Mansilla de las Mulas – León

• Villamoros de Mansilla

Even though Mansilla de las Mulas is four kilometres away, it owes its name to Mansilla Mayor according to Luis Pastrana in his guide to the Way of Saint James. This village is on the edge of the Way and near the Monastery of Sandoval.

• Puente Villarente

The real name of the village is Villarente, but custom has led locals and outsiders to call it Puente Villarente because of the long 20 span bridge that crosses the river Porma. The period of maximum splendour of the pilgrims’ hospital, part of which is still standing, was in the 16th century.

• Arcahueja

San Isidro (15 May) and San Froilán (5 October) are the main festivals of this small village 5 kilometres away from Leon. Pilgrims cross the village through the upper part.

• Valdelafuente

This small village is the prelude for the end of this stage. Head down towards Puente Castro, where there is a copy of the original cross that is now opposite the Hostel of San Marcos.

• Puente Castro

This is the last stop before entering Leon. There was a Roman settlement here, and in its day, it was a suburb of traders and farmers. Its name comes from the 18th century bridge over the river Torío. Cross the bridge to leave the district and enter the city of Leon.

• León

Leon is the capital city of the province. The origins of the city go back to a Roman military camp occupied by the Legio VII Gemina. The passage of time can be seen in the walls that surround the old city, in the narrow streets of the Barrio Húmedo, in the Plaza and in the many artistic treasures to be seen in the city.

The Royal Basilica of San Isidoro is a Romanesque church whose 12th century paintings are the reason why it is called the Sistine Chapel of Spanish Romanesque art. The Royal Pantheon is the final resting place of 23 monarchs. Two of its entrances Puerta del Cordero and Puerta del Perdón, are well worth seeing. The Gothic Cathedral of Santa María de la Regla, known as the Pulchra Leonina, is a church full of light and colour, with over 100 stained glass windows that make it unique in Spain.

The monastery-convent of San Marcos is now a Parador Nacional, with a beautiful Plateresque façade and an image of Santiago Matamoros. You can also see the Casa Botines, designed by Gaudí, the Palace of Los Guzmanes, now the head offices of the Provincial Government and the Church of El Mercado.