Паленсия: город в сердце Кастилии и Леона

Palencia (paˈlenθja) is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half of the Inner Plateau, the city lies on the left bank of the Carrión river. At the regional level, Palencia forms part of an economic axis together with the cities of Valladolid and Burgos. As of 2017, the municipality has a population of 78,892.

Palencia lies in the north of the central Spanish plateau, the Meseta Central, in the middle of the Carrión river valley, near the river's confluence with the Pisuerga, which flows through the town creating four islets, Dos Aguas and Sotillo being the largest. Palencia is located approximately 190 km north of Madrid, and some 40 km north of Valladolid, capital of Castile and León. Two hills surround the city in its north east area. On the closest stands the 30 metre high statue of Christ known as the Cristo del Otero, the fourth tallest statue of Christ in the world. Palencia has a substantial forest of 6 km away on a plateau above the city, known locally as the "Monte el Viejo" ("Old Mount"). This park is a popular amusement area for the locals. The Canal de Castilla runs close to the city. Palencia's municipality includes the village of Paredes de Monte, 14 km away.

The region of Palencia has a Continental Mediterranean climate with cool winters, due to altitude (749 m) and isolation from maritime influences, chilly winds, including some days of snow in the winter and minimum temperatures usually below 0 °C (32 °F). Fog is frequent because of the Carrion river. Summers are hot with temperatures that consistently surpass 30 °C (86 °F) in July and that can rarely reach 38 °C (99 °F). Due to Palencia's altitude, nightly temperatures tend to be cooler, leading to a lower average in the summer months. Precipitation levels are moderated, but precipitation can be observed throughout the year (except July and August). Summer and winter are the driest seasons, with most rainfall occurring in the autumn and spring. Light rains are very frequent in winter, with infrequent rain and heavy thunderstorms in the summer. Snow is an infrequent occurrence, with only a few days of snowfall each year in December, January, and February, however, snowfall can also occur in November or March.

The fortified Celtiberian settlement is mentioned as Pallantia (Παλλαντία) by Strabo and Ptolemy, a possible derivation of an Indo European root pala ("plain"). It was the chief town of the Vaccaei, 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 Roman bridge across the Carrión river was replaced by the medieval one of three arches: the old section of the city is on the left bank, the modern suburban development is on the right bank: it seems likely that the first inhabitants settled on the right bank, and later moved to the left bank—set on higher ground—due to frequent flooding. La Olmeda Roman Villa (Villa Romana de La Olmeda) is a well preserved 4th century AD house. With 27 rooms and 3,000 square metres of space, it is best known for its mosaics, the most important of which depict great mythological scenes and can be found in its main hall. Several of the rooms in the villa also contain the remains of the Roman hypocausts. In addition to the main building, the villa site is surrounded by other Roman ruins such as numerous burial sites and a set of thermal baths. The old city walls were more than 10 meters high and can still be traced; the alamedas or promenades along them were laid out in 1778.

The first university in Spain, the studium generale of Palencia was founded by Alfonso VIII in 1208; however, the school did not long survive him. The 13th century poet Gonzalo de Berceo and Saint Dominic, Founder of the Dominican Catholic Order, studied at the University during its brief existence. The teachers from Palencia were drawn to the thriving University of Salamanca and the University of Valladolid, but the very important religious orders remained in Palencia, under the Bishop of Palencia. The University of Valladolid (UVA) has a campus in Palencia (Campus de Palencia), inaugurated in 2002.

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.

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.

The main speciality of Palencia is locally produced lechazo (suckling lamb). Traditionally suckling lamb is roasted slowly in a wood oven and served with salad. "Menestra de Verduras" is a mixture of vegetables cooked with chopped pieces Spanish ham, onion, garlic and spices is another traditional dish. Palencia also offers a great assortment of lettuces, leeks, wild mushrooms, peppers, asparagus, endives and beans. Some legumes, like white beans and lentils are particularly good and cooked in hot dishes with chorizo. The sopa de ajo, a traditional winter garlic soup dish, made with bread mixed with paprika, water and garlic and cooked slowly. A raw egg is often whipped into the soup as it is served. Morcilla is a form of black sausage made from pig's blood. In Castile the pig blood is often flavoured with pieces of pork fat, onions herbs and spices; the addition of rice gives a distinctive texture and flavour. Despite being an inland province, fish is quite commonly consumed. Brought from the Cantabrian Sea, fish such as red bream and hake are a major part of Palencia's cuisine. Salted cod is another common dish. Rivers from the Cantabric Mountains bring the famous trout, grilled with bacon. Crayfish is cooked with a thick tomato and onion sauce. Palencia has a variety of different breads including fabiolas, roscas or panes. The pastries and baked goods from the province of Palencia are well known. Rice pudding and leche frita or fried milk (a mix of milk, sugar, flour and cinnamon with a delicious and jelly like texture) are favourite desserts. Palencia is also a producer of wines. Those that are certified as Designation of Origin Arlanza are improving with a taste similar to those of Ribera del Duero and Toro.