Castilla y Leon information
Vía de la Plata Route
Since the distant past there has been a route
which unites the north and south of Spain, where, in the lower
basin of the Guadalquivir, the first great western culture flourished,
under the mythical monarchy of Tartessos at the end of the Bronze
Age. Thanks to its great mining wealth, the area took on great
significance as a producer of precious metals. When the Romans
invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 218 BC, they gave great importance
to roads to cover the whole territory, with the Vía de la Plata,
a road which links Gijón with Seville via Astorga, León, Salamanca
and Mérida, being one of the most important.
This route was the cornerstone, from the 1st century until the
19th, on which new paths and roads were built, and during the
medieval period it took on greater importance with the cattle
tracks, which the "Mesta" (farmer's council) used to
drive its flocks from one area of pasture to another. For this
reason, the Vía de la Plata route is an exceptional historical
and artistic legacy because of the art and civilization which
were created along its length, with the building of cities, circuses,
aqueducts, temples, bridges and fortresses, in addition to the
encouragement of the development of rich traditional architecture,
handicrafts, folklore, etc.
Source: Web server of Instituto de Turismo de España, TURESPAÑA.