Zamora

Zamora stands on a rocky height beside the Duero, its walls and bridge guarding a route through the western lands of León. Its cathedral and numerous Romanesque churches recall a medieval city whose position gave it both defensive and religious importance.

In the later Middle Ages Zamora held a vote in the Cortes of Castile and, for a time, spoke there on behalf of Galicia. It saw fighting during the fifteenth-century struggle between the supporters of Isabella and Juana. After the expulsion of the Jews from Castile in 1492, Zamora became a crossing point for those leaving for Portugal. In 1520 the city also supported the revolt of the Comuneros, replacing the royal corregidor with an official chosen by the community.