The city of León is the capital of the province of the same name, located in the beautiful northwest part of Spain. The population of the city—roughly 125,000 inhabitants—makes it the largest municipality in the province.

León was an important Roman settlement and following its partial depopulation due to the Arab conquest of the peninsula, became the capital of the kingdom in the Middle Ages and a historic enclave on the Pilgrims´ Road to Santiago de Compostela. The 19th and 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.

Leon’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 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, the finest example 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 Leon’s medieval monarchs; the Monastery of San Marcos, a prime example of Plateresque and Renaissance Spanish architecture; and the Casa Botines, a Modernist creation of the architect Antoni Gaudí. A noteworthy example of modern architecture is the city’s Museum of Contemporary Art or MUSAC.