Astorga

Astorga stands at a crossroads in León, where Roman roads once met at Asturica Augusta and pilgrims later passed on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Its ancient walls enclose a city long governed by bishops and powerful nobles. The cathedral and the houses of the Osorio family recall Astorga's importance in the later Middle Ages. In the early modern period the maragato muleteers linked Astorga with distant markets and ports. They carried cacao from overseas, helping to establish the city's chocolate industry, while textile production grew in the neighbouring countryside. The Peninsular War brought devastation: French forces besieged Astorga in 1810, and fighting damaged its walls and castle.