See also: Burgos (homonymy)

Burgos is a city of the north of the Spain, chief town of the comarca of “Burgos” in the autonomous Communauté of Castille-and-León, capital of the province of Burgos.

Burgos cradle of the Castille old woman, discovers with pride with the visitors the acute and notched arrows its famous cathedral. It is divided into two parts, on both sides of Arlanzón, connected by many bridges: the old city, on Western bank, and a modern district, on the bank orientale.
Its position isolated on a plate with nearly 900 m to altitude often exposes it to the rigors of the cold winds (nine winter months, three months of hell.)

It raises, on its blazon, the titles of Caput Castellae (Head of Castille), and Camera regia, PRIMA voce and fide (First with speaking, and in fidelity). Its flag has two horizontal fringes of the same width, the higher is red and that which is in lower part is Bordeaux wine, with the blazon of the city in the center. There exists also a Hymne in Burgos (Himno has Burgos).

History

There exist traces of human presence on the hill of the castle which dominates the city at the period of the Neolithic (4500 years before J. - C.) and in the first Âge of Iron (850 years before J.C.).
However, the town of Burgos is founded like such by the Castilian count Diego Rodríguez " Porcelos" in 884.
Alphonse III, king of Leon while trying to slow down the advance of the Moslem , ordered to the count Diego Rodríguez to create a city on the edges of the Arlanzón. The origin of the east city, consequently, militaire.
Burgos, is populated by royal decree and subjected directly to the authority of the Kings of León
Towards 930, it was capital county of Castille when this one reached its independence of the kingdom of León under the activity of Fernán González.
Burgos was selected like capital of the unified kingdom of Castille and Leon in 1037, title which it yielded to Valladolid in 1492 at the time of the fall of Grenade.
She was proclaimed episcopal see in 1074, then high with the row of archbishop's palace in 1574.
To the political lapse of memory corresponded the commercial and artistic dynamism. The city centralized wool of the large stockbreeders of the “mesta. ”
Architects and sculptors come especially from North then put the city at the Gothic mode. Burgos becomes the capital of this art in Spain with remarkable achievements like the cathedral, the royal monastery of mow Huelgas and the chartreuse one of Miraflores. At the end of the 16th century, it is the decline of the mesta and prosperity burgalaise.

See also: Head office of Burgos (1812)

In 1833, it became the chief town of its province.
At the time of the War of Spain (1936 - 1939), Burgos became the seat of the nationalist government of the general Franco and until the catch of Madrid in 1938 remained it.

Burgos and pilgrims

The Pilgrimage of Compostelle

On the Camino frances of the Pilgrimage of Saint-Jacques-to-Compostelle.
One comes from the Atapuerca, the next commune is Rabe of mow Calzadas.
It is the fifth halt of the Guide of the Pilgrim.

Time of Aimery Picaud, one entered Burgos by the Gamonal door to the North-West of the city. It is delayed little, the city being a simple stage on the Camino frances.
At the time of their crossing of Burgos, as from 1221, the pilgrims passed beside the cathedral and its work. At the 15th century, they could see by far the two arrows of the cathedral. The city did not count less than thirty two hospitals of pilgrims, of which the hospital San Juan Evangelista and Hospital del Rey.

The hospital of San Juan Evangelista

Mentioned as of 1085, was located on left bank of Vena, opposite the church called today San Lesmes. He was entrusted in 1091 by Alphonse VI (1072 - 1109) to the Benedictines of the Chair God. Its first prior was San Lesmes, in holy French Adelesme, of Loudun.
Monastery, there remain today only the cloister and the chapter house both of style Renaissance. Its beautiful ruins were renovated to shelter a museum Marceliano Santamaria, joining together a hundred and fifty fabrics of this painter of Burgos (1866 - 1952) to which impressionist painting is close to a Zuloaga or of a Sorolla.

Hospital del Rey

This hospital was created, in 1195, by Alphonse VIII (1158 - 1214), it depended on the abbey of Mow Huelgas Reales, located at a few hundred meters and founded, in 1187, by the same sovereign. The pilgrims reached Hospital del Rey after being left the city by the Saint Martin's day door and having crossed the Arlanzón by the bridge of Malatos.
This hospital could accommodate, at any moment, any pilgrim who presented himself to his door. At the 16th century, the hospital still had a great importance because it was possible to be confessed to it in all the languages. The poor pilgrims were looked after there and even equipped.
The door of Romero and the gate of the church were rebuilt under Charles Quint, the plateresque one dominates there. The wood casements of the latter were carved by Juan de Valmaseda, are represented there three generations of the same family on the way for Compostelle, among the characters, is distinguished a woman giving the center to her child.

