Castilla y Leon information
Route of Carlos V
Carlos V, the Medieval emperor, was a keen globetrotter
and chose Castilla y León for his final trip. Nowadays, this historical
and geographical route passes through 24 cities in the region.
The route passes through the regions of Cantabria, Castilla y
León and Extremadura, reliving the time when Carlos I de España
y V de Alemania disembarked in Laredo in Cantabria on September
26, 1556, to spend the rest of his days in the Monasterio de Yuste
in Caceres where he died on the 21st September 1558.
Carlos V's pilgrimage through Castilla y León lasted a month and
3 days, starting on the 8th October and finishing on the 10th
November 1556. The route offers tourists the chance to visit villages
and areas of extraordinary natural beauty, the deep-rooted culture
of the people, reflected by their traditions, legends, fiestas
and lifestyle. As they pass through Castilla y León, tourists
will be left with the mark of its outstanding monuments, gastronomy
and the sights offered by a modern region that keeps its traditions
and the legacy of its past alive.
Tourists will follow the footsteps of Carlos V through five of the region's provinces. Beginning in the north of Burgos, through the village of Agüera, the route continues towards Palencia, through Valladolid, Salamanca and Ávila where the route through Castilla y León comes to an end in El Barco de Ávila.
The words of Manuel Fernández Álvarez, member of the Real Academia
de la Historia, show the importance of this route and Carlos V,
he talks about how the common Europe that we are building must
be strengthened by a common history. And in that history, which
is common to all Europeans, the figure of Carlos V appears as
an essential part. For, he who travelled the roads of Western
Europe pronouncing himself, time and again, in favour of Christian
Europe, is the heritage of all Europeans.
Source: Web server of Instituto de Turismo de España, TURESPAÑA.