León

Construction of León Cathedral began in the 13^th century, strongly influenced by the great Gothic cathedrals of France. Its most remarkable feature is more than 1,800 m² of stained glass, much of it medieval, filling an unusually large proportion of the walls. The cathedral stands partly over the remains of the Roman baths belonging to the Legio VII Gemina camp.

Casa Botines was designed by Antoni Gaudí between 1891 and 1893 for a textile and banking business, with commercial premises below and apartments above. It is one of only three Gaudí buildings outside Catalonia, another being the Episcopal Palace in Astorga. Today it houses a museum devoted to Gaudí and the history of the building, together with an art collection.

The Real Colegiata de San Isidoro developed into one of the principal religious and royal complexes of the medieval Kingdom of León. Its Panteón Real contains the tombs of numerous members of the Leonese royal dynasty beneath exceptionally well-preserved 12^th-century Romanesque wall paintings. The basilica takes its name from Saint Isidore of Seville, whose remains were brought to León in the 11^th century.

A hospital for pilgrims was founded on this site in the 12^th century and later became an important house of the Order of Santiago. The medieval buildings were replaced from the 16^th century by the vast Renaissance complex seen today, distinguished by its richly carved Plateresque façade. In the pavement outside, a series of bronze medallions represents towns along the Camino, from Roncesvalles to Santiago.