final stage of the Roman conquest of Hispania. In the year 74 AD, the Legio VII ''Gemina'' —recruited from the
Hispanics The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties former ...
by
Galba Galba (; born Servius Sulpicius Galba; 24 December 3 BC – 15 January AD 69) was the sixth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 68 to 69. After his adoption by his stepmother, and before becoming emperor, he was known as Livius Ocella Sulpicius Ga ...
in 69 AD— settled in a permanent military camp that was the origin of the city. Its modern name, León, is derived from the city's
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
name ''Castra Legionis''. The Romans established the site of the city to protect the recently conquered territories of northwestern
Hispania Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hispania ...
from the
Astures The Astures or Asturs, also named Astyrs, were the Hispano-Celtic inhabitants of the northwest area of Hispania that now comprises almost the entire modern autonomous community of Principality of Asturias, the modern province of León, and the ...
and
Cantabri The Cantabri ( grc-gre, Καντάβροι, ''Kantabroi'') or Ancient Cantabrians, were a pre-Roman people and large tribal federation that lived in the northern coastal region of ancient Iberia in the second half of the first millennium BC. Thes ...
, and to secure the transport of
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
extracted in the province —especially in the huge nearby mines of
Las Médulas Las Médulas () is a historic gold-mining site near the town of Ponferrada in the comarca of El Bierzo (province of León, Castile and León, Spain). It was the most important gold mine, as well as the largest open-pit gold mine in the entire ...
— that was taken to Rome through ''Asturica Augusta'' (modern-day Astorga). Tacitus calls the legion ''Galbiana'', to distinguish it from the old Legio VII ''Claudia'', but this appellation is not found on any inscriptions. It appears to have received the appellation of ''Gemina'' on account of its amalgamation by
Vespasian Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
with one of the German legions, probably the Legio I ''Germanica''. Its full name was Legio VII Gemina Felix. After serving in Pannonia, and in the civil wars, it was settled by Vespasian in Hispania Tarraconensis, to supply the place of the Legio VI ''Victrix'' and Legio X ''Gemina'', two of the three legions ordinarily stationed in the province, but which had been withdrawn to Germany. That its regular winter quarters, under later emperors, were at León, we learn from the Itinerary, Ptolemy, and the
Notitiae Imperii ''Notitiae'', subtitled ''Commentarii ad nuntia de re liturgica edenda'', is the official bimonthly journal of the Vatican dicastery of the Congregation for Divine Worship. Beginning in 1965, it has published all of the Holy See's official docum ...
, as well as from a few inscriptions; but there are numerous inscriptions to prove that a strong detachment of it was stationed at Tarraco (modern
Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...
), the chief city of the province. Some elements of the original Roman encampment still survive in the modern city layout. Long sections of the Roman walls (built between the first century BC and the fourth century AD) are still standing. There are also archaeological exhibitions showing remains of the walls, gates, baths and an amphitheatre.


