The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Spain:
Old Castile
Castellano, the name for the dominant language of Spain, derives from the area known as Old Castile, encompassing Castile y León and cities such as Burgos, León Logroño, and Valladolid. The name Castile, in turn, derives from the many castle fortresses (castillos) built here on the dry plateaus to defend against the Moors who controlled almost all of Spain over a thousand years ago. This relatively small area north of Madrid is historically and sentimentally the cradle of modern, unified Spain, and it was here that the first successful organized resistance to the Muslims was achieved.
In this region, you are in the heart of Spain, where the militaristic, almost fanatical, Catholicism that would become Spain's hallmark was forged on these high plateaus known for their dry, scorching summers and bitter winters. One of Spain's national heroes and celebrated Moor-battlers, El Cid, hails from just outside Burgos. The national saint of Spain, St. James (subsequently dubbed Santiago Matamoros, or James the Moorslayer), also figures prominently in the region's history; his tomb in Galicia remains a popular stop for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago route. The merging of such fervent religion with so much military might has resulted in some of the most impressive cathedrals in the land, especially in León, Burgos, and Salamanca.
|
