Leon

On the way across northern Spain. Next stop was Leon, the capital of Leon and Castile, and is a city with a vast cultural, historical and architectural heritage. The Roman legions conquered this are around 29 BC and called it Legio so the Celts knew who was in charge. The region was dominated by various groups for hundreds of years, and became an autonomous kingdom in 910 AD. In the middle ages power and money drained away to Madrid, but the pilgrimage route to Santiago was boosted, and fine buildings such as the cathedral were embellished. The old city center has been preserved. It has become a university town and the chief city of the region.

Santa Maria de Regia de Leon Cathedral is a Catholic church which was initiated in the 13th century. It is one of the greatest works of the Gothic style, with French influences. It is mostly known form taking the “dematerialization” of gothic art to the extreme, that is, the reduction of the walls to their minimum expression to be replaced by stained glass, constituting one of the largest collections of medieval stained glass in the world.

The City

The Cathedral

Dining and Lodging

We ate at a very nice place called Lumiere, which offered a broad selection of Spanish dishes. Seafood included of course.

We spent the night at Parador de Leon/ Hostal San Marcos. This is situated in the 16th century former monastery built by Fernando (Isabel’s husband} for the order of knights who looked after pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. The building’s plateresque facade is considered a fine example of Spanish Renaissance architecture.