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65-510: About one quarter of its population of 463,746 (2018) lives in the capital, León . The climate is dry, cold in winter and hot in summer. This creates the perfect environment for wine and all types of cold meats and sausages like the leonese "Morcilla" and the "Cecina". There are two famous Roman Catholic cathedrals in the province, the main one in León and another in Astorga . The province shares

130-649: A "Leonese language" descending from Latin and encompassing two groups: the Asturian dialects on one hand, and dialects spoken in the provinces of León and Zamora in Spain and a related dialect in Trás-os-Montes ( Portugal ), on the other hand. The Asturleonese dialect (considered part of the Leonese dialects) of Miranda do Douro ( Portugal ), Mirandese , is most certainly a dialect on its own, considering

195-602: A government agency to promote minority languages and a nongovernmental agency in an advisory capacity in matters pertaining to minority languages. The Academy of the Asturian Language has sponsored linguistic and sociolinguistic research, which encompasses the non-Asturian dialects of Asturian-Leonese. Two congresses about Leonese have been held, at which the following measures were proposed to move towards language standardization: For about 15 years cultural associations have offered Leonese-language courses, sometimes with

260-413: A high codification grade in the city of Llión. The first written text in Leonese was Nodicia de Kesos (959 or 974); other works in the language include Fueru de Llión , Fueru de Salamanca , Fueru Xulgu , Códice d'Alfonsu XI , ou Disputa d'Elena y María or Llibru d'Alixandre . Leonese is considered a seriously endangered language by UNESCO . It is almost extinct, being known and spoken by only

325-582: A narrow geographical sense, Leonese is distinct from the dialects grouped under the Asturian language . However, the division between Leonese and Asturian is due to the distinctly different identities of both areas, separated by a mighty mountain range, while the dialects have enough common traits to consider them part of a single language, Astur-Leonese or Asturian-Leonese. The principle isoglosses in this region do not divide Asturias and Leon, dialectal areas (western, central, eastern) are in fact shaped along

390-519: A north-south axis (thus encompassing lands both north and south of the mountains , both in Asturias and in Castile and León ). In the west of Asturias and Leon, dialects of Asturo-Leonese begin to transition into the closely related Galician language , with the westernmost variants effectively constituting dialects of Galician. On the other hand, Menéndez Pidal and fellow scholars discussed

455-618: A small northern part connected to Asturias, that became part of the battlefront until the fall of the North in October 1937. Both the Convent of San Marcos , the old Santa Ana factory and the provincial prison were nonetheless rehabilitated as mass detention camps in the city by the Francoist side . During the 1960s, León experienced much growth due to in-migration from the rural zones of

520-495: A very few elderly people who live isolated in the mountains of the northern part of the province of León. However, people who wish to separate León from Castile and who support Leonese autonomy are trying to revive the language. León City Council and Leonese language associations like the Asociación Cultural de la Llingua Llïonesa El Fueyu are promoting its knowledge and use. Leonese Language Day started in 2006 with

585-505: Is a set of vernacular Romance language varieties currently spoken in northern and western portions of the historical region of León in Spain (the modern provinces of León , Zamora , and Salamanca ), the village of Riudenore (in both Spain and Portugal ) and Guadramil in Portugal , sometimes considered another language. In the past, it was spoken in a wider area, including most of

650-465: Is fading: " ... It is extended to the regions between the interior area and the Ribera del Órbigo ( Maragatería , Cepeda , Omaña ... ). In Zamora, the region of La Carballeda – with the subregion La Requejada – and Aliste , with at least a part of its adjacent lands ( Alba  [ es ] and Tábara ). This area is characterized by a blur and progressive disappearance, greater as we move to

715-457: Is given in the following chart: The Provincial Government of León signed accords with language associations for promoting the Leonese language . Leonese is taught in the city of León, Mansilla de las Mulas , La Bañeza , Valencia de Don Juan or Ponferrada for adult people, and in sixteen schools of León. The City Council of León writes some of its announcements in Leonese in order to promote

