Burgos


Burgos is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León in Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Burgos, and with a population of 176,551, also the largest city in the province, and the Spanish municipalities#By population|37th-largest in Spain].
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of the Arlanzón river tributaries and at the edge of the central plateau.
Burgos was settled in 884 by Diego Rodríguez Porcelos, Count of Castile, on behalf of the Leonese monarch. In the 11th century, urban development took off with the installment of a diocese, while the arrival of Frankish foreign elements fostered economic activity. By the 13th century, Burgos had already become the most important trading hub of the north of the Kingdom of Castile, influenced for its strategic location both along the Way of St. James and along north-south trade networks connecting the Castilian hinterland with the emerging Cantabrian port towns. Burgos experienced a long decline from the 17th century onwards.
Burgos became the headquarters of the Francoist proto-government following the start of the Spanish Civil War. Declared in 1964 as Pole of Industrial Promotion and in 1969 as Pole of Industrial Development, the city has grown since then in terms of economic activity. At the regional level, Burgos forms part of an economic axis together with the cities of Valladolid and Palencia. In 2008, the international Burgos Airport started to service commercial flights.
The Museum of Human Evolution opened in Burgos in 2010. It features remains of the first hominids in Europe, who lived in the area 750,000–800,000 years ago. The Cathedral of Burgos is a World Heritage Site. Burgos was selected as the "Spanish Gastronomy Capital" of 2013. In 2015 UNESCO named it "City of Gastronomy", and it has been part of the Creative Cities Network since then.
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Etymology

There are several possible origins for the toponymy. When the city was founded, the inhabitants of the surrounding country moved into the fortified village, whose Visigothic name of Burgos signified consolidated walled villages. The cities Burgas in Bulgaria and numerous cities containing the Germanic burg "city" such as Hamburg have a similar literal composition. The city began to be called Caput Castellae.

History

Early humans occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800,000 years ago.
When the Romans took possession of what is now the province of Burgos, the site had been a Celtic city. In Roman times, it belonged to Hispania Citerior and then to Hispania Tarraconensis. In the 5th century, the Visigoths drove back the Suebi, then the Berbers occupied almost all of Castile in the 8th century, although only for a very brief period, leaving little if any trace of their occupation. Alfonso III of Asturias conquered it about the middle of the 9th century, and built several castles, which was then extended through the reconquest of lost territory. The region came to be known as Castile from Latin castella " castles".
Burgos was founded in 884 as an outpost of this expanding Christian frontier, When Diego Rodríguez "Porcelos", Count of Castile, governed this territory with orders to promote the increase of the Christian population. he gathered the inhabitants of the surrounding country into one fortified village. The city began to be called Caput Castellae. The County of Castile, subject to the Kingdom of León, continued to be governed by counts and was gradually extended; Fernán González of Castile was the first independent count of Castile.
In the 11th century, the city became the see of the archdiocese of Burgos and the capital of the now-Kingdom of Castile. Burgos was a major stop for pilgrims on the urban French Way, the most popular path to Santiago de Compostela and a centre of trade between the Bay of Biscay and the south. This region attracted an unusually large foreign merchant population, who became part of the city oligarchy and excluded other foreigners.
Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, Burgos was a favourite seat of the kings of León and Castile and a favoured burial site. The consejo of Burgos was firmly in the hands of an oligarchic class of knights-villein, who provided the monarchs with cavalry: in 1255 and 1266 royal charters granted relief from taxes to those citizens of Burgos who owned horses and could arm themselves, provided that they continue to live within the city walls. 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. A few families within the Santas Hermandades like the "Good Templars" of Sarracín and Bonifaz succeeded in monopolising the post of alcalde ; a special court, the alcalde del rey, was first mentioned at Burgos in 1281.
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.
In the century following the 1248 conquest of Seville, 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. In 1285, Sancho IV of Castile added a new body to the consejo that came to dominate it: the jurado, responsible for collecting taxes and overseeing public works; the king reserved the right to select its members. The city perceived that danger to its autonomy came rather from an uncontrolled aristocracy during royal minorities; Burgos joined the hermandades of cities that allied for mutual protection in 1295 and 1315. In the 14th century, royal intrusion into 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 of Castile established direct royal rule of Burgos through the Regimiento of sixteen appointed men.
In 1574, Pope Gregory XIII made the bishopric a metropolitan archbishopric at the request of king Philip II of Spain.
Burgos has been the scene of many wars, including conflicts with Muslim states, struggles between León and Navarre, and conflicts between Castile and Aragon. In the Peninsular War against Napoleonic France, the siege of Burgos was a scene of a withdrawal for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Again, during the 19th century wars of the Spanish succession, Burgos was the site of a battle. During the Spanish Civil War, Burgos was the base of Francisco Franco's rebel Nationalist faction.

