 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.
Ponferrada is a town in the province
of Leon, and the capital of the council of El Bierzo. It is situated
on the river Sil, a tributary of the Mino. It is located around
70 miles west of the city of Leon.
|
 Ponferrada is one of the major staging posts
on the Pilgrim's Road to Santiago de Compostela as it passes
through the province of Leon. The historic quarter of the town
sits below an imposing castle built by the Knights Templar. Ponferrada
and El Bierzo itself are surrounded by mountains. Ponferrada
has many buildings of historical interest including the Basilica
de la Encina, one of the most outstanding religious buildings
in the city, the Hospital de la Reina, the baroque church of
San Andres and the Museum of El Bierzo, located in Calle del
Relo. On the outskirts of Ponferrada is another architectural
gem, the Church of Santo Tomas de las Ollas, a Mozarab temple
built in the 10th century. |