Middle Ages

The post-Roman history of the city is largely the history of the Kingdom of León. The station of the legion in the territory of the
Astures The Astures or Asturs, also named Astyrs, were the Hispano-Celtic inhabitants of the northwest area of Hispania that now comprises almost the entire modern autonomous community of Principality of Asturias, the modern province of León, and the ...
grew into an important city, which resisted the attacks of the
Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
until AD 586, when it was taken by
Leovigild Liuvigild, Leuvigild, Leovigild, or ''Leovigildo'' (Spanish and Portuguese), ( 519 – 586) was a Visigothic King of Hispania and Septimania from 568 to 586. Known for his Codex Revisus or Code of Leovigild, a law allowing equal rights between th ...
; and it was one of the few cities which the Visigoths allowed to retain their fortifications. During the
Umayyad conquest of Hispania The Umayyad conquest of Hispania, also known as the Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom, was the initial expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate over Hispania (in the Iberian Peninsula) from 711 to 718. The conquest resulted in the decline of t ...
, in 715 Tariq advanced from the area of La Rioja towards Astorga and León. The same fortress, which the Romans had built to protect the plain from the incursions of the mountaineers, became the advanced post which covered the mountain, as the last refuge of Cisastur Tribes. However, there is no notice of resistance whatsoever. An attempt was made by the invaders to settle the strongholds with Berbers came in a military capacity, but the scheme was abandoned when the Berbers of northern Iberia rebelled against the Arabs and gave up their positions to join the revolt around 740. Towards the year 846, a group of
Mozarabs The Mozarabs ( es, mozárabes ; pt, moçárabes ; ca, mossàrabs ; from ar, مستعرب, musta‘rab, lit=Arabized) is a modern historical term for the Iberian Christians, including Christianized Iberian Jews, who lived under Muslim rule in A ...
(
Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
who did not flee from the Muslims and lived under the Muslim regime) tried to repopulate the city, but a Muslim attack prevented that initiative. In the year 856, under the Christian king Ordoño I, another attempt at repopulation was made and was successful.
Alfonso III of León Alfonso III (20 December 910), called the Great ( es, el Magno), was the king of León, Galicia and Asturias from 866 until his death. He was the son and successor of Ordoño I. In later sources he is the earliest to be called "Emperor of Spai ...
and
García I of León García I (c. 871 – 19 January 914) was the King of León from 910 until his death and eldest of three succeeding sons of Alfonso III the Great by his wife Jimena. García took part in the government alongside his father until 909. In that ye ...
made León city the capital of the
Kingdom of León The Kingdom of León; es, Reino de León; gl, Reino de León; pt, Reino de Leão; la, Regnum Legionense; mwl, Reino de Lhion was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in 910 when t ...
and the most important of the
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
cities in Iberia. The seat of the kingdom of Asturias moved to León in 910. Sacked by
Almanzor Abu ʿĀmir Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Abi ʿĀmir al-Maʿafiri ( ar, أبو عامر محمد بن عبد الله بن أبي عامر المعافري), nicknamed al-Manṣūr ( ar, المنصور, "the Victorious"), which is often Latiniz ...
in about 987, the city was reconstructed and repopulated by Alfonso V, whose Decree of 1017 regulated its economic life, including the functioning of its markets. León was a way-station for
pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on Pilgrimage, a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the a ...
s on the Camino de Santiago leading to
Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
. With
Alfonso V of León Alfonso V (c. 9947 August 1028), called the Noble, was King of León from 999 to 1028. Like other kings of León, he used the title emperor () to assert his standing among the Christian rulers of Spain. He succeeded his father, Bermudo II, in 99 ...
the city had the "''Fueru de Llión''", an important letter of privileges. In 1188,
Alfonso IX of León Alfonso IX (15 August 117123 or 24 September 1230) was King of León and Galicia from the death of his father Ferdinand II in 1188 until his own death. He took steps towards modernizing and democratizing his dominion and founded the Universit ...
gathered the
three estates The estates of the realm, or three estates, were the broad orders of social hierarchy used in Christendom (Christian Europe) from the Middle Ages to early modern Europe. Different systems for dividing society members into estates developed an ...
in the city of León (including representatives of the urban class) in the
Cortes of León of 1188 The Cortes of León or Decreta of León from year 1188 was a parliamentary body in the medieval Kingdom of León. According to UNESCO it is the first documented example of parliamentarism in history. After coming to power, King Alfonso IX, faci ...
. Due to the written documentary corpus, the 1188 Cortes were recognised by the UNESCO in 2013 as "cradle" of parliamentarism.
Suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
s for traders and artisans sprang up, who, after the 13th century, began to influence the municipal government. During the early
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, the
livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...
industry produced a period of prosperity for the city. Free from the ''seigneuralisation'' process of the Late Middle Ages, towards the end of the era León had consolidated as one of the 13 cities in the Meseta enjoying the right to vote at the Cortes of Castile.