Climate

At an elevation of, the city of Burgos has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate drop below freezing, often reaching temperatures as low as, and snowfalls are common, while the summer months see average high temperatures of. The lowest recorded temperature in Burgos was on 3 January 1971. The highest recorded temperature was on 13 August 1987.

Demographics

As of 2024, the population of Burgos is 176,551, of whom 47.6% are male and 52.4% are female, compared to the nationwide average of 49.0% and 51.0% respectively. People under 16 years old make up 13.9% of the population, and people over 65 years old make up 24.5%, compared to the nationwide average of 14.3% and 20.4% respectively.
As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 23,671, equal to 13.4% of the total population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities are Colombians, Romanians, Ecuadorians, Venezuelans and Moroccans.
CountryPopulation
Colombia

Sights

Burgos is rich in ancient churches and convents. The three most notable are the cathedral, with its chapel of the Condestables de Castilla, the monastery of Las Huelgas and the Carthusian monastery of Miraflores. Minor notable churches are San Esteban, San Gil, San Pedro, San Cosme y San Damián, Santiago, San Lorenzo and San Lesmes. The Convento de la Merced, occupied by the Jesuits, and the Hospital del Rey are also of historic and architectural interest.
Among the other interesting architectural structures, in the walls of the city are the gateway of Santa María, erected for the first entrance of the Emperor Charles V, and the arch of Fernán González.

Gothic Cathedral

Construction on Burgos' Gothic Cathedral began in 1221 and spanned mainly from the 13th to 15th centuries. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cathedral is the resting place for El Cid and his wife Doña Jimena. The west front is flanked by towers terminating in octagonal spires covered with open stonework traceries. The middle section, which serves as an entrance, has three alabaster pilasters, the intercolumnar spaces bearing panel-pictures representing the martyrdom of saints. The façade possesses ornate and fantastic surface decoration.
The octagonal chapel of the Condestable, in florid, thus highly sculpted, Gothic design, has a roof finished with balustraded turrets, needle-pointed pinnacles and statues. 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 elaborate tabernacle is composed of two octagonal sections in Corinthian style.

Monasterio de las Huelgas

The Monasterio de las Huelgas Reales on the outskirts of the city, was founded in 1180 by king Alfonso VIII, and was begun in a pre-Gothic style, although almost every style has been introduced over many additions. The remarkable cloisters have been described 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 cloister has semicircular arches with delicate and varied columns; the other has an ogival style of early Gothic. The interior of the church has enormous columns supporting its magnificent vault; the entrance is modern. This convent historically benefited from extraordinary privileges granted to its abbess by kings and popes.

Miraflores Charterhouse

The Carthusian monastery, Miraflores Charterhouse is situated about four kilometres from the historic city center. Among the treasures of the Charterhouse are the wooden statue of St. Bruno, the wooden choir stalls in the church and the tombs of King Juan II and of his spouse, Queen Isabella of Portugal, constructed of marble and with their recumbent effigies sculpted in alabaster. Around the top frieze are statues of angels in miniature. The French soldiers in the Spanish War of Independence mutilated this work, cutting off some of the heads and carrying them away to France. King Juan II's daughters by his first wife, heiresses Princesses Catherine and Eleanor of Asturias, are also buried in the monastery.

Castle

Located on a hill 75 meters above the city, it is a medieval defensive fortress built during the time of the reconquest. Used by Castilian kings as accommodation and a place for celebrations, it later became an artillery fort and then a weapons factory. After its destruction by the French during the War of Independence in 1813, there are hardly any buildings left standing. From the Castle it is possible to see fantastic views of the city.

Museums

Burgos has a total of 10 museums, the newest being the Museum of Human Evolution.

Museum of Human Evolution

The Museum of Human Evolution was inaugurated on 13 July 2010. Its foundation is based on the archaeological site of Atapuerca located east of Burgos. The Atapuerca site has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It contains several caves, where fossils and stone tools of the earliest known hominids in West Europe have been found, near Atapuerca Mountains.
The museum also allows the visitor to travel to the archaeological site and biological park.

Museum of Burgos

It summarizes the history of the province of Burgos. It has important objects and documents from all the ages, starting from Atapuerca, passing to the Romans and Iberians, and finishing in the contemporary period. These include the traditional sword of El Cid.
The museum is located in the renaissances palaces, the House of Íñigo Angulo and the House of Miranda, which has a main patio that structures the museum.

Book Museum

Between the Main Square "Plaza Mayor" and the Promenade of the Espolón "Paseo del Espolón," on the side street, Travesía del Mercado nº3, you find the Fadrique de Basilea Book Museum "Museo del Libro Fadrique de Basilea", of the Burgos publisher, Siloé, a cosy museum that shows the history of the book from its first written form to its modern electronic form.

