Sahagún Explained

Sahagún
Settlement Type:Municipality
Pushpin Map:Spain
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Spain
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Spain
Subdivision Type1:Autonomous community
Subdivision Name1:Castile and León
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:León
Coordinates:42.3719°N -5.0303°W
Elevation M:822
Area Total Km2:123.64
Population Demonym:facundino/na, sahagunense
Population Density Km2:auto
Blank Name Sec1:Official language(s)
Blank Info Sec1:Spanish
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:24320
Area Code Type:Dialing code
Area Code:987
Leader Title:Alcalde
Leader Name:Paula Conde Huerta (2019)
Leader Party:PP

Sahagún (pronounced as /es/) is a town and municipality of Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León and the province of León. It is the main centre of population in the Leonese part of the Tierra de Campos natural region.

Sahagún contains some of the earliest examples of the mudéjar architecture. It lies on the Way of St. James and is often considered the half-way point between St. Jean Pied de Port and Santiago de Compostela. The Battle of Sahagún was a notable victory by the British light cavalry against their more numerous French adversaries in 1808.

The first settlement on the site grew up around the nearby Benedictine monastery consecrated to the saints Facundus and Primitivus. The name Sahagún is thought to derive from an abbreviation and variation on the name San Fagun ("Saint Facundus").

Villages

Arenillas de Valderaduey, Celada de Cea, Galleguillos de Campos, Joara, Riosequillo, Sahagún, San Martín de la Cueza, San Pedro de las Dueñas, Sotillo de Cea, Villalebrín and Villalmán.

Monastery

The monastery acquired importance during the reign of Alfonso III de Asturias, and reached its greatest splendour during the reign of Alfonso VI of Castile. On November 25, 1085, this latter king promulgated the edicts known as the Fuero de Sahagún, which gave a number of privileges to the Monastery and town, fomenting its growth. The king favoured the Cluniac order and the monastery was known as the "Spanish Cluny".

Friction often erupted into disputes between the townsfolk and the monastery in the mid-12th century, as recorded in the Crónicas anónimas de Sahagún. The monastery was very important on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, and in the 14th century housed a University (see also List of early modern universities in Europe). In the 19th century, the monastery was disbanded and the structure nearly completely razed.

Notable residents

See also

External links