The City on the hill





Astorga sits high on a hill. It is not easy to get the feel of it as you advance from the east but to north and south the city walls sharply mark within and without. It had the usual pre-historic hits but it became Austrias proper when the Romans got serious in 14BC. Bits of the Roman remains can be seen under various buildings and if looking at small walls is your thing you are in luck.

We are following the northern side with its wide open green space, ready for displays and resting pilgrims.



The city was all but abandoned during the late 8th and early 9th century but was repopulated by Ordono I. The pilgrim trade helped the city grow and we will end by the cathedral. A Romanesque version existed from 11th to 13th century. The present Gothic effort was begun in 1471 and completed in the 18th century. The website is really worth a visit. The place is a tribute to the strong belief that there is no such thing as too much gold leaf and what an available space needs is an extra statue. https://catedralastorga.com/


Of equal but different interest is the Bishop’s Palace which is, fundamentally, barking mad. Enter the only Catalan bishop this Leonese bishopric had. Bishop Juan Bautista Grau y Vallespinosnfelt he needed a new place to live. He called his mate, Anton Gaudi, to nip over and give it a go. Gaudi was busy with Parc Guell so had a look at the site via some photos and whipped up a plan. The Bishop died in 1893; Gaudi resigned over a tiff with the council and so the place did not get completed until 1915 and not to the original plan. The Bishops were not that bothered about living there; the Falagne used it as their HQ during the Civil War. Two rather bored young Falagnists decided to give up guarding and put a chamber pot on a nearby statue. When challenged by the night watch they ran for it, reasoning while they had rifles and the watch only whistles - the watch knew their dads.



The Palace has spent most of its existence as a museum of religious art dedicated to the Camino.
Tomorrow we are going for a wander.



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