Leon information:
Astorga information
Astorga appears at the junction of two important
Spanish routes which used to be pilgrimage roads. The origin of
the older of the two, the Vía de la Plata, goes back to Roman
times. Following this route, (Gijón-Sevilla) the metal
extracted from the mines in the north of the peninsula was transported
to the trading ports in the south. An excellent communication
route, it became a pilgrimage road to Santiago de Compostela.
And the main Pilgrim's Road to Santiago, now declared a World
Heritage Route by UNESCO, also led here.
Asturica Augustea
Astorga, the former Asturica Augustea, was born under the Roman
empire. The majority of archaeological remains belonging to this
historical period have been brought together in a theme park,
where you can see interesting Roman relics: sections of a basilica,
baths, mansions and part of the sewerage system, among others.
The Puerta del Sol leads into the fortified area, where the Cathedral
is the outstanding feature. The construction work began in the
15th century, although work continued until the 17th C. So, its
layout preserves Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements and
works by masters from all the periods. Its initial plans were
by Gil de Hontañón. The Baroque carving of La Inmaculada
is the work of the sculptural genius Gregorio Fernández.
You can also admire the exemplary craftsmanship of a silver chest
that belonged to Alfonso III el Magno (the Great). Other important
churches with Baroque plasterwork are those of San Andrés,
Santa Clara and San Bartolomé.
In the past there were pilgrim hospitals. Today, travellers can
approach this tradition through the Pilgrimage Museum, housed
in the Bishop's Palace. This is a Neogothic work by the Modernist
master Antoni Gaudí. Another interesting monument is the
City Hall by Manuel de la Lastra, which is Baroque, from the 17th
century. This bulding has its beautiful façade in the Plaza
Mayor. Two towers flank a beautiful balcony with railings running
round it and a steeple supported by flying buttresses. Colasa
and Perico, the most popular Maragatos (as the local people are
known) in Astorga sound the hours on a great bronze bell.
The tour of Astorga can continue in the Gardens of La Sinagoga,
in the Aljibe Park or in the Chocolate Museum. Another excellent
option is to stop at one of the restaurants in the city centre
to try some of the traditional recipes from the county. The high
quality of vegetables from León is shown in dishes like "cocido
maragato", (a kind of stew) which here is eaten in reverse
order to the traditional cocidos. The meal begins with the meat,
chorizo and stuffing and ends with the chickpeas, cabbage and
soup. "Cecina" (cured, dried and smoked beef), "botillo"
(sausage made of cooked pork products), berciana pies, cod and
trout are the most mouth-watering options. Reineta apples, cherries,
pears, peppers and chestnuts form part of the region's cookbook.
Among desserts, Astorga lardy cakes are the most popular. Wines
must be from the Bierzo Denomination of Origin.
Oficina de Turismo: Plaza Eduardo de Castro, 5
24700 Astorga (León)
Tel. +34 987618222
Source: Web server of Instituto de Turismo de España, TURESPAÑA.