Education

State Education in Spain is free, and compulsory from 6 to 16 years. The current education system is called LOE.

Universities

;University of Burgos
Often abbreviated 'UBU', the University of Burgos is a public university with about 10,000 students studying over 30 different undergraduate degrees, over 20 PhD Programmes, as well as several Official Masters and other graduate courses. It was established in 1994 when it was divided from the University of Valladolid.
UBU cooperates with the Erasmus Project, a European Union (EU) student-exchange programme, and each semester hosts students from various countries across the 15-state European Union, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Malta and associated countries in Eastern Europe. Additionally, university students from various regions around the world including China, Latin and North America are able to participate in exchange programmes to study abroad at the University of Burgos. In total, the University of Burgos has education agreements with over 100 international academic institutions.
Isabella I of Castile University
Isabella I of Castile University, established in 2008, is a private state-recognized university located in Burgos. It was fully accredited by the Spanish Government in 2011.

Parks and recreation

Most of the parks in the city of Burgos can be found along the river Arlanzón. Indeed, the banks of the river itself constitute a green corridor along the city. In total, there are nearly 3 square miles of parks in Burgos and one tree for every 3 inhabitants.El Parque del Castillo is one of the lungs of the city. The city grew from the southern foot of the hill of the castle. Gradually, some of the upper neighborhoods began disappearing. After the destruction of the castle, military installations were established there. In the 1950s, the engineer Jaquotot Mariano, who later became mayor of the city, decided to leave the hill completely bare. Besides the ruins of the castle, this park contains the Bird Conservation Center, as well as play areas for children and spaces for exercise. Also, there is a terraced area with gardens and an ornamental fountain. The highlight of the park is the viewpoint from which you get a great view of the city, especially the cathedral. A metal plaque on the rail at the vista point helps to identify the most characteristic places of the city. The park contains the unique view of the city of Burgos from the viewpoint of the Castle. During special events throughout the year, visitors can see fireworks displays from that same view point. The park can be reached by car where there is parking, and on foot by climbing a series of stairs starting from the church of San Esteban.Fuentes Blancas is Burgos' most visited large park extending east from the city along the river Arlanzón. It contains a network of walking and biking paths and includes camping and various outdoor recreational activities.El Paseo del Espolón is the tree-lined promenade that is the most emblematic of Burgos. It's situated along the banks of the river Arlanzón, and consists of a landscaped walk that goes from the theater square to the Arc de Santa Maria, passing shops and cafes.El Paseo de la Isla is another one of Burgos' tree-lined garden walks. It passes by the Palacio de la Isla which served as one of Franco's headquarters during the Spanish Civil War and is currently the Language Institute of Castilian and Leonese.Parque de El Parral is located at the old "Hospital del Rey", a former hospital for pilgrims of the "Way of Saint James", now part of the University of Burgos campus.El paseo de la Quinta is located on the south bank of the Arlanzón River, on the old and new path of the Cartuja de Miraflores. In the natural area of Las Veguillas, the Municipal Nurseries and the Fuentes Blancas Park, a wooded area near the city and close to the extensive pine forests of La Cartuja. It gets its name from old property of Burgos prelates, known as Quinta del Arzobispo.

Economy

Burgos is one of Spain's richest cities, with a GDP above the Spain average. It is an important trade and tourist center with a sizeable manufacturing base.

Agriculture

Wheat is a major crop. The city is surrounded by wheat fields.

Secondary sector

Burgos is a very industrial city, with a secondary sector widely developed. The city has the biggest industrial park of north Spain, called Villalonquéjar.
The city is the headquarters of Grupo Antolin, designer and manufacturer of interior automotive components.
It is also the headquarters for south Europe Benteler International.

Tertiary sector

It employs the bigger percentage in the city and is represented by the public sector, due to the capital status.

Culture

The city has a complete culture infrastructure, remarked by the Auditorio y Palacio de Congresos de Burgos, which opened in mid-2012.

Language

Spanish, also called Castilian, originated in Castile and spread throughout the Crown of Castile's possessions following the reconquista. It was eventually dispersed throughout the Spanish empire following the conquest and colonization of the Americas, and Spain after the union of the Catholic Monarchs's kingdoms being co-spoken with other languages. Of the many different variations and dialects found throughout the world, it's argued that the purest Spanish can be found in the region of Burgos due to the fact that the language first developed here in the 10th century.
The Spanish language can be traced back to the monastery of Valpuesta located north-east of the city of Burgos. The Valpuesta cartularies are significant in the history of the Spanish language, and their status as manuscripts containing the earliest words written in Spanish has been officially recognised.
The first utterings of Spanish continued in the "Silos Glosses", recorded in the Burgos monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos.

