A Walk Through León

by: Carmen, Sandra, and Anne Marie.

WALL OF LEON:

This is historic wall of Leon and it is one of the oldest in Spain. It was built in first century to protect the ancient roman city “Legio VII”. “Legio VII” is the name of first roman encampment in the area and this wall was necessary to defend the city against its enemies. The wall of Leon was declared Historical Monument on June 3, 1931
Nowadays only several portions of it is has been conserved.

SAN ISIDORO BASILICA

This building easy to identify without mentioning the words “San Isidoro,” “church,” or “basilica.”. In December of 1063, King Ferdinand I and Queen Sancha of Castile and León brought the body of San Isidoro, a wise Anadalusian bishop, from Seville to rest here and consequently named the church in his honor. Before the current building, this site held a roman temple later christianized and dedicated to St. John the Baptist, but it was destroyed by Al - Mansru. It was here that the western world´s first parliament with participacion by the people took place in 1188.

SAN MARCOS:

A modern day famous hotel , so well known that it is now one of the best known and most easily identifiable places in the city for tourists, shares a vocation for hostelry with its own origins, despite the many uses it has been put to over the centuries. Built next to the banks of the Bernesga and the 16th century bridge over which pilgrims to Santiango would leave the city there was originally a hospice and church for pilgrims on the road to Santiago at the end of the 12th century. This fairly humble building survived for several hundred years until the order of St. James made it their headquarters for the kingdom of León. Indeed the first grand master of the order Pedro Fernández de Fuentecalada was buried here. But the order needed more space an in 1554 King Ferdinadd the Catholic authorized the construction of a new building in this setting without very much space.The church of this building situated at the end of the building and today administered by th Jesuits dates from the Catholic monarchs.

CATHEDRAL OF LEÓN

The Cathedral of León, or Saint Mary´s Cathedral of León, was constructed in the century atop ancient Roman ruins. It is in actuality the third Cathedral of León, and by far the longest lasting. Construction began on the current Cathedral in the thirteenth century, although one tower was not finished until the fifteenth century. It is a very good example of Gothic architecture, complete with flying buttresses, an abundance of stained glass, and the classic “H” shape of its façade. It is currently undergoing an extensive restoration of its stained glass, with specialists carefully cleaning each pane of glass separately, before reassembling them and sealing them in protective window casings. To help fund the restoration, the local government has set up a platform at the clerestory of the church, where for only 2 euros, a tour guide will take you up so that you can better see the stained glass windows, and explain the history of stained glass and symbology.

PALACE OF THE GUZMANS

A splendid civic building of the mid-16th century, designed by Gil Hontañan . It is now the seat of the “diputacion.” (provincial government).

HOUSE OF BOTINES:

The house of Botines is a modern building designed by famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. It was built in 1891 for some textile traders of Leon. It was declared an historical monument in 1969. Nowadays it belongs to a bank called “Caja España”, who restored it and now uses it to house cultural exhibitions. In front of the palace we can contemplate the bronze statue of Gaudí gazing at his finished work.

MUSAC

The MUSAC, or “Museum of Contemporary Art of Castilla of Leon” is famous for its modern architecture, which brings a splash of colour to this historic city. Its façade is composed of large panes of glass in 42 colours inspired by the stained-glass window of the Cathedral of Leon. It houses expositions from famous modern artists from around the world

THE “BARRIO HÚMEDO”

The “Barrio Húmedo” is a historic district of Leon, more or less surrounded by medieval and Roman walls. The “Barrio Húmedo” is located in the center of the ancient city. The names of its streets are reminiscent of the old offices that existed in the city.
During the day it is a typical area to enjoy wines and tapas, but at night it is the area to go to party!

N.B.: What are “tapas”? Legend has it that during his reign, Alfonso X ordered that no wine be served without a small ration of food to accompany it and thus avoid the quick intoxication that occurs while drinking on an empty stomach. The name “tapa” comes from the fact that originally, drinks would be served with the food balancing on top, acting as a “top” or “cap” to prevent unwanted bugs, dust, etc., from spoiling the drink.

SEMANA SANTA IN LEON:

Leon’s “Semana Santa” is a festival of declared international tourist interest; it is the most important festival of the year in Leon. The festival lasts ten days. The Semana Santa is a procession with a total of 16 fraternities and brotherhoods, comprising tens of thousands of "Papones". They cover the main streets of Leon, carrying statues of saints around on floats or wooden platforms.
The most important procession in Leon is the “Encuentro”, (the meeting). Almost all of the floats participate in this procession, making it the longest of the week. The “Papones” begin the procession very early in the morning, and do not reach their final destination until afternoon. It’s very beautiful and incredible - thousands of people gather in a square to see the meeting.
A typical custom at that time is going to drink “limonada,” (a mix of red wine and citric fruit that has been left to soak in the wine) in the bars of Leon.

A curious procession of Semana Santa in Leon it is the procession called “The burial of San Genarin”. It takes place in the party zone (Barrio Húmedo) of Leon. It is a procession dedicated to a drunk person who was run over and killed by the first garbage truck in Leon. The procession consists of a march through the city with the tyical spanish alcoholic beverage called Orujo.

(video link for Semana Santa coming soon)