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780-864: Is regulated by the Academy of the Asturian Language (ALLA) and promoted by the Asturian Government and local legislation, the Leonese dialects are not officially promoted or regulated. In Leonese, any of five vowel phonemes, /a, e, i, o, u/ , may occur in stressed position. In the unstressed positions, the distinction between close and mid vowels is neutralized in favor of the archiphonemes /ɪ/ and /ʊ/ . Leonese has two genders (masculine and feminine) and two numbers (singular and plural ). The main masculine noun and adjective endings are -u for singular and -os for plural. Typical feminine endings are -a for singular and -as for plural. Masculine and feminine nouns ending in -e in

845-625: Is the Nodicia de kesos , written between 974 and 980 AD, an inventory of cheeses owned by a monastery written in the margin of the reverse of a document written in Latin. During the 12th and 13th centuries, Leonese reached its territorial zenith as the administrative language of the Kingdom of León , a literary language ( Poema de Elena y María  [ es ] and the Libro de Alexandre ), in

910-454: The Astures and Cantabri , and to secure the transport of gold extracted in the province —especially in the huge nearby mines of Las Médulas — that was taken to Rome through Asturica Augusta (modern-day Astorga ). Tacitus calls the legion Galbiana , to distinguish it from the old Legio VII Claudia , but this appellation is not found on any inscriptions. It appears to have received

975-819: The Duero River . The political and military chiefs of these territories were referred to as Adelantados ; those chiefs began to convene as an assembly in the early 12th century, while the crown appointed the Merinos as minor and appellate judges. According to UNESCO, in 1188 the Kingdom of León developed the first Parliament in Europe, the Cortes de León , which included the elected representatives of towns and cities. In 1202, that Parliament approved economic legislation to regulate trade and guilds. The historical population

1040-677: The French Way of the Camino de Santiago , which is ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site , make it a destination of both domestic and international tourism . Some of the city's most prominent historical buildings are the Cathedral , one of the finest examples of French-style classic Gothic architecture in Spain, the Basilica of San Isidoro , one of the most important Romanesque churches in Spain and resting place of León's medieval monarchs,

1105-667: The Kingdom of Portugal in 1139. The independently administered Kingdom of León , situated in the northwestern region of the Iberian Peninsula , retained the status of a kingdom until 1833, although dynastic union had brought it into the Crown of Castile . The Kingdom was composed of Adelantamientos Mayores , where the Leonese Adelantamientos consisted of the territories between the Picos de Europa and

1170-656: The Monastery of San Marcos , an example of plateresque and Renaissance Spanish architecture, and the Casa Botines , a Modernist creation of the architect Antoni Gaudí . An example of modern architecture is the city's Museum of Contemporary Art or MUSAC . León was founded in the 1st century BC by the Roman legion Legio VI Victrix , which served under Caesar Augustus during the Cantabrian Wars (29-19 BC),

1235-455: The Picos de Europa National Park (in the Picos de Europa mountain range) with Cantabria and Asturias . It has 211 municipalities. The province of León was established in 1833 with the new Spanish administrative organisation of regions and provinces to replace former kingdoms. The greater Leonese Region was composed of the provinces of León, Salamanca and Zamora . The Kingdom of León

1300-570: The revolt around 740. Towards the year 846, a group of Mozarabs ( Christians who did not flee from the Muslims and lived under the Muslim regime) tried to repopulate the city, but a Muslim attack prevented that initiative. In the year 856, under the Christian king Ordoño I , another attempt at repopulation was made and was successful. Alfonso III of León and García I of León made León city

1365-634: The 13th century, began to influence the municipal government. During the early Middle Ages , the livestock industry produced a period of prosperity for the city. Free from the seigneuralisation process of the Late Middle Ages, towards the end of the era León had consolidated as one of the 13 cities in the Meseta enjoying the right to vote at the Cortes of Castile. In the 16th century, economic and demographic decline set in and continued until

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1430-476: The 19th century. For the extent of the Early Modern period the city remained controlled by a reduced set of noble families by means of the regimientos and regidurías . The city population increased from 9,000 to 15,000 during the 19th century. The population further increased during the 20th century: 18,000 (1910), 44,000 (1940), 73,000 (1960), and 100,000 (1971). The military coup d'état that marked

