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History
Roman origins
León was founded in the 1st century BC by the Roman legion Legio VI Victrix,[5]
which served under Caesar Augustus during the Cantabrian Wars (29-19 BC), 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.[5] Its modern name, León, is derived from the
city's Latin name Castra Legionis.[6]
2nd century Roman stele found in the city walls

The Romans established the site of the city to protect the recently conquered
territories of northwestern Hispania from 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).[7][8]
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 the appellation of Gemina[9] 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 the
province, but which had been withdrawn to Germany.[10]
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;[11] 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 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.
Middle Ages
The post-Roman history of the city is largely the history of the Kingdom of León.
The station of the legion in 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 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 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 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.
See also: Kingdom of León

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 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.[12]
Suburbs for traders and artisans sprang up, who, after 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.[13]
Modern history
General view of León, published in 1867 in El Museo Universal.

In the 16th century, economic and demographic decline set in and continued until
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.[14] The city population increased from 9,000 to 15,000 during the 19th
century.[15] The population further increased during the 20th century: 18,000
(1910), 44,000 (1940), 73,000 (1960), and 100,000 (1971).[16]
The military coup d'état that marked 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.[17] The Catholic Church adhered to the rebels and
instrumentalised the Catholic sentiment and traditions against the Republic.[18]
The rebels expanded from the city to the rest of the traditionally conservative
province, which remained under rebel control except a small northern part connected
to Asturias, that became part of the battlefront until the fall of the North in
October 1937.[19] 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.[20][21]
During the 1960s, León experienced much growth due to in-migration from the rural
zones of the province.

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History

2nd century Roman stele found in the city walls

See also: Kingdom of León

General view of León, published in 1867 in El Museo Universal.

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