Astorga, Spain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Astorga is a small city and episcopal see, located in the province of León of Spain. It lies southwest of the city of León, and is the capital of the council (comarca) of La Maragatería. It is situated at 868 m above sea-level, and has an area of 47 km². The river Tuerto flows though it. Its population (2004) is about 12,207 people.
The coat of arms of the town includes an oak branch.
Astorga lies in the area of the Maragatos, a small ethnic community with distinctive customs and architecture.
The Episcopal Palace of Astorga was built by Gaudí and is one of the major attractions today. The city cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Astorga is another.
Astorga 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.
[edit] History
Astorga was one of the Roman strongholds in the region called by them Asturica Augusta. There are ruins of Roman baths that are visible today.
After the campaigns of Alfonso I of Asturias (739-757) against the Moors, the city lay an abandoned 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" (repopualtion) effort carried out a century later, during the reign of Ordoño I of Asturias (850-866).
[edit] External links
- Ayuntamiento de Astorga Astorga municipal government website (Spanish)
- Maragateria Page
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