1495-461: The 20th century saw a significant acceleration in the rate of urban expansion, when the city became an important communications hub of the northwest due to the rise of the coal mining industry and the arrival of the railroad. León's historical and architectural heritage, as well as the numerous festivals hosted throughout the year (particularly noteworthy are the Easter processions) and its location on

1560-507: The East, of the features still clearly seen in the previous area. The gradual and negative character of this characteristic explains how vague the limits are". A "speaker of Leonese" is defined here as a person who knows (and can speak) a variety of Leonese. There is no linguistic census of the number of Leonese speakers in the provinces of León and Zamora, and estimates vary from 5,000 to 50,000. Two sociolinguistic studies, in northern Leon and

1625-507: The Leonese court, judiciary (with the translation of the Visigothic Liber Iudicum or Liber Iudiciorum into Leonese), administration, and organization. After the 1230 union of Leon and Castile, Leonese had greater written and institutional use, although at the end of the 13th century Castilian began to replace it as a written language. Leonese became an oral, rural language with little literary development. At

1690-714: The West), Asturias (to the North) and Valladolid (to the South-East, in the same route as Madrid). León has 13 city bus lines, belonging to the company Alesa, a subsidiary of ALSA. Besides the buses, there are plans to introduce tram lines in the city. The Leonese language derives directly from Latin and developed in the Middle Ages. At this time, Leonese was the official language of the Leonese Kingdom and achieved

1755-710: The appellation of Gemina on account of its amalgamation by Vespasian with one of the German legions, probably the Legio I Germanica . Its full name was Legio VII Gemina Felix. After serving in Pannonia, and in the civil wars, it was settled by Vespasian in Hispania Tarraconensis, to supply the place of the Legio VI Victrix and Legio X Gemina , two of the three legions ordinarily stationed in

1820-593: The beginning of the Spanish Civil War took place (and succeeded) in León on 20 July 1936, with the putschist military officers meeting little resistance. The Catholic Church adhered to the rebels and instrumentalised the Catholic sentiment and traditions against the Republic . The rebels expanded from the city to the rest of the traditionally conservative province, which remained under rebel control except

1885-469: The beginning of the 20th century, it survived in oral form only in mid-western León and western Zamora provinces. Its scientific study and a nascent cultural movement began in the province of Leon in 1906. During the 1950s and 60s, the number of Leonese speakers and the area in which it was spoken decreased. Although the Astur-Leonese linguistic domain covers most of the principality of Asturias,

1950-580: The capital of the Kingdom of León and the most important of the Christian cities in Iberia. The seat of the kingdom of Asturias moved to León in 910. Sacked by Almanzor in about 987, the city was reconstructed and repopulated by Alfonso V , whose Decree of 1017 regulated its economic life, including the functioning of its markets. León was a way-station for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago leading to Santiago de Compostela . With Alfonso V of León

2015-710: The centre of Romanization for the indigenous tribes). The city of Astorga was sacked by the Visigoths in the 5th century, and never regained its former prominence. The region remained unified until the eighth-century Islamic invasion. Around the 11th century, it began to be defined as Leonese territory roughly corresponding to the southern conventus . In medieval León, the Romance Galician , Asturian-Leonese , and Castilian languages evolved and spread south. The first known text in Asturian-Leonese

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2080-451: The city enjoys a considerable amount of sunshine throughout the year. León Airport ( IATA : LEN) is located approximately 6 kilometres away from the city centre, in the neighbouring town of La Virgen del Camino / Valverde de la Virgen . It offers mostly domestic flights within the country. Currently two Spanish airlines operate in it: Iberia / Air Nostrum and Air Europa . Air Nostrum offers flights from and to Barcelona, Spain . During

2145-522: The city had the " Fueru de Llión ", an important letter of privileges. In 1188, Alfonso IX of León gathered the three estates in the city of León (including representatives of the urban class) in the Cortes of León of 1188 . Due to the written documentary corpus, the 1188 Cortes were recognised by the UNESCO in 2013 as "cradle" of parliamentarism. Suburbs for traders and artisans sprang up, who, after

