The Kingdom of León

The city was founded by the establishment of the Roman military camp of the Legio VI Victrix about the 29 BC in order to control the exploitation of the gold mine of Las Medulas. Although the consolidation of the Roman settlement was thanks to the Roman Seventh Legion (usually written as Legio Septima Gemina) in the year 74 BC. The name of León comes from the latin Word “Legio” that means Roman Legion.

Between the 5th Century and the 7th Century, the city was dominated by the Suevi and the Visigoth till the muslims conquered in the year 712 BC. Afterwards the Cristian`s troops tried several times to reconquer the territory. The King Ordoño the 1st incorporated the territory to the Kingdom of Asturias, strengthen the defenses and rebuilted the city.

In 910 the King Garcia the 1st moved the capital of the Kingdom to León. With this became a brilliant period to the place. They have difficulties such us the attack of Almanzor in 987. Afterwards, the city was rebuilt again by the King Alfonso he 5th who gave the city charter to León in 1017.

There were important kings, such us Fernando the 1st who brought the Romanesque art to these lands and reconquered a large territory against muslims. He was able to attack Valencia and get important outcastes that enriched the Kingdom or his son, Alfonso the 6th that conquered Toledo.

The cloister of Saint Isidoro hosted the firts Parliamentary Corts in Europe in 1188 under the King Alfonso the 9th, thanks to that in the year 2013 UNESCO declared this Memory of the World.

During the Modern Age the city was stagnant. In the Independence War León was one of the first cities of Spain to rise up against Napoleon. In 1833 it became the capital of the province.

The 20th Century brought the Expansion Plan, and the development of the mine and the arrived of the train impulsed the increased of the economy.

Nowadays it is a small and modern city, full of life that has put togeteher the historician legacy, the settlement for technological industries and the good treatment of the citizens to the visitors.