Modern history

In the 16th century, economic and
demographic Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings. Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as edu ...
decline set in and continued until the 19th century. For the extent of the Early Modern period the city remained controlled by a reduced set of noble families by means of the ''
regimiento The regimiento, cabildo de regidores or concejo cerrado ("closed council") was a system of local government established from the 14h century onwards in the Crown of Castile.; ; A feature of the progressive oligarchization of the form of government ...
s'' and ''regidurías''. The city population increased from 9,000 to 15,000 during the 19th century. The population further increased during the 20th century: 18,000 (1910), 44,000 (1940), 73,000 (1960), and 100,000 (1971). The military coup d'état that marked the beginning of the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
took place (and succeeded) in León on 20 July 1936, with the putschist military officers meeting little resistance. The Catholic Church adhered to the rebels and instrumentalised the Catholic sentiment and traditions against the
Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
. The rebels expanded from the city to the rest of the traditionally conservative province, which remained under rebel control except a small northern part connected to Asturias, that became part of the battlefront until the fall of the North in October 1937. Both the Convent of San Marcos, the old Santa Ana factory and the provincial prison were nonetheless rehabilitated as mass detention camps in the city by the Francoist side. During the 1960s, León experienced much growth due to in-migration from the rural zones of the province.


Main sights


Churches

*
León Cathedral Santa María de Regla de León Cathedral is a Catholic church, the episcopal see of the diocese of León in north-western Spain, consecrated under the name of the Virgin Mary. It was the first monument declared by the Royal Order of Spain on A ...
, a
rayonnant In French Gothic architecture, Rayonnant () is the period from about the mid-13th century to mid-14th century. It was characterized by a shift away from the High Gothic search for increasingly large size toward more spatial unity, refined decora ...
gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
building. It is one of the most relevant examples of the Gothic style in Spain, almost all of it built from 1205 to 1301. It contains one of the most extensive and best preserved collections of medieval stained glass in Europe, with at least 1,764 square meters of surface, most of it containing the original windows. *
Basilica of San Isidoro In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name t ...
, a highlight of
Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...
in Spain. Built during the 11th and 12th centuries AD, the complex includes a subterranean Royal Pantheon with 12th century painted murals in an exceptional state of preservation. * Convent of San Marcos (currently a luxurious
Parador A ''parador'' (), in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries was an establishment where travelers could seek lodging, and usually, food and drink, similar to an inn. In Spain since 1928, a Parador is a state-owned luxury hotel, usually locat ...
) built from the 16th century AD to the 18th. Its most striking feature is a highly ornamental
plateresque Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" (''plata'' being silver in Spanish), was an artistic movement, especially architectural, developed in Spain and its territories, which appeared between the late Gothic and early Renaissance ...
façade. *Church of ''San Salvador de Palat del Rey'', the most ancient in the city (10th century), however with few remains of the original Pre-Romanesque building. As the name (meaning church of the "Holy Savior of the King's Palace") suggests, it once acted as royal chapel. *Church of Nuestra Señora del Merdado, from the 11th century. * Church of San Francisco, an active Catholic church, completed in 1791. * Church of San Juan y San Pedro de Renueva, dating to 1944–1970, but including an 18th-century Baroque façade taken from the ruined monastery of San Pedro de Eslonza, located about outside the city.


Other historical buildings

*Roman Walls, built in the 1st century BC and enlarged in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Long sections in the Eastern and Northern sides are preserved, as well as less complete parts in the Western side and some remains surrounded by other buildings in the Southern side. Some sections of a Medieval wall built in the 13th and 14th centuries AD also exist in the Southern side. The wall can be visited in specific locations. *
Casa Botines The Casa Botines (built 1891-1892) is a Modernist building in León, Spain designed by Antoni Gaudí. It currently houses a museum dedicated to Gaudi, Spanish art of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the history of the building itself. After being ...
, a
neogothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
styled building designed by Antoni Gaudí and built in 1891-1892 (one of the three Gaudí buildings outside Catalonia). * Palacio de los Guzmanes, the site of the provincial ''diputación'' (parliament). It contains a patio in the plateresque style by Gil de Hontañón. *Palacio del Conde Luna (14th century). *Palacio de los Marqueses de Prado, a 17th-century Baroque building, currently the Hospital Nuestra Señora de Regla.


