For other meanings, see Burgos (disambiguation)

City of Burgos
Flag (In details)	Coat of arms (In details)
Province	Burgos
Autonomous community	Castilla y León
Postal code	090xx
Coordinates  - Latitude:  - Longitude:	42°21' N 3º42' W
Altitude	856 m
Surface	108 km²
Distances	122 km to Valladolid 244,7 km to Madrid
Population  - Total (census of 2005)  - Density	172. A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. Castile and León (Castilla y León known formally as the Community of Castile and León is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. A postal code (known in various countries as a post code, postcode, or ZIP code) is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a In Mathematics and its applications a coordinate system is a system for assigning an n - Tuple of Numbers or scalars to each point A minute is a Unit of measurement of Time or of Angle. The minute is a unit of Time equal to 1/60th of an Hour or 60 This is about the direction for other uses see North (disambiguation. This article refers to the cardinal direction for other uses see West (disambiguation. Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International In Mathematics, specifically in Topology, a surface is a Two-dimensional Manifold. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand ||-||} is an industrial city and it is a Municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 421 inhab. 1546 hab. /km²
Demonym	Burgalés/Burgalesa
Rivers	Arlanzón Vena Pico Cardeñadijo
Mayor (2003- )	Juan Carlos Aparicio (Partido Popular)

Burgos is a city of northern Spain, at the edge of the central plateau, with about 173,600 inhabitants in the city proper and another 10,000 in its suburbs. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there The People's Party ( Spanish: Partido Popular, PP) is the main right Political party in Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is the capital of the province of Burgos. Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. The Burgos Laws or Leyes de Burgos were promulgated there in 1512. The document known as the Leyes de Burgos ( Laws of Burgos) was promulgated on December 27, 1512 in Burgos,

Contents 1 History 2 Sights 2.1 Church of Santa Águeda, commonly called Santa Gadea 2.2 Burgos cathedral 2.3 Monasterio de las Huelgas 2.4 Cartuja de Miraflores 3 Sister city 4 See also 5 Notes 6 Sources and external links

History

Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800,000 years ago. Homo antecessor is an extinct Hominin and a potential distinct species dating from 1 The Neanderthal (neɪˈændərtɑːl also with /niː-/ and /-θɔːl/ or Neandertal, is an extinct member of the Homo genus that is known from

When the Romans took possession of what is now the province of Burgos the site had been a Celtiberian city. In Roman times it belonged to Hispania Citerior ("Hither Spain") and then to Hispania Tarraconensis. the Roman Republic, Hispania Citerior (English Hither Spain) was a region of Hispania roughly located in the northeastern coast and in the Ebro Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. In the fifth century the Visigoths drove back the Suevi, then the Arabs occupied all of Castile in the eighth century, though only for a brief period, and left no trace of their occupation. The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East The Suebi or Suevi (from Proto-Germanic * swēbaz based on the Proto-Germanic root * swē- meaning "one's own" A former kingdom, Castile (Castilla kasˈt̪iʎa or) gradually merged with its neighbors to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain Alfonso III the Great, king of León reconquered it about the middle of the ninth century, and built many castles for the defence of Christendom, which was then extended through the reconquest of lost territory. Alfonso III (c 848– 20 December 910 ? called the Great, was the king of Galicia and Asturias from 866 until his death Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. The region came to be known as Castile (Latin castella), i. e. "land of castles".

Burgos was founded in the 880s as an outpost of this expanding Christian frontier,^[1] when Diego Rodríguez "Porcelos", count of Castile, governed this territory with orders to promote the increase of the Christian population; with this end in view he gathered the inhabitants of the surrounding country into one fortified village, whose Visigothic name of Burgos signified consolidated walled villages (Gothic baurgs). The Reconquista (a Spanish and Portuguese word for "Reconquest" Arabic: الاسترداد, "Recapturing" was a period The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East See also List of cities with defensive walls A defensive wall is a Fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors ^[2] The city began to be called Caput Castellae ("Cabeza de Castilla" or "Head of Castille"). The county (condado) of Burgos, subject to the Kings of Leon, continued to be governed by counts and was gradually extended; Fernán González, the greatest of these, established his independence. In the reign of Ordoño I of Asturias ( 850 - 866) the kingdom began to be known as that of León. ^[3]

