Palencia

The fortified Celtiberian settlement is mentioned as Pallantia (Παλλαντία) by Strabo and Ptolemy,[7] a possible derivation of an Indo-European root pala ("plain"). It was the chief town of the Vaccaei,[8] although Strabo wrongly assigns it to the Arevaci. The city was starved into submission by the Romans in the 2nd century BC and incorporated into the province of Hispania Tarraconensis, in the jurisdiction of Colonia Clunia Sulpicia (modern Clunia). Though the little Roman garrison city was an active mint, it was insignificant compared to the Roman villas of Late Antiquity in the surrounding territory. Archeologists have uncovered the remains of Roman villas at La Olmeda and at the "Quintanilla de la Cueza", where the fragments of mosaic floors are spectacularly refined. According to the 5th-century Galician chronicler Idatius, the city of Palencia was all but destroyed (457) in the Visigothic wars against the Suevi: the date falls in the reign of Theodoric II, whose power centre still lay far to the east, in Aquitania. When the Visigoths conquered the territory, however, they retained the Roman rural villa system in establishing the Campos Góticos ("Gothic Fields").

The Catholic bishopric of Palencia was founded in the 3rd century or earlier,[9] assuming that its bishop was among those assembled in the 3rd century to depose Basilides, bishop of Astorga. Priscillianism, which originated in Egypt but flourished in Spain was declared a heresy by the emperor Gratian. Prisciallinists held orthodox Catholic beliefs with Gnostic/Montanist influences. Priscillian was ordained priest and then consecrated bishop of Ávila. The 'heresy' was strongest in northwestern Spain. The declaration of heresy was a political move by the Catholic usurper emperor Maximus (383-388) to curry favor with the Catholic emperors Valentinian II and Theodosius I (a Spaniard). After the establishment of effective Visigothic power Catholics disputed the bishopric of Palencia with the Arian Visigoths. Maurila, an Arian bishop established in Palencia by Leovigild, followed King Reccared's conversion to Catholicism (587), and in 589 he assisted at the Third Council of Toledo. Bishop Conantius, the biographer of Saint Ildephonsus, assisted at synods and councils in Toledo and composed music and a book of prayers from the Psalms; he ruled the see for more than thirty years, and had for his pupil Fructuosus of Braga.[10]

When the Moors arrived in the early 8th century, resistance was fragmented among bishops in control of the small walled towns and the territorial magnates in their fortified villas. A concerted resistance seems to have been ineffective, and the fragmented system crumbled villa by villa. Palencia was insignificant: Moorish writers only once cite the border city in the division of the provinces previous to the Umayyad dynasty. The diocese of Palencia was but a name— a "titular see"— until Froila, Count of Villafruela, succeeded in retaking the area of the see in 921, but the true restorer of Christian power was Sancho III of Navarre.[10]

The first prelate of the restored see (1035) is said to have been Bernardo, whom Sancho gave feudal command over the city and its lands, with the various castles and the few abbeys.[10]

San Francisco Church, built in the 13th century.

Bernardo was born in France or Navarre, and devoted himself to the reconstruction of the original cathedral built over the crypt of the local Saint Antolín (Antoninus of Pamiers), the patron saint of Palencia, who is venerated here alone, with his Ferias, a moveable feast in September. The cathedral was rebuilt again three centuries later. Its principal treasures were relics of Antoninus, formerly venerated in Aquitania,[10] whence they had been brought.

Alfonso VI conferred many privileges on Bernardo's successor, Raimundo. Pedro of Agen in France, one of the noted men brought in by Bishop Bernardo of Toledo, succeeded Bishop Raimundo. A supporter of Queen Urraca, he was imprisoned by Alfonso I of Aragon. In 1113 a provincial council was held in Palencia by Archbishop Bernardo to quell the disorders of the epoch. The long and beneficent administration of Pedro was succeeded by that of Pedro II, who died in Almeria and was succeeded by Raimundo II. Bishop Tello took part in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, where Palencia won the right to emblazon the cross over its castle.[10]

The University of Palencia was founded in 1208, before being a University it was called Studium Generale. In the Studium Generale of Palencia studied Saint Dominic of Guzman, the Founder of the Catholic Dominican Order.