Museums

* MUSAC. It is a
contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic com ...
museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
which opened in 2005. Its design by the architectural studio Mansilla+Tuñón was awarded with the 2007
European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award is a prize given biennially by the European Union and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona, 'to acknowledge and reward quality architectural production in Eu ...
. One of the building's most distinctive features is its façade formed out of thousands of large multicolored stained-glass panels. Close to the museum is the León Auditorium, also projected by Mansilla+Tuñón, which has an equally striking presence of crisp white cubes perforated by irregularly set windows. *Museo de León, which contains a collection of prehistorical tools and art from the Roman, Medieval and Modern periods. *Museo Sierra-Pambley, a house from the
Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment; german: Aufklärung, "Enlightenment"; it, L'Illuminismo, "Enlightenment"; pl, Oświecenie, "Enlightenment"; pt, Iluminismo, "Enlightenment"; es, La Ilustración, "Enlightenment" was an intel ...


Other areas and sights

*Plaza Mayor (main square). *Plaza del Grano. *
Barrio Húmedo Barrio Húmedo is the nickname given to an old part of the city of León, Spain, that is concentrated within the largely intact Roman city walls. The translation is usually rendered as ''the wet district'', a reference both to the large number of ...
(the drinking and partying area). *
University of León The University of León is a Spanish public university with campus in León and Ponferrada. The university is found in 1843, when it was created the Normal School for Teachers or Masters Seminar of Public Instruction and the subaltern school of V ...
. File:Leon cathedral facade inverted perspective.jpg,
León Cathedral Santa María de Regla de León Cathedral is a Catholic church, the episcopal see of the diocese of León in north-western Spain, consecrated under the name of the Virgin Mary. It was the first monument declared by the Royal Order of Spain on A ...
, main facade File:08 San Marcos.JPG, ''Hostal de San Marcos'' File:02 San Marcos.JPG, ''Gardens of Plaza de San Marcos'' File:Leon - Antiguo Ayuntamiento.jpg, Former city hall


Folklore and customs

Leonese customs include the
Semana Santa Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...
("
Holy Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...
"), featuring numerous
procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...
s through the centre of the city. One of them is the so-called "Procession of the Meeting", which acts out the meeting of three groups representing Saint John, the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
and
Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
, in the
esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
in front of the old council. Associated with Semana Santa is the procession called "The Burial of Genarín". ''Genarín'' was an alcoholic beggar who was hit by and killed by the first
garbage truck A garbage truck is a truck specially designed to collect municipal solid waste and transport it to a solid waste treatment facility, such as a landfill, recycling center or transfer station. In Australia they are commonly called rubbish truck ...
in the city of León in the year 1929. This is a celebration of alcohol, and the main purpose of the people who attend it is getting drunk in honor to the alcoholic beggar. The San Juan and San Pedro festivities are also remarkable, celebrated during the last week of June (between June 23 and June 29). During these days several concerts and festivals take place and the whole city is occupied by
terrace Terrace may refer to: Landforms and construction * Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river * Terrace, a street suffix * Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk an ...
s and
street market A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a ''souk'' (from the Arabic lang ...
s where Leonese people celebrate the beginning of the summer, especially on San Juan's night (June 23) when
fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...
and
bonfire A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used either for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Etymology The earliest recorded uses of the word date back to the late 15th century, with the Catho ...
s take place.


Districts

The city of León can be divided into more than 36 districts (''barrios''): *Centro or downtown *Casco Antiguo or Casco Histórico, the historical part of the city *Área 17 *Armunia *Cruce de Armunia *El Crucero *El Ejido *Ensanche *Eras De Renueva *Ferral *La Asunción *La Chantría *La Lastra *La Palomera *La Sal *La Torre *La Vega *La Victoria *Las Ventas *Obra Sindical Del Hogar *Oteruelo De La Valdoncina *Paraíso-Cantinas *Patronato Viviendas Militares *Pinilla *Puente Castro *San Andrés del Rabanedo *San Claudio *San Esteban *San Lorenzo *San Mamés *San Marcelo *San Marcos *San Martín *San Pedro *Santa Ana *Santa Marina *Santa Olaja *Polígono 10 *Trobajo Del Cerecedo *Trobajo Del Camino *Villabalter


Climate

León features an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: Cfb). In winter, temperatures normally oscillate between and . Frost is common in the early hours of the morning before the dawn during the coldest days of the winter, but normally melts after sunrise. Snowfalls are not rare in the city (9 days a year), however heavy snowfalls are extremely rare. During spring, temperatures are usually between on the coldest days and may easily surpass on some days. Summers are warm and relatively dry, with temperatures usually oscillating between and . In the hottest days of summer, it's uncommon that temperatures reach over . With about 2,673 sunshine hours, the city enjoys a considerable amount of sunshine throughout the year.


