Leon is a province and a city of Spain. It was established by the Romans in the 1st century in order to extract the gold from its soil. Today, one can still see the huge excavations in the area called "las Médulas," near Ponferrada and also Villaviciosa de la Ribera. From the 8th to the 16th century Leon was one of the most important kingdoms of Spain.

The province of Leon is formed by three main regions: the mountain, the riviera and plains, and El Bierzo. Its main economic resources come from agriculture, cattle raising and mining. Today it is part of the autonomous region of Castile and Leon. The population of the province of Leon is about 450,000 people. Its principle cities include Leon, Ponferrada, Astorga, La Bañeza, San Andrés del Rabanedo, Sahagún and Villafranca del Bierzo.
Leon City, home to 160,000 residents, in addition to its walls, is famous for three first-class monuments: the Cathedral (13th century), remarkable for its gothic style and precious stained glass windows, is one of the most beautiful in the world;

Basilica of Saint Isidore, Leon

Parador of San Marcos

The Basilica of St. Isidore, built in the 10th century in the Roman style, is the pantheon of the kings of Leon. It was built as a burial place for St. Isidore, Bishop of Seville. This Basilica is one of the important stops for pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compostela. It possesses beautiful paintings, mosaics, a rich museum with codices and beautiful religious work, among them the beautiful agatha chalice of Doña Urraca.
• San Marcos was built as a monastery in a plateresque style in the 16th century. It has been converted into one of the most renowned hotels of Spain.