1852 map of Palencia by Francisco Coello de Portugal y Quesada.

In 1410 Bishop Sancho de Rojas fought at the battle of Antequera, where the Infante Ferdinand, regent of Castile and León, defeated Mohammed VII, king of Granada, and in the Treaty of Caspe he aided Ferdinand to secure the crown of Aragon.[10] Saint Vincent Ferrer preached in Palencia, so successfully converting thousands of Jews, the Catholic sources tell, that he was permitted to employ the synagogue for his new-founded hospital of San Salvador,[10] later joined to that of S. Antolin.

The successive bishops of Palencia, who, as feudal lords, were invariably members of the noble families, include:

• Munio de Zamora
• Sancho el Rojo
• Rodrigo de Velasquito (died 1435)
• Pedro de Castilla (1440–1461)
• Rodrigo Sanchez de Arévalo, author of a history of Spain in Latin (1466)[10]
• Iñigo López de Mendoza (1472–actually)
• Fray Alonso de Burgos (1485–1499)
• Bishop Fonseca (1505–1514)
• La Gasca (1550–1561)
• Zapata (1569–1577)
• Alvaro de Mendoza
• Gabino-Alejandro Carriedo (1923–1981)

The countryside is green from October into June, as it is altered by the snow and the invernal ice. From June or July the countryside becomes a dry place.

The city has the largest landscaped area of Spain in relation to its surface area and is one of the largest in Europe. (15,000,000 m² of gardens in the village: Isabel II Park, Jardinillos Station, Orchard Guadián, La Carcavilla, among others and 14,000,000 "Old Mount") In 2010 the city of Palencia won the "most sustainable city in Spain".[11]

Paseo de los Canónigos

According to the Municipality of the capital, Palencia is the city with more green areas per inhabitant of Spain and occupies one of the first places in the European Union. This, coupled with the low density of traffic causes that the city air is fairly clean. The main parks in the city are:

Biggest parks in the city:

• Salón de Isabel II (called usually "El Salón")
• Huerta de Guadián
• Jardinillos de la Estación (known simply as "Jardinillos")
• Parque-Isla Dos Aguas
• Sotillo de los Canónigos
• Huertas del Obispo
• Carcavilla
• Parque Ribera Sur

Palencia is well-linked to other town and cities of Spain by roads and highways:

Highways

A - 62 Valladolid / Madrid

A - 65 Benavente/ León / Asturias / Galicia

A - 67 Santander

CL - 610 => A -62 Burgos / Bilbao / Zaragoza / Barcelona

Autonomic Roads

C - 613 Sahagún

C - 615 Guardo / Riaño

C - 619 Aranda de Duero / Soria

In addition, Palencia has a bus station located next to the train station. ALSA and other bus companies link Palencia to many Spanish cities and towns and it is especially useful for travelling to places not linked by train, such as the south-west of Spain.

Platform of the Palencia railway station

The city also has a busy railway station, given its strategic location as a hub for north and north-west railway connections in Spain. There are several services from Palencia railway station to Valladolid-Campo Grande, Madrid (Chamartín and Príncipe Pío), León, Burgos, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Santander, 3 daily trains to Barcelona Sants, Bilbao-Abando, A Coruña, Santiago, Oviedo and Zaragoza-Delicias, 1 daily train to Albacete-Los Llanos and Alicante.

Valladolid Airport is the closest airport to the city at 45 kilometres. There are daily flights to Barcelona, Valencia, Paris, Brussels and other destinations.

A bus line 2

Palencia has a bus service formed by 6 daily lines, named with numbers, managed by Palbus. The fleet is 18 buses. It has one of the lowest fares of Spain (€0,65). There are 26 stops with electronic panels with the arriving of the next buses. The number of users per day at 2012 was 8,195, which is 2,900,000 per year. There is also a night bus, an electric bus, free Wi-Fi in all buses and intelligent systems with voice at the buses announcing the stops.

Palencia is making efforts in the area of sustainable mobility, such as extending a free bicycle loan system, implementing pedestrian areas in the town center and promoting environmentally sustainable public transport.