León, Spain
León ( leonesisch: llion ) is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital of the province and was the capital of the Kingdom of León, an important precursor of the Spanish state.
Leon is known for its Gothic cathedral and other buildings such as the Basilica of San Isidoro with the Pantheon of the Kings of Leon or the Casa de Botines, an early work of Antoni Gaudí.
Leon is a railway junction with yard.
History
León was founded in 68 AD by the Roman Emperor Galba, the Legio VII Gemina the here - stationed to pacify the rebellious mountaineers of Asturias and Cantabria - " double seventh Roman Legion". The troops were also responsible for the safety of gold shipments from Las Médulas. The name of the evolving next to the Roman garrison settlement, which included the Barrio Humedo around the church of Santa Maria del Mercado roughly based on an abraded form of Latin legio - Legion.
After the end of the Roman Empire the town was conquered in the invasion of the Visigoths by Leovigild. 712 conquest by the Moors. 856 took place after the reconquest under King Ordoño I of Asturias, the repopulation of the city. Ordoño II made 914 León as the capital of his Kingdom of León and thus for about 200 years the most important Christian city on the Iberian Peninsula. During a campaign 987 Almansor destroyed the city. It was then built by Alfonso V again. 1017 was funded by various decrees the economy.
Leon was an important station on the road to Santiago de Compostela. In the suburbs, traders and artisans settled that influenced the development of the city from the 13th century greatly. In the early Middle Ages, the city passed through the cattle trade to prosperity. However, from the 16th century to the 19th century went back into the economy and the population. During the Spanish Civil War, Leon was on the side of the Franco regime.
Due to the influx of people from the rural environment, the city began to grow again in 1960. Since 1979, León University, this city of about 12,000 students.
Since 1980, León is the center of a Leonese autonomy movement, which calls for a separation of Castile, but so far could not achieve a decisive political majorities.
Attractions
The main attractions of the city are the Cathedral with its outstanding stained glass windows, the Basilica of San Isidoro, with Romanesque frescoes in the pantheon Real and the former Convento de San Marcos (now the Parador hotel). The building, designed by Antoni Gaudí trading house Casa de Botines in neo-Gothic style now houses a bank. The Palacio de Los Guzmanes from the 16th century seat of the provincial government and has impressive paintings. In the old town part of the medieval walls and fragments remain of the Roman walls.
The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León ( MUSAC; German: Museum of Contemporary Art in Castilla and León) of the architecture firm Mansilla Tuñón received the 2007 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award.
Folklore
Leon is known for its celebrations and processions at Easter. Especially the Good Friday procession is famous. One of the best is the " Procession of the meeting ," in which three groups, John, Mary and Christ represent, meet in front of the cathedral.
Sports
The most famous sports club in the city is the Handball Club Ademar León.
Policy
The City Council is committed to the legislative period 2010-2015 as follows:
- Partido Socialista Obrero Español ( PSOE ): 10 seats
- Unión del Pueblo Leonés ( UPL ): 2 seats
Sons and daughters of the town
- Aurelio, ruler of the Kingdom of Asturias
- Buenaventura Durruti, Spanish syndicalist and anarchist revolutionary
- Moshe de Leon, a Kabbalist
- Juan Ponce de León, Spanish conqueror