The city was the see of a Catholic bishop from the tenth century and in the eleventh century became the capital of the Kingdom of Castile. Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. Burgos was a major stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela^[4] and a centre of trade between the Bay of Biscay and the south, which attracted an unusually large foreign merchant population, who became part of the city oligarchy and excluded other foreigners. Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World Cantabrian Sea redirects here Not to be confused with Biscay Bay Newfoundland and Labrador or Biscayne Bay. ^[5] Throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries Burgos was a favourite seat of the kings of León and Castile and a favoured burial site. The consejo or urban commune of Burgos was firmly in the hands of an oligarchic class of caballeros villanos, the "non-noble knights" of Burgos, who provided the monarchs with a mounted contingent: in 1255 and 1266 royal charters granted to those citizens of Burgos who owned horses and could arm themselves relief from taxes, provided that they continue to live within the city walls^[6] The merchant oligarchy succeeded the cathedral chapter as the major purchasers of land after 1250; they carried on their mercantile business in common with municipal or royal functions and sent their sons to England and Flanders to gain experience in overseas trade. Consejo is a Village in the north of Corozal District of the nation of Belize. Communes in Europe in the Middle Ages were sworn allegiances of mutual defense (both physical defense and of traditional freedoms among community members of a town or city A few families within the hermandades or confraternities like the Sarracín and Bonifaz succeeded in monopolising the post of alcalde, or mayor; a special court, the alcalde del rey was first mentioned at Burgos in 1281^[7] By the reign of Alfonso X the exemption of the non-noble knights and religious corporations, combined with exorbitant gifts and grants to monasteries and private individuals, placed great stress on the economic well-being of the realm. Hermandad, literally "brotherhood" in Spanish was a peacekeeping association of armed individuals a characteristic of municipal life in medieval Spain, especially Alcalde () or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate who had both Judicial and administrative functions Alfonso X (November 23 1221 Toledo Spain &ndash April 4 1284 Seville Spain) was a Spanish monarch who ruled as the King of Castile,

In the century following the conquest of Seville (1248), Burgos became a testing-ground for royal policies of increasing power against the consejo, in part by encouraging the right to appeal from the consejo to the king. Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. In 1285 Sancho IV added a new body to the consejo which came to dominate it: the jurado in charge of collecting taxes and overseeing public works; the king reserved the right to select its members. The city perceived that danger to its autonomy came rasther from an uncontrolled aristocracy during royal minorities: Burgos joined the hermandades of cities that leagued together for mutual protection in 1295 and 1315. In the fourteenth century official royal intrusion in city affairs was perceived as a palliative against outbreaks of violence by the large excluded class of smaller merchants and artisans, on whom the tax burden fell. The alguacil was the royal official instituted to judge disagreements.

On 9 June 1345, sweeping aside the city government, Alfonso XI established direct royal rule of Burgos through the Regimiento of sixteen appointed men

In 1574 Pope Gregory XIII made its bishop an archbishop, at the request of king Philip II. Alfonso XI of Castile (Salamanca August 13, 1311 &ndash Gibraltar March 26/27 1350 was the king of Castile and León, the son of Pope Gregory XIII (January 7 1502 &ndash April 10 1585 born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585 Philip II (Felipe II de España Filipe I ( May 21, 1527 &ndash September 13 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598

Burgos has been the scene of many wars: with the Moors, the struggles between León and Navarre, and between Castile and Aragon. The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent Aragon ( Spanish: "Aragón") is an autonomous community of Spain. In the Peninsular War against Napoleonic France, Burgos was the scene of a battle, and again in the 19th century Carlist civil wars of the Spanish succession. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France Carlism is a traditionalist and legitimist political movement in Spain seeking the establishment of a separate line of the Bourbon family on In the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714 several European powers combined to stop French succession to the Spanish throne and what would likely have been a resulting During the Spanish Civil War Burgos was the base of Gen. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of Franco's rebel Nationalist government. Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid

Sights

The cathedral Our Lady of Burgos. The Burgos Cathedral (Catedral de Burgos is a Gothic-style cathedral in Burgos, Spain

The statue of El Cid. Rodrigo (or Ruy) Díaz de Vivar (c 1040 Vivar, near Burgos &ndash 10 July 1099, Valencia) known as

Santa Maria Arch.

Burgos still possesses more ecclesiastical monuments than any other Spanish city, even Toledo. Toledo Spain locationpng|thumb|right|200px|Location of Toledo in Spain The three most outstanding are the cathedral, with its chapel of the Condestables de Castilla, the monastery of Las Huelgas and the Carthusian monastery of Miraflores. The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. In addition to the collegiate churches of Lerma, Villadiego, Pampliega, Palenzuela, Covarrubias and others, there are in Burgos alone many magnificent buildings. In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the Daily office of worship is maintained by a College of canons; a non-monastic or Lerma is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southeast of Villadiego is a municipality located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. Pampliega is a municipality located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. Palenzuela is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. Covarrubias is a Surname in the Spanish language, although it is actually derivated from the Valencian language as Catalan is officialy The cathedral treasury, the monastery of Las Huelgas and the Carthusian monastery of Miraflores, are museums of permanent value.

