Salamanca summary

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Salamanca.

Salamanca, ancient Salmantica or Helmantica, City (pop