Cuisine

Burgos province is famous in gastronomy for:
Queso de Burgos, a white cheese which is soft and unctuous. Although originally made with sheep's milk, now cow's milk or mixtures are more common. Each comarca produces a minor variation, and the major dairies produce an industrial product that is acceptable for people with sensitive digestion.
Burgos is blessed with a moderate climate and this fresh cheese was able to be conserved there without the need for curing of more than 10 days. With the improvement of aseptic industrial production processes this can be extended to about 30 days at a cool 6 °C. Its production reaches 35,000 tons annually.
Morcilla de Burgos, a pig's-blood sausage, is a staple country food known across the Iberian peninsula. Spiced with onions and herbs its most noticeable content is rice which makes it one of the lightest and healthiest products of its kind. Oral tradition says that it must be "salty, smooth and piquant". As with the Queso de Burgos, several comarcas or towns in the province made their own morcillas, with minor variations between them.
Even though Burgos is not on a D.O. wine is a fundamental piece in local gastronomy thanks to nearby wine cellars from Ribera de Duero, Rioja and Arlanza D.O.

Festivals

The city's main festival is San Pedro y San Pablo celebrated on June 29. Every year, for about two weeks, the city celebrates with fireworks, concerts, sports, folklore, games for children, theater and other activities.

Transport

Air

Burgos Airport is located only from the city centre, which only provides seasonal flights to Palma de Mallorca that are operated by Iberia. Other nearby airports are Valladolid Airport, located south west, Bilbao Airport, located north east and Madrid–Barajas Airport, located south of Burgos.

Railway

The city is considered a first-class rail route through which one rail lines circulate, operated by Renfe: Madrid–Hendaye railway. The faster trains use the AVE line between Madrid and Valladolid.
2010 marked 150 years since the arrival of the first railway to the city; the first train was present on 25 October 1860. Madrid was joined with the French border and this was considered the main route of railway communication between Spain and Europe. Located at the halfway point, Burgos soon become an important hub of communications between the centre and the north.
Since December 2007, the city has been connected to the main provincial capitals by high-speed service Alvia. It also provides other services, middle and long distance, which connect with the main population centres of the country. 18 long distance trains and 12 middle distance trains circulate through the station each day, which results in around 330,000 yearly users.
The new railway station was opened on 12 December 2008 under the name Burgos-Rosa de Lima, belonging to ADIF. It is located in the neighbourhood of Villímar, northeast of the city, and was adapted for the arrival of AVE. Bus 25 takes travellers direct to the city centre.
In July 2022, AVE high speed trains started serving the city, connecting it to cities such as Madrid in 1 hour and 33 minutes with a stop in Valladolid, or Bilbao in 70 minutes. Starting in January 2023, AVE will connect Burgos to Valencia in 3 hours and 30 minutes without the need to transfer in Madrid.

Trams

A project to implement a tram for the city has been planned, which would run the length of the Boulevard, officially called the Avenida de Valencia. It would consist of a line of about long and will originate from the Burgos-Rosa de Lima railway station and end at the University of Burgos. Its cost is estimated between 80 and 120 million euros.
Due to the economic crisis and real estate, the project has been postponed temporarily until further funding becomes available. In February 2010 work began on the development of the Boulevard, which reserves a lane for public transport: first buses, and eventually the tram.

Bus

Burgos has an international bus station located in the city centre, just one hundred meters from the Cathedral. It connects the city with nearly every region of Spain, as well as with a wide number of European and even North African cities.

Bicycle

The city has its own public bicycle rental system, called Bicibur. It has been designed by a local company and has more than 20 points of distribution throughout the city. A network of over of bicycle lanes net the city making it the 6th largest bicycle lane network in Spain and the first in kilometres per resident.

Sports

The first football team in the city, Burgos CF, was founded in 1936, reaching the top division for six seasons in the late 1970s, before disappearing due to serious economic debts in 1983. It was replaced as the main football team of the city by its reserve team, renamed Real Burgos CF, which itself ceased to compete in 1994, after three successful seasons at the top flight. A new incarnation of Burgos CF was immediately refounded, but didn't start to compete until the 1994 season, in the sixth-tier Primera Provincial division. The team gradually transformed into professionalism, and since 2021 it plays in the second division of the Spanish football pyramid, hosting games at the El Plantío stadium.
The city has two professional basketball teams, CB San Pablo and CB Tizona, both playing in the second division of the Spanish basketball league system.

In popular culture

Segundo de Chomón filmed a short documentary about Burgos in 1911.
Scenes from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly were filmed near Burgos, which doubled for the Southwestern United States. The location called Sad Hill Cemetery, was where the last sequence of the film was shot.
Burgos is the setting for a scene in the 2010 film The Way, directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his father Martin Sheen.

Twin towns – sister cities

Burgos is twinned with: