Astorga, Spain

Astorga
—  Municipality  —
Flag Coat of arms
Astorga Location in Spain
Coordinates: 42°27′32″N 6°3′48″W / 42.45889°N 6.06333°W / 42.45889; -6.06333Coordinates: 42°27′32″N 6°3′48″W / 42.45889°N 6.06333°W / 42.45889; -6.06333
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Castile and León
Province	León
Comarca	La Maragatería
Judicial district	Astorga
Government
• Mayor	Victorina Alonso Fernández (PSOE)
Area
• Total	46.78 km2 (18.06 sq mi)
Elevation	870 m (2,850 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	12,078
• Density	260/km2 (670/sq mi)
Demonym	Astorganos
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	24700
Dialing code	987
Website	Official website

Town hall of Astorga

Episcopal Palace of Astorga

Cathedral of Astorga.

Astorga is a town in the province of León, northern Spain. It lies southwest of the provincial capital of León, and is the head of the council (comarca) of La Maragatería. The river Tuerto flows through it. As of 2009^[update], its population was about 12,100 people.

Astorga lies in the area of the Maragatos, a small ethnic and cultural community with distinctive customs and architecture. The town lies along the French route of the Way of St. James (Spanish: Camino de Santiago). Saint Turibius of Astorga was bishop of the city in the 5th century.

History

Astorga was originally a Celtic settlement which later become one of the Roman strongholds in the region they called Asturica. The Roman city was founded in 14 BC, being entitled by Emperor Octavian as Asturica Augusta. Ruins of Roman baths are still visible today.

The walls of the town were built at the time of Ancient Rome.

Asturica was the main city in north-west Spain during the Roman Empire. Plinius called the city Urbs magnifica ("magnificent city"). The Via Platea went from Asturica (Astorga) to Emerita (Mérida). One of the first three bishoprics in Spain was founded in Astorga, so the title of Bishop of Astorga is one of the oldest religious charges of Europe.

After the campaigns of Alfonso I of Asturias (739-757) against the Moors, the city was abandoned, being in the largely empty buffer zone between Moors and Christians known at the time as "The Desert of the Duero", and was part of the Repoblación ("repopulation") effort carried out a century later during the reign of Ordoño I of Asturias (850-866). Astorga suffered from decadence until the 11th century, when the city became a major stop on the French route for the pilgrims to the tomb of Saint James in Compostela. Construction of the cathedral began in the 15th century and finished in the late 18th century.

During the Peninsular War, Astorga was besieged by the French Napoleonic troops. Astorga was the farthest town in the Iberian Peninsula in which the Emperor Napoleon resided.

Main sights

• Catedral de Santa María de Astorga
• 19th century Episcopal Palace (Palacio Espiscopal), designed by Antoni Gaudí.
• Town Hall, construction started in 1683. It is a Baroque edifice with three towers in its façade, the middle one including the bells.
• Roman archaeological remains, including those of the original military camp, the sewers, two baths (late 1st and 3rd century AD), remains of the forum and several mosaics.
• Remains of the ancient city walls.

Notable people

• Miguel Arias Bardou (1841–1915) - painter

Twin towns

• Moissac, France
• Clavijo, Spain
• Reus, Spain

See also

• Kingdom of León
• La Maragatería

External links

Media related to Astorga at Wikimedia Commons

•  "Astorga". The American Cyclopædia. 1879. 
• Ayuntamiento de Astorga Astorga municipal government website (Spanish)
• Maragateria Page
• famous food of Astorga zone: cocido maragato (Spanish)

v t e Municipalities in the Province of León 100,000+ León 50,000+ Ponferrada 10,000+ Astorga Bembibre La Bañeza San Andrés del Rabanedo Villablino Villaquilambre under 10,000 Acebedo Algadefe Alija del Infantado Almanza Ardón Arganza Balboa Barjas Benavides Benuza Bercianos del Páramo Bercianos del Real Camino Berlanga del Bierzo Boca de Huérgano Borrenes Boñar Brazuelo Burón Bustillo del Páramo Cabañas Raras Cabreros del Río Cabrillanes Cacabelos Calzada del Coto Campazas Campo de Villavidel Camponaraya Candín Carracedelo Carrizo Carrocera Carucedo Castilfalé Castrillo de Cabrera Castrillo de la Valduerna Castrocalbón Castrocontrigo Castropodame Castrotierra de Valmadrigal Cea Cebanico Cebrones del Río Chozas de Abajo Cimanes de la Vega Cimanes del Tejar Cistierna Congosto Corbillos de los Oteros Corullón Crémenes Cuadros Cubillas de Rueda Cubillas de los Oteros Cubillos del Sil Cármenes Destriana El Burgo Ranero Encinedo Escobar de Campos Fabero Folgoso de la Ribera Fresno de la Vega Fuentes de Carbajal Garrafe de Torío Gordaliza del Pino Gordoncillo Gradefes Grajal de Campos Gusendos de los Oteros Hospital de Órbigo Igüeña Izagre Joarilla de las Matas La Antigua La Ercina La Pola de Gordón La Robla La Vecilla Laguna Dalga Laguna de Negrillos Las Omañas Llamas de la Ribera Los Barrios de Luna Lucillo Luyego Magaz de Cepeda Mansilla Mayor Mansilla de las Mulas Maraña Matadeón de los Oteros Matallana de Torío Matanza Molinaseca Murias de Paredes Noceda del Bierzo Oencia Onzonilla Oseja de Sajambre Pajares de los Oteros Palacios de la Valduerna Palacios del Sil Peranzanes Pobladura de Pelayo García Posada de Valdeón Pozuelo del Páramo Prado de la Guzpeña Priaranza del Bierzo Prioro Puebla de Lillo Puente de Domingo Flórez Páramo del Sil Quintana del Castillo Quintana del Marco Quintana y Congosto Regueras de Arriba Reyero Riaño Riego de la Vega Riello Rioseco de Tapia Roperuelos del Páramo Sabero Sahagún San Adrián del Valle San Cristóbal de la Polantera San Emiliano San Esteban de Nogales San Justo de la Vega San Millán de los Caballeros San Pedro Bercianos Sancedo Santa Colomba de Curueño Santa Colomba de Somoza Santa Cristina de Valmadrigal Santa Elena de Jamuz Santa Marina del Rey Santa María de Ordás Santa María de la Isla Santa María del Monte de Cea Santa María del Páramo Santas Martas Santiago Millas Santovenia de la Valdoncina Sariegos Sena de Luna Sobrado Soto de la Vega Soto y Amío Toral de los Guzmanes Toreno Torre del Bierzo Trabadelo Truchas Turcia Urdiales del Páramo Val de San Lorenzo Valdefresno Valdefuentes del Páramo Valdelugueros Valdemora Valdepiélago Valdepolo Valderas Valderrey Valderrueda Valdesamario Valdevimbre Valencia de Don Juan Vallecillo Valverde de la Virgen Valverde-Enrique Vega de Espinareda Vega de Infanzones Vega de Valcarce Vegacervera Vegaquemada Vegas del Condado Villabraz Villadangos del Páramo Villadecanes Villademor de la Vega Villafranca del Bierzo Villagatón Villamandos Villamanín Villamartín de Don Sancho Villamañán Villamejil Villamol Villamontán de la Valduerna Villamoratiel de las Matas Villanueva de las Manzanas Villaobispo de Otero Villaornate y Castro Villaquejida Villarejo de Órbigo Villares de Órbigo Villasabariego Villaselán Villaturiel Villazala Villazanzo de Valderaduey Zotes del Páramo