Benavente, Zamora

12th century - Catholic Monarchs

After the death of Fernando II of León who renamed the town from Malgrat to Benavente and led a campaign in 1164 to repopulate the city, as part of a long process of reconquest from the Moors. Alfonso IX and Alfonso X continued to help the growth of Benavente through privileges and grants. When Alfonso IX of León died, the town was the scene of the definitive union of the Crowns of León and Castile in the Concordia of Benavente, later falling into decline until Sancho IV promoted its aggrandizement in 1285, attracting new settlers with franchises.^[2]

In 1352 Fadrique Alfonso, brother of King Pedro I, received the town in exchange for not attacking Pedro. In 1387 Benavente was surrounded by the English and Portuguese troops of the Duchy of Lancaster who tried to besiege it, and the besiegers were defeated in this attempt.^[3]

Roads and Highways

Benavente is connected to the national road network through different roads and highways:

•  A-66  · Autovía Ruta de la Plata: Gijón - Oviedo - Mieres - Puerto Pajares - León - Benavente - Zamora - Salamanca - Béjar - Plasencia - Cáceres - Mérida - Sevilla.
•  A-6  · Autovía del Noroeste. Madrid - Benavente - Lugo - A Coruña - Arteixo
•  Autovía A-52  · Autovía de las Rías Bajas. Benavente - Sanabria - Verín - Ourense - Vigo .
•  N-610 · Palencia-Benavente.

Bus Services

Bus services are provided in the Bus Station by different companies like Alsa, Auto-Res, Empresa Vivas, Linecar or Autocares Julio Fernández. There is a taxi stand in the Bus Station.

Taxi

The town has several taxi stands, one of them in the Bus Station.

Nationality

Over 90.5% (15,803) of the population were Spanish nationals, with 9.5% (1,665) born outside Spain with Moroccans the most numerous at 363 (21.8% of all foreign nationals), Colombians were 264, Bulgarians 219 and 175 Romanians.^[5]

Parador

• Parador de Turismo Fernando II, which occupies the Caracol Tower, a 16th-century castle with wide segmental miradors and a Mudéjar coffered ceiling in the main section

Churches

• Church of Santa María de Azogue, in Romanesque style, begun in 1180. It has a Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles, separated by cruciform pilasters, with five apses. The nave has Gothic cross vaults added in the 16th century. The interior is home of several Gothic sculptures, such as that of the "Annunciation" (13th century)

• San Juan del Mercado Church, in Romanesque style (12th-13th centuries). It has three decorated portals with the Adoration of the Magi, the Virgin and Child and scenes of the birth of Jesus.

Hostel

• Hospital of La Piedad, an old pilgrim hostel.

Other

• Hermitage of Soledad (early 16th century)
• Caracol Tower

Events

• Fiestas de la Veguilla. The local celebration in honor of the Virgen de la Vega to celebrate the torno al llamado (Monday of Pascuilla).
• Fiestas del toro enmaromado. Celebrated the day before the corpus, where the young men run (Running of the Bulls) in front of a long rope held on the horns of a bull.

Accommodation