The church of San Lesmes

It was destroyed by the wars. Rebuilt as from the 15th century, it is Gothic and Rebirth. One sees there Flemish tables, a pulpit, and the burial of holy Adelesme, whose complete remainders were found in 1968. The tomb was then replaced in the chorus in the presence of pilgrims of Loudun.

The vault San Amaro or Lesmes

It of finds in the cemetery of the pilgrims, all that remains of this establishment dates from the 16th century, but it remains in the court the large Romance pillars of the first hôpital.
This large historical building was renovated in 1991 to shelter the Faculty of Law.

Monuments and center of interest

Monk

The cathedral Santa María

It is known for its Gothic cathedral (13th-16th century), where rests the skin of the soldier Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, called Cid. Started in 1221, its construction will take more than three centuries.

Third cathedral of Spain by its dimensions (84  m length and 60  m broad), it was classified with the World heritage of UNESCO.

The Chartreuse de Miraflores

Cartuja de Miraflores, it is to 4 km in the east of Burgos.

The royal Monastery of mow Huelgas

With 1,5  km in the west of the city, by the avenida del Monasterio of mow Huelgas.

The church San Nicolàs

Its retable of imposing size was carried out in 1505 per Simon of Cologne. Its decoration extremely profuse does not count less than 465 figures. In the high part, the crowned Virgin appears encircled of a theory of angels. Around the central statue of Nicolas saint, the sculptor recalled the life of the saint, his voyage by caravel in Alexandria. In bottom apostles of sitted Cène of back.

Civilian

The Sainte-Marie Bridge

This bridge leads to the old city by triumphal Arco de Santa Maria. Very close, the esplanade of Paseo del Espolón, punctuated of coffees and gardens, offers a pleasant walk along the river, well off any motor vehicle traffic. A pleasant animation reigns there of day like night, with two steps of the restaurants and bars with typed.

The Sainte-Marie Door

El Arco de Santa Maria. Very popular ornament of the city, it is a door of the walls of XIVe century, whose frontage was modified in XVIe century, like triumphal arch for the emperor Charles Quint. She introduces the large characters of Burgos: in bottom, Diego Rodríguez Porcelos is framed by the two semi-legendary judges who would have directed the businesses of Castille to Xe century; in top, the count Fernán González and Cid (on the right) hold company in Charles Quint.

The House of the Cord

Del Cordòn Put. Recently restored, it is occupied by Caja de Ahorros. Built in XVe century, for the Constables of Castille, this residence always raises, on its frontage, the large cord franciscain which gave him its name. Kings Catholiques accepted there Christophe Colomb with the return of its second voyage; Philippe the Beautiful died there suddenly of a cooling taken after part of ball, which returned his insane Jeanne wife of despair; François 1st released of the captivity which was worth to him its defeat of Pavia in 1525, placed in these places before turning over to France.

The Museum of Burgos

It includes/understands two sections, installed each one in a residence différente.
The section of prehistory and archeology. Arranged in Put of Miranda, beautiful Renaissance residence with the pleasant patio, it shelters the product of excavations carried out in the province of Burgos, covering the period of prehistory at the time wisigothique.
To notice the rooms devoted to the sites of the Age of iron, to the Roman city of Clunia, as well as the collection of funerary steles romaines.
The section of the Art schools. The artistic production of the area of Burgos of IXe at the XXe century, is presented in Put of Angulo. One will notice two very invaluable parts coming from the monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos: a box hispano-Arabic, carved in the ivory with Cuenca in XIe century, and decorated enamelled plates, a front of copper furnace bridge pushed back and enamelled of XIIe siècle.
The funerary sculpture of XIVe and XVe centuries, counts the tomb of Juan de Padilla where Gil of SILOE put all its talent in the representation of the aspect and the sumptuous dress of the late one. In the collection of painting of XVe century, “Christ with the tears” is allotted to Jan Mostaert, painter Flemish.

Plaza Mayor

This charming circular town square, typically hemmed of a covered gallery, is used as framework with the popular rejoicings.

Demography

Population: 169.682 inhabitants in 2004, and approximately 10.000 of more in its suburbs.

Gastronomy

The specialities of Burgos are the roasted sucking lamb, pot-rotted, soups with garlic, the lenses with the mode of Burgos, the pork mince and the trout with the mode of Castille, without forgetting its rolls.

Climate

Burgos has a moderated oceanic climate, with a continental tendency. The most rainy season is spring, the summer is softer and wetter than in Mediterranean Spain. The winters are cold, with minimal temperatures which go down sometimes until -10  °C.

Sport

The teams most representative of the town of Burgos are:

; At the men

; At the ladies

Twin towns

Internal bonds

External bonds

  1. Localization on the chart
  2. the Way of San Juan de Ortega in Burgos
  3. the way of Burgos with Castrojeriz
  4. Burgos in images
  5. Photograph gallery on Burgos


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