Transport


Airport

León Airport León Airport, es, Aeropuerto de León or ''Aeropuertu de Llión'' in Leonese language , is a minor domestic airport located from León, Castile and León, Spain. It is one of the oldest military air bases in Spain, and the airport with the hi ...
(
IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
: LEN) is located approximately 6
kilometres The kilometre ( SI symbol: km; or ), spelt kilometer in American English, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres (kilo- being the SI prefix for ). It is now the measurement unit used for ...
away from the city centre, in the neighbouring town of
La Virgen del Camino LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
/
Valverde de la Virgen Valverde de la Virgen is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2006 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research cen ...
. It offers mostly domestic flights within the country. Currently two Spanish airlines operate in it:
Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
/
Air Nostrum Air Nostrum, legally incorporated as ''Air Nostrum Líneas Aéreas del Mediterráneo, S.A.'', is a Spanish regional airline based in Valencia. It currently operates as a franchisee of Iberia as Iberia Regional and an affiliate member of the On ...
and
Air Europa Air Europa Líneas Aéreas, S.A.U., branded as Air Europa, is the third-largest Spanish airline after Iberia and Vueling. The airline is headquartered in Llucmajor, Mallorca, Spain; it has its main hub at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport ...
. Air Nostrum offers flights from and to
Barcelona, Spain Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. During the summer months the number of available destinations increases, and flights are also offered from and to
Palma de Mallorca, Spain Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of Mallorca ...
,
Tenerife, Spain Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the Archipelago, archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitant ...
, Ibiza, Spain, Menorca, Spain, Málaga, Spain and Gran Canaria, Spain.


Railway stations

León has two railway stations,
León railway station León railway station is the railway station of the Spanish city of León. History The station was opened in 2011 in place of the old Estación del Norte. Services León station is an important junction in the Spanish rail network, currently t ...
on the Renfe line, and ''León-Matallana'' on the
Renfe Feve Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of ...
lines. There are high-speed services that connect León to Madrid in approximately two hours. Other destinations directly reachable from León are Galicia (to the West), Asturias (to the North) and Valladolid (to the South-East, in the same route as Madrid).


Public transport

León has 14 city bus lines, belonging to the company Alesa, a subsidiary of ALSA. Besides the buses, there are plans to introduce tram lines in the city.


Leonese language


History

The Leonese language derives directly from
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and developed in the Middle Ages. At this time, Leonese was the official language of the Leonese Kingdom and achieved a high codification grade in the city of Llión. The first written text in Leonese was ''Nodicia de Kesos'' (959 or 974); other works in the language include ''Fueru de Llión'', ''Fueru de Salamanca'', ''Fueru Xulgu'', ''Códice d'Alfonsu XI'', ou ''Disputa d'Elena y María'' or ''Llibru d'Alixandre''. Leonese is considered a seriously
endangered language An endangered language or moribund language is a language that is at risk of disappearing as its speakers die out or shift to speaking other languages. Language loss occurs when the language has no more native speakers and becomes a "dead langu ...
by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. It is almost extinct, being known and spoken by only a very few elderly people who live isolated in the mountains of the northern part of the province of León. However, people who wish to separate León from Castile and who support Leonese autonomy are trying to revive the language. León City Council and Leonese language associations like the
Asociación Cultural de la Llingua Llïonesa El Fueyu The Asociación Cultural de la Llingua Llïonesa El Fueyu (''Cultural Association of the Leonese Language El Fueyu'') was a Leonese language association whose main effort was promoting the knowledge of Leonese language and the defense of the rights ...
are promoting its knowledge and use. Leonese Language Day started in 2006 with the support of Leonese Provincial Government, and from 2008 the celebration is organised by the León City Council.


