Castile-Leon (Castilla y Leon in Spanish) is a region of Spain
composed of Leon with the provinces of Leon, Zamora and Salamanca,
and Castile with the provinces of Avila, Burgos, Palencia, Segovia,
Soria and Valladolid. It was formed by the union of two ancient
kingdoms: Old Castile and the Kingdom of Leon, which were separated
and reunited several times in the Middle Ages. It borders on
Asturias and Cantabria to the north, Aragon, the Basque Country,
and La Rioja to the east, the autonomous community of Madrid
and Castile-La Mancha to the southeast, Extremadura to the south,
and borders on Portugal and Galicia to the west. It is the largest
region in Spain with its capital Valladolid almost at its very
centre.
Valladolid is an industrial city on
the Rio Pisuerga and within the Ribera del Duero region. It is
the capital of the province of Valladolid, located right in the
centre of the region of castile-Leon.
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Valladolid, the city on the River
Pisuerga, preserves an interesting group of Renaissance buildings
in its old quarter, with aristocratic houses, religious buildings,
palaces and its unfinished Cathedral, one of its most symbolic
buildings. The 16th-century Plaza Mayor, presided over by a statue
of Count Ansurez, is right in the heart of the city. On one side
of it stands the City Hall, a building from the beginning of
the century crowned by the clock tower. Valladolid is a university
city and has played a leading role in key episodes in Spanish
history. Valladolid has twice been the capital, firstly with
Carlos I in the 16th century and later when Felipe III came to
the throne in the 17th century. |