Astorga, Spain
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Astorga | ||
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Postal code 24700 | ||
Dialing code | 987 | |
Climate | Csb | |
Website | Official website |
Astorga (Spanish pronunciation:
Astorga lies in the area of the
History
Pre History
The timeline of Galician history that includes Astorga has artifactual evidence stretching back over 200,000 years, predating the Paleolithic. 210 km (130 mi) away from Astorga in the Atapuerca Mountains (Sierra de Atapuerca) exists a rich fossil record of the earliest humans in Spain. The scientific study of these remains provide priceless information about the appearance and the way these humans lived. The regional government of Castile and León has designated the site an Espacio cultural.
Tin artifacts dated to c. 2750 BC using metallurgical diffusion chronologic dating were found in the area of Astorga. Artifacts such as tube and double ring axes were located in Astorga and are significant to an Atlantic cultural complex from the Bronze Age period c. 1300–700 BC that are included in the Castro cultures.
Astorga, in the Iron Age, came under the cultural influence of the Celts; the local Celtic peoples inhabited the area around 275 BC, known as the Astures and the Cantabri. Later become one of the Roman strongholds in the region they called Asturica.
Roman Empire
During Cantabrian wars (28–19 BC), Roman legions
Asturica was the main city in northwest Spain during the Roman Empire.
Visigothic Kingdom
Astorga was sacked by the Visigothic King
Reconquista
After the
Jews were living in the fortified section of Astorga as early as the 11th century. Later they inhabited two quarters in the city. A street called the Garden (Paseo) of the Synagogue formerly ran beside the old city wall. Many Jews in Astorga were forcibly converted to Christianity in 1230–31. Although there is no record of the fate of the Jews of Astorga during the 1391 massacres, they suffered in the persecutions of 1412. At the synod held in Valladolid in 1432, the Astorga community claimed privileges exempting them from payment of crown taxes. The community existed until the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. Jews established their trades in the city. To this day, Astorga is the home of value-adding and special products.
Modern Age
In 1747 Antonio Martín's book contains the recipe
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. The Siege of Astorga in 21 March – 22 April 1810 was an attempt by French forces to capture Astorga, Spain, in a campaign of the Peninsular War. Astorga was located on the flank of the French invasion of Spain and Portugal, and was meant to be used as a headquarters during the campaign.
Because of its location, Astorga was a place for pilgrims to rest and get ready to climb the mountains in the west or to rejuvenate after climbing east. Astorga had 21 hospices. Today, there is the Hospital de las Hermana de la Caridad which is a medical facility in front of the cathedral that was built after the destruction of the 12th-century hospital that was consequently destroyed in 1756.
Camino de Santiago ("St. James's Way") is a 781 km (485 mi) pilgrimage to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela where the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried. This has been the third-largest pilgrimage in Christianity for more than 1,000 years, and it comprises a stop in Astorga. The movie The Way is an inspirational film of 2010 starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez walking the Camino de Santiago.
During the second half of the 19th century, Astorga enjoyed the arrival of the railway and development of the current city, which expands outside its Roman walls. Astorga is again the nexus of a significant network of road connections, and it recovered the social and economical vibrancy, which has tourism as one of its main focal points.
Attractions
- 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.
- Roman museum ("La Ergastula").
- Remains of the ancient city walls.
- Chocolate museum.
Events
- Last week in August: Festividad de Santa Marta includes bullfights & fireworks.
Notable people
- Miguel Arias Bardou (1841–1915) - painter
Twin towns
See also
- Kingdom of León
- La Maragatería
References
- ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
- ^ Ministerio de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas. "Registro de entidades locales" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-01.
- ^ Diócesis de Astorga. "Descripción y datos generales" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2010-03-06. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
- ^ Consejo General de Procuradores de España. "Partido judicial n.º 5 de León" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
- ^ Arnold, William Thomas; Humphry Ward, Mrs; Montague, Charles Edward (1906). Studies of Roman Imperialism. University Press. p. 260.
External links
- Media related to Astorga at Wikimedia Commons
- Texts on Wikisource:
- "Diocese of Astorga". Catholic Encyclopedia. 1913.
- "Astorga". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
- "New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
- "The American Cyclopædia. 1879.
- Fundacion nombres y armas de la ciudad de Astorga (1635)
- Astorga travel guide
- Ayuntamiento de Astorga Astorga municipal government website (in Spanish)
- Maragateria Page