Minor notable churches are: San Esteban, San Gil (Sancti Aegidii), San Pedro, San Cosme y San Damian, Santiago (Sancti Jacobi), San Lorenzo and San Lesmes (Adelelmi). The Convento de la Merced, occupied by the Jesuits, and the Hospital del Rey are also worthy of mention. In the walls of the city are the famous gateway of Santa María, erected for the first entrance of the Emperor Charles V, and the arch of Fernán González.

The diocese has two fine ecclesiastical seminaries. There are also many institutions for secular education. Schools are maintained in every diocese, the Instituto Provincial, and many colleges are conducted by private individuals, religious orders and nuns both cloistered and uncloistered.

Church of Santa Águeda, commonly called Santa Gadea

This church is chiefly celebrated for its antiquity and as the site where Alfonso VI, in the presence of the Cid Campeador (Rodrigo Díaz del Vivar), swore that he had taken no part in the death of his brother the king John, assassinated in the Cerco de Zamora; without this oath he never would have been allowed to succeed to the royal crown of Castile. Alfonso VI (before June 1040 &ndash June 29 / July 1, 1109) nicknamed the Brave, was King of León from 1065 to 1109 and King of Rodrigo (or Ruy) Díaz de Vivar (c 1040 Vivar, near Burgos &ndash 10 July 1099, Valencia) known as In this church also the Augustinian friar, St. Juan de Sahagun, was wont to preach, hear confessions, and give missions, after he had renounced the canonry and other ecclesiastical benefices which he held in the diocese.

Burgos cathedral

Main article: Burgos Cathedral

The Gothic Cathedral at Burgos, begun in 1221, displays features of the 13th to 15th centuries. The Burgos Cathedral (Catedral de Burgos is a Gothic-style cathedral in Burgos, Spain See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. The west front is flanked by towers terminating in octagonal spires covered with open stonework traceries. The façade, in three stories, has triple entrances in ogival arched framing, with a gallery enclosed by a pinnacled balustrade and a delicately-pierced rose window. In the uppermost story there are two ogival double-arched windows and statues on pedestals, crowned with a balustrade of letters carved in stone: PULCHRA ES ET DECORA ("Beautiful art Thou, and graceful"), in the center of which is a statue of the Virgin. There are more balustrades and balconies in the towers, with further open-carved inscriptions: needle-pointed octagonal pinnacles finish the four corners.

The north portal, known as the Portada de la Coronería has statues of the Twelve Apostles. Above, ogival windows and two spires crown the portal. .

The magnificent octagonal Chapel of the Condestable is of flamboyant Gothic, filled with traceries, knights and angels and heraldry.

Burgos Cathedral is the burial place of the 11th-century warrior Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid, who was born in a little town near the city, now called Vivar del Cid. Rodrigo (or Ruy) Díaz de Vivar (c 1040 Vivar, near Burgos &ndash 10 July 1099, Valencia) known as

Among the most famous of the bishops of Burgos is the 15th-century scholar and historian Alphonsus a Sancta Maria. Alphonsus a Sancta Maria, or Alphonso de Cartagena (1396 &ndash July 12, 1456) Spanish historian was born at Cartagena, and succeeded

As an architectural monument this structure displays the best features of the art of the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It was commenced by Bishop Mauritius in 1221, in the reign of Ferdinand III and Beatrice of Swabia, and is Gothic in style. the principal façade, Santa María la Mayor, faces west, and on either side rise two towers about 262 feet in height, terminating in octagonal spires covered with open stonework traceries. The façade is composed of three stories, or sections. The first, or ground story has three ogival entrances with rectangular openings; the second has a gallery enclosed by a pinnacled balustrade and a rose window as delicately carved as a piece of lace, which admits some light into the church. In the upper-most story there are two double-arched windows of ogival style, with eight intercolumnar spaces, in each of which there is a statue on a pedestal. The whole is finished with a balustrade of letters carved in stone and forming the inscription: Pulchra es et decora (Thou art beautiful and graceful), in the centre of which is a statue of the Blessed Virgin. In the lateral sections (the towers) the windows are enclosed by stone balustrades, and the top is surmounted by balconies of stone surrounded by balustrades formed of Gothic letters in various inscriptions; needle-pointed pinnacles finish the four corners. The spires, as already said, are octagonal in shape; a gallery runs around the eight sides near the top, upon which rest the graceful points of the conical finial.