Teaching

At the end of the 1990s, several associations unofficially promoted Leonese language courses. In 2001, the Universidad de León (University of León) created a course for Teachers of Leonese language, and local government developed Leonese language courses for adults. The Leonese Language Teachers and Monitors Association (
Asociación de Profesores y Monitores de Llingua Llïonesa The ''Asociación de Profesores y Monitores en Llingua Llïonesa'' or APMLL (Leonese Language Teachers and Monitor Association) is a Leonese language association where are integrated the teachers and monitors that teach this language. It was founded ...
) was created in 2008 and promotes Leonese language activities. Leonese lessons in schools started in 2008, and it is currently taught in sixteen schools in León city in 2008–2009, promoted by the Leonese Local Government Department for Education. This course is for pupils in their 5th and 6th year of
primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
(11- and 12-year-olds), where Leonese language is taught with Leonese culture. More than one hundred people are studying Leonese in adult classes in 2008–2009. There are five levels for adults in the official courses developed by the Department for Leonese Culture of the Leonese City Council.


Government

The Leonese City Council was founded in 1345. It has 27 city councillors. In the last municipal
election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
s (26 May 2019) the results were: *
Spanish Socialist Workers Party The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( es, Partido Socialista Obrero Español ; PSOE ) is a social-democraticThe PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in gov ...
(''Partido Socialista Obrero Español'', PSOE) - 30.31% of the votes and 10 councillors * Partido Popular - 29.61% votes and 9 councillors *
Ciudadanos Citizens ( es, link=no, Ciudadanos ; ca, link=no, Ciutadans ; eu, link=no, Hiritarrak; gl, link=no, Cidadáns; shortened as Cs—C's until January 2017), officially Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (''Ciudadanos–Partido de la Ciudadanía'') ...
- 13.98% and 4 councillors *
Unión del Pueblo Leonés The Leonese People's Union ( es, Unión del Pueblo Leonés, links=, Leonese dialect, Leonese: ''Unión del Pueblu Llionés'', UPL) is a regional political party in Castilla y León, Spain. UPL strives to establish a separate autonomous community ( ...
- 9.42% and 3 councillors * Podemos-Equo - 5.35% and 1 councillor The
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
is José Antonio Diez, from the PSOE. León is in the county (''
comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...
'') of
Tierras de León Tierra de León or Tierras de León (''Tierras de Llión'' in the Leonese language) is a shire (''comarca'') in the province of León. The city of León, capital of the province, is the biggest city in the comarca. Municipal terms See also * ...
.


Twin towns — sister cities

León is twinned with: * Bragança,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
*
Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
* León (Guanajuato),
México Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
*
Voronezh Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
*
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
*
Xiangtan Xiangtan () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal Peng Dehuai, a ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
* Córdoba (Spain) *
Chartres Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...


Food

Within the wide range of
Leonese cuisine Leonese cuisine is a sub category of Spanish food that is considered to be very exotic and caloric. Embutidos *'' Cecina'' from León is beef. In Leonese, ''cecina'' means "meat that has been salted and dried by means of air, sun or smoke". ''Ce ...
the following dishes are the most representative: cecina (cured, smoked beef meat),
morcilla A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used. In Europe and the A ...
(a blood sausage),
botillo Botillo (), Butiellu () or Botelo (, ; also known as in Portuguese) is a dish of meat-stuffed pork intestine. It is a culinary specialty of El Bierzo, a county in the Spanish province of León and also of the region of Trás-os-Montes, in ...
(a dish of meat-stuffed pork intestine), garlic soup, el
cocido () or ''cozido'' () is a traditional stew eaten as a main dish in Spain, Portugal, Brazil and other Hispanophone and Lusophone countries. Etymology In Spanish, ''cocido'' is the past participle of the verb ''cocer'' ("to boil"), so it literal ...
leonés (a mix of meat with vegetables and chickpeas, served after a vegetable-vermicelli soup) and
mantecadas Mantecadas are Sponge cake, spongy pastry, pastries originating in Spain. Perhaps the best known mantecadas are from Northwestern Spain, being a traditional product of the city of Astorga, Spain, Astorga, province of León, as well as the nearby ...
(pastry). Another very important part of the gastronomy of León are the
tapas A tapa () is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as ''chopitos'', which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas). In so ...
, which are usually given free with drinks, unlike in the rest of Spain. It is very common to go "de tapas" or "tapear" i.e. to go for a few drinks ("un corto", which is a very small beer, "una caña", which is roughly half a pint of beer or "un vino", a glass of wine, or a “butano”, a small glass of orange soda) just before lunch but more normally as a light form of dinner.


