León

León: gardens of San Marcos

León, city, capital of León provincia (province) in Castile-León comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), northwestern Spain. It lies on the northwestern part of the northern Meseta Central (plateau), at the confluence of the Bernesga and Torío rivers.

The city developed from the camp of the Roman 7th Gemina Legion; its modern name is a corruption of the Latin legio. It was held by the Goths during the 6th and 7th centuries and fell to the Moors, who held it until 850. In the 10th century León became the capital of the kingdom of Asturias and Leon when García I transferred his court there from Oviedo. On the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, León exercised considerable political, cultural, and economic influence during the Middle Ages. It was an important commercial centre, with many craft guilds and well-known fairs and markets. The economic life of the city declined in the 16th century and did not revive until the 19th with the development of mining. By the mid-20th century, León was resurgent, with a thriving industrial sector.

A monumental city with a wealth of artistic interest, León attracts large numbers of tourists. Especially notable are the Gothic cathedral of Santa María de Regla (founded 1199), known as the Pulchra Leonina, with its fine stained-glass windows; the Romanesque collegiate church of San Isidoro (11th century); and the Renaissance-style church and monastery of San Marcos, converted into a state-run inn.

Dairy and food processing as well as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries are economic staples in León. Metalworking and automotive factories, along with other regional manufactures, are concentrated along the route from León to Madrid. Public services and local commerce are increasing the importance of León as a regional centre. Pop. (2006 est.) 130,178.