2210-668: The city hosted the first Parliament in European history under the reign of Alfonso IX , and this is why in 2010 it was acknowledged by professor John Keane , the King of Spain and the Junta of Castile and León , as the "cradle of Parliamentarism ". The Decreta of León were consequently included in the Memory of the World register by UNESCO in 2013. The city's prominence began to decline in

2275-524: The criteria used. In winter, temperatures normally oscillate between −1 °C (30 °F) and 13 °C (55 °F). Frost is common in the early hours of the morning before the dawn during the coldest months of the winter, but normally melts after sunrise. Snowfalls are not rare in the city (9 days a year), however heavy snowfalls are not common. Summers are warm and relatively dry, with temperatures usually oscillating between 16 °C (61 °F) and 35 °C (95 °F). With about 2,673 sunshine hours,

2340-458: The early Middle Ages, partly due to the loss of independence after the union of the Leonese kingdom with the Crown of Castile , consolidated in 1301. After a period of stagnation during the early modern age , it was one of the first cities to hold an uprising in the Spanish War of Independence , and some years later, in 1833 acquired the status of provincial capital. The end of the 19th and

2405-614: The entire linguistic area, including Asturias. This designation has been replaced by Ibero-Romance scholars with "Asturian-Leonese", but "Leonese" is still often used to denote Asturian-Leonese by non-speakers of Asturian or Mirandese. Sometimes the language as a whole is simply called "Asturian" for several reasons, such as the Leonese dialects being on the brink of extinction, or the widespread ignorance of its very existence (even in León), as well as their lack of recognition and institutional support (as opposed to their Asturias counterparts). In

2470-414: The entire province analysed the prevalence of Leonese and the linguistic attitudes of its speakers. According to the latter, maintenance of the language is the primary wish but opinions differ about how to do so. Almost 37 per cent think that the language should be kept for nonofficial uses, and about 30 per cent believe it should be on a par with Spanish. Twenty-two per cent favour its disappearance. Nearly

2535-551: The final stage of the Roman conquest of Hispania . In the year 74 AD, the Legio VII Gemina —recruited from the Hispanics by Galba in 69 AD — settled in a permanent military camp that was the origin of the city. Its modern name, León, is derived from the city's Latin name Castra Legionis . The Romans established the site of the city to protect the recently conquered territories of northwestern Hispania from

2600-436: The following dishes are the most representative: cecina (cured, smoked beef meat), morcilla (a blood sausage), botillo (a dish of meat-stuffed pork intestine), garlic soup, el cocido leonés (a mix of meat with vegetables and chickpeas, served after a vegetable-vermicelli soup) and mantecadas (pastry). Another very important part of the gastronomy of León are the tapas , which are usually given free with drinks, unlike in

2665-634: The historical region of Leon. The current number of Leonese speakers is estimated at 20,000 to 50,000. Spanish is now the predominant language in the area. Leonese forms part of the Asturleonese linguistic group along with dialects of Asturian . The division between Asturian and Leonese is extra-linguistic, as the main divisions within the Asturleonese complex are between eastern and western varieties, rather than between varieties spoken in Asturias and Leon. Menéndez Pidal used "Leonese" for

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2730-493: The language. In the western part of the El Bierzo , the westernmost region of the province, Galician language is spoken and taught at schools. As for the temperatures, in general it is a cold climate due to the altitude and the abundance of frost (which persist from November to May), being more intense in the mountainous areas reaching -18 °C. Vega de Liordes, an enclave in the León sector of Picos de Europa belonging to

2795-408: The municipality of Posada de Valdeón registered −35.8 °C (−32.4 °F) on January 7, 2021. Embutidos Cheese Wines Sweets Le%C3%B3n, Le%C3%B3n León ( Spanish: [leˈon] ; Leonese : Llión [ʎiˈoŋ] ) is a city and municipality of Spain , capital of the province of León , part of the autonomous community of Castile and León , in