Notable people

* Mario Amilivia (born 1957), mayor * Miguel Castaño (1883-1936), first democratically elected mayor * Moisés de León (1240-1305), rabbi, kabbalist, author of the Zohar. *
Dolores Gortázar Serantes María Dolores de Gortázar Serantes (1872-1936) was a Spanish writer, journalist, education activist, feminist militant and political propagandist. In the 1910-1920s she enjoyed some popularity as a novelist; currently her literary contribution ...
(1872-1936), novelist. *
Buenaventura Durruti José Buenaventura Durruti Dumange (14 July 1896 – 20 November 1936) was a Spanish insurrectionary, anarcho-syndicalist militant involved with the CNT and FAI in the periods before and during the Spanish Civil War. Durruti played an in ...
(1896–1936), anarchist leader. * Carlos Dominguez Cidon (1959-2009), chef and author. *
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (; born 4 August 1960) is a Spanish politician and member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He was the Prime Minister of Spain being elected for two terms, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections ...
(1960-), prime minister of Spain (2004-2011). * Manuel Martínez (1974-), retired shot putter with multiple Spanish records and international victories. *
Carolina Rodríguez Carolina Rodríguez Ballesteros (born 24 May 1986 in León) is a retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She is a veteran of the sport who started her senior career in the early 2000s. She competed in three Olympic cycles: at the 2004 Athens where ...
(1986-), rhythmic gymnast of Spain’s national team who competed at 3 Olympic Games. * Sara Llana (born 1997),
rhythmic gymnast Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and co ...
and member of Spain's national rhythmic gymnastics team. * David Vidales (born 2002), racing driver.


See also

*
List of municipalities in León This is a list of the municipalities in the province of León, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. See also * Geography of Spain *List of cities in Spain {{DEFAULTSORT:List of municipalities in Leon Leon Leon, Léo ...
*
Buenaventura Durruti José Buenaventura Durruti Dumange (14 July 1896 – 20 November 1936) was a Spanish insurrectionary, anarcho-syndicalist militant involved with the CNT and FAI in the periods before and during the Spanish Civil War. Durruti played an in ...
*
Himno a León The Himno a León was composed by the musician Odón Alonso, director of the ''Orfeón Leonés'' in 1934. The lyrics were written by J. Pinto Maestro. It was composed o commemorate the fifth centennial of the epic ''El Paso Honroso''. Since 197 ...


Gallery

File:05_San_Marcos.JPG, Facade of Convento de San Marcos. File:Hostal de San Marcos Leon.jpg, ''Hostal de San Marcos'' File:León Casa Botines JMM.JPG,
Casa de los Botines The Casa Botines (built 1891-1892) is a Modernist building in León, Spain designed by Antoni Gaudí. It currently houses a museum dedicated to Gaudi, Spanish art of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the history of the building itself. After bei ...
. File:Edificio Europa Leon.jpg, The Europa Building. File:SanMarcelonoche.jpg, Palacio de los Guzmanes. File:San_Isidoro.JPG, Principal façade of the Real Basílica de San Isidoro. File:Leon (San Isidoro, panteón).jpg, Panteón de los Reyes of Real Basílica de San Isidoro. File:Ordoño1.jpg, Plaza de Santo Domingo. File:Spain-Leon-Plaza Major2005.JPG, La Plaza Mayor. File:CalleAnchaLeón.jpg, Calle Ancha de León. File:Museodeleon.jpg, León Museum. File:Musac2.jpg,
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, better known as the MUSAC, is a contemporary art museum in the city of León, Spain. Inaugurated in April 2005 by Felipe, Prince of Asturias, this cultural institution aims to be a "Museum ...
. File:Entradabiblico.jpg, Biblical and eastern Museum. File:Emperador.jpg, Emperador Theatre.


References

*


Notes


External links


Basilica Saint Isidore of LeonLeón City Council

Tourism in León

Rural Tourism in León
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leon, Spain Municipalities in the Province of León Province of León Populated places established in the 1st century BC Roman legionary fortresses in Spain Roman fortifications in Hispania Tarraconensis