The north portal is known as the portada de la Coronería. In the lower portion of this are statues of the Twelve Apostles, the windows in the central section being of the primitive ogival style, and in the upper story there are three double-arched windows with statues joined to the shafts of the columns; two small spires, conical in shape like the main ones and decorated with balustrades, rise on either side of this façade. From the portal of the Coronería one can descend to that of the Pellerjería, which faces east and is of the Renaissance style known as the Plateresque. It is divided into three sections, the two end ones being alike, with the centre different in style and dimensions. The former are composed of pilasters minutely carved, between which four statues are placed. The middle section, which serves for an entrance, has three alabaster pilasters, the intercolumnar spaces bearing panel-pictures representing the martyrdom of saints. The façade as a whole gives the impression of a gorgeous picture, and the ornate and fantastic devices sculptured all over its magnificent surface are simply innumerable.

The octagonal chapel of the Condestable, of florid Gothic and very pure in design, is the best of the many chapels of the cathedral. Its roof if finished with balustraded turrets, needle-pointed pinnacles, statues, and countless other sculptural devices. In the lower portion coats of arms, shields, and crouching lions have been worked into the ensemble. The exterior of the sacristy is decorated with carved traceries, figures of angels and armoured knights. The tabernacle is of extraordinary magnificence and is composed of two octagonal sections in Corinthian style.

Monasterio de las Huelgas

Main article: Las Huelgas

Next to the cathedral in magnificence is the famous Monasterio de las Huelgas on the outskirts of the city. This royal monastery was founded in 1180 by Alfonso VIII, and architecturally belongs to the transition period from Byzantine to Gothic, although in the course of time almost every style has been introduced into it. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Alfonso VIII ( 11 November 1155 &ndash 5 October 1214) called the Noble or Él de las Navas, was the King This convent has two remarkable cloisters, described by 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica as "unrivalled for beauty both of detail and design, and perhaps unsurpassed by anything in its age and style in any part of Europe": one a very fine example of the earlier period and of the use of semi-circular arches and delicate and varied columns; the other of the ogival style of the transition period. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The interior of the church is in the style of the latter, enormous columns supporting its magnificent vault; the entrance is modern. This convent is celebrated for the extraordinary privileges granted to its abbess by kings and popes.

Cartuja de Miraflores

A very beautiful and life-like statue of St. Bruno carved in wood is one of the treasures of the monastery; the stalls in the church also display exquisite workmanship. The mausoleum of King John II and of his wife Isabel, in this monastery, is constructed of the finest marble and so delicately carved that portions seem to be sculptured in wax rather than stone. Around the top are beautiful statues of angels in miniature, which might be the work of Phidias. Phidias (or Pheidias; in Ancient Greek,; c[[ 80 BC]] c 430 BC) son of Charmides was an ancient Greek The French soldiers in the War of Independence (1814) mutilated this beautiful work, cutting off some of the heads and carrying them away to France.

The Carthusian monastery of Miraflores, noted for its strict observance, is situated about four kilometres from the historic city center. The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The mausoleum of King John II and of his wife Isabel, in this monastery, is carved of alabaster. A mausoleum ( plural: mausolea is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons John II ( March 6 1405 &ndash July 20 1454) was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454

Sister city

The sister city of Burgos is Bruges (Belgium). Bruges (Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Both cities want to work together especially on culture, tourism and economy.

The mayors of the Flemish Bruges and Burgos signed a treaty on 29 January 2007 in the Bruges’ city hall for future cooperation. The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region This engagement could be seen as a prologue on the opening of the exhibition Comeliness and Madness. This exhibition on Philip the Handsome opened recently in the Casa del Cordón in Burgos where the monarch died. On 30 January 2007 the exhibition opened in Bruges, the city where Philip the Handsome was born and where the urn with his hearth is kept in Onthaalkerk O.L.V. (the Church of Our Lady). ||-||}The Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in Bruges, Belgium, dates mainly from the 13th 14th and 15th centuries

See also

• Province of Burgos
• List of municipalities in Burgos
• University of Burgos

Notes

Sources and external links

• This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia [1]
• Camino de Santiago
• Ayuntamiento de Burgos
• Burgos Chamber of Commerce
• University of Burgos
• Burgos exporting companies
• Burgos news
• Museo Militar de Burgos
• Photos of Burgos
• Burgos Information

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