2860-762: The north and west of the province of Leon, the northeast of Zamora, both provinces in Castile and León, and the region of Miranda do Douro in the east of the Portuguese district of Bragança , this article focuses on the autonomous community of Castile and León. Borrego Nieto wrote that the area in where Leonese is best preserved, defined as "area 1", consists of the regions of Babia and Laciana , part of Los Argüellos , eastern Bierzo and La Cabrera ; in Zamora, non-Galician Sanabria . Borrego Nieto describes another geographical circle, which he calls "area 2", where Leonese

2925-479: The northwest of the Iberian Peninsula . It has a population of 124,303 (2019), by far the largest municipality in the province. The population of the metropolitan area, including the neighbouring San Andrés del Rabanedo and other smaller municipalities, accounts for around 200,000 inhabitants. Founded as the military encampment of the Legio VI Victrix around 29 BC, its standing as an encampment city

2990-604: The numerous differences it has when compared to dialects in the Spanish side. In fact, it is often considered as a separate language, especially in Portugal , where it has been granted official recognition, and is regulated by the Institute of the Mirandese Language . Thus, Asturleonese is sometimes considered a group of two languages, Asturian or Asturleonese proper , and Mirandese . Unlike Asturian , which

3055-608: The official courses developed by the Department for Leonese Culture of the Leonese City Council. The Leonese City Council was founded in 1345. It has 27 city councillors. In the last municipal elections (26 May 2019) the results were: The mayor is José Antonio Diez, from the PSOE. León is in the county ( comarca ) of Tierras de León . León is twinned with: Within the wide range of Leonese cuisine

3120-457: The original Roman encampment still survive in the modern city layout. Long sections of the Roman walls (built between the first century BC and the fourth century AD) are still standing. There are also archaeological exhibitions showing remains of the walls, gates, baths and an amphitheatre. The post-Roman history of the city is largely the history of the Kingdom of León. The station of the legion in

3185-535: The plain from the incursions of the mountaineers, became the advanced post which covered the mountain, as the last refuge of Cisastur Tribes. However, there is no notice of resistance whatsoever. An attempt was made by the invaders to settle the strongholds with Berbers came in a military capacity, but the scheme was abandoned when the Berbers of northern Iberia rebelled against the Arabs and gave up their positions to join

3250-516: The population supports granting official status to Leonese by amending the Statute of Autonomy. About 70 per cent favour linguistic coordination between León and Asturias, with 20 per cent opposing. Leonese in education is favoured by more than 63 per cent of the population, and opposed by about 34 per cent. Institutional promotion of the dialect, especially by town councils, was favoured by more than 83 per cent of respondents. The Statute of Autonomy of Castile and León, amended 30 November 2007, addresses

3315-404: The province, but which had been withdrawn to Germany. That its regular winter quarters, under later emperors, were at León, we learn from the Itinerary, Ptolemy, and the Notitiae Imperii , as well as from a few inscriptions; but there are numerous inscriptions to prove that a strong detachment of it was stationed at Tarraco (modern Tarragona ), the chief city of the province. Some elements of

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3380-436: The province. Leonese customs include the Semana Santa (" Holy Week "), featuring numerous processions through the centre of the city. One of them is the so-called "Procession of the Meeting", which acts out the meeting of three groups representing Saint John , the Virgin Mary and Christ , in the esplanade in front of the old council. Associated with Semana Santa is the procession called "The Burial of Genarín". Genarín

3445-528: The rest of Spain. It is very common to go "de tapas" or "tapear" i.e. to go for a few drinks ("un corto", which is a very small beer, "una caña", which is roughly half a pint of beer or "un vino", a glass of wine, or a “butano”, a small glass of orange soda) just before lunch but more normally as a light form of dinner. 42°36′20″N 5°34′12″W  /  42.60556°N 5.57000°W  / 42.60556; -5.57000 Leonese language Leonese ( Leonese : llionés , Asturian : lleonés )

3510-410: The singular take -es for the plural. Adjectives agree with nouns in number and gender. The native languages of Leon, Zamora, Asturias, and the Terra de Miranda in Portugal are the result of the evolution of Latin introduced by Roman conquerors in the region. Their colonization and organization led to the Conventus Asturum , with its capital at Asturica Augusta (present-day Astorga, Spain ,

3575-422: The status of Spanish, Leonese, and Galician. According to Section 5.2, "Leonese will be specifically protected by the institutions for its particular value within the linguistic patrimony of the Community. Its protection, usage and promotion will be regulated". On 24 February 2010, a parliamentary group from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party presented a proposition to the Cortes of Castile and León to recognize

3640-505: The summer months the number of available destinations increases, and flights are also offered from and to Palma de Mallorca, Spain , Tenerife, Spain , Ibiza, Spain , Menorca, Spain , Málaga, Spain and Gran Canaria, Spain . León has two railway stations, León railway station on the Renfe line, and León-Matallana on the Renfe Feve lines. There are high-speed services that connect León to Madrid in approximately two hours. Other destinations directly reachable from León are Galicia (to

3705-499: The support of Leonese Provincial Government, and from 2008 the celebration is organised by the León City Council. At the end of the 1990s, several associations unofficially promoted Leonese language courses. In 2001, the Universidad de León (University of León) created a course for Teachers of Leonese language, and local government developed Leonese language courses for adults. The Leonese Language Teachers and Monitors Association ( Asociación de Profesores y Monitores de Llingua Llïonesa )

3770-495: The support of local administrations in the provinces of Leon and Zamora. In 2001, the Universidad de León (University of León) created a course for teachers of Leonese. The dialect can be studied in the larger villages of León , Zamora and Salamanca provinces as El Fueyu courses, following an agreement between the Leonese provincial government and the organization. The Leonese Language Teachers and Monitors Association ( Asociación de Profesores y Monitores de Llingua Llïonesa )

3835-422: The territory of the Astures grew into an important city, which resisted the attacks of the Visigoths until AD 586, when it was taken by Leovigild ; and it was one of the few cities which the Visigoths allowed to retain their fortifications. During the Umayyad conquest of Hispania , in 715 Tariq advanced from the area of La Rioja towards Astorga and León. The same fortress, which the Romans had built to protect

3900-426: The value of Leonese and implement a plan to protect and promote it. Although the proposition was approved unanimously by the plenary session of the parliament of Castile and León on 26 May, the government's position has not changed. UNESCO , in its Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger , listed Leonese in the most at-risk category. The category's criteria are: The Autonomous Community of Castile and León lacks

3965-405: The whole city is occupied by terraces and street markets where Leonese people celebrate the beginning of the summer, especially on San Juan's night (June 23) when fireworks and bonfires take place. The city of León can be divided into more than 36 districts ( barrios ): León features an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb) or a warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csb), depending on

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4030-445: Was an alcoholic beggar who was hit and killed by the first garbage truck in the city of León in the year 1929. This is a celebration of alcohol, and the main purpose of the people who attend it is getting drunk in honor to the alcoholic beggar. The San Juan and San Pedro festivities are also remarkable, celebrated during the last week of June (between June 23 and June 29). During these days several concerts and festivals take place and

4095-436: Was consolidated with the definitive settlement of the Legio VII Gemina from 74 AD. Following its partial depopulation due to the Umayyad conquest of the peninsula, 910 saw the beginning of one of its most prominent historical periods, when it became the capital of the Kingdom of León , which took active part in the Reconquista against the Moors , and came to be one of the fundamental kingdoms of medieval Spain. In 1188,

4160-517: Was created in 2008 and promotes Leonese language activities. Leonese lessons in schools started in 2008, and it is currently taught in sixteen schools in León city in 2008–2009, promoted by the Leonese Local Government Department for Education. This course is for pupils in their 5th and 6th year of primary school (11- and 12-year-olds), where Leonese language is taught with Leonese culture. More than one hundred people are studying Leonese in adult classes in 2008–2009. There are five levels for adults in

4225-466: Was founded in 910 A.D. when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the Iberian peninsula shifted their main seat from Oviedo to the city of León . The eastern, inland part of the kingdom was joined dynastically to the Kingdom of Castile , first in 1037–1065, then in 1077–1109 and again in 1126–1157, 1230–1296 and from 1301 onward (see: historic union of the Kingdoms of Castile and León ). The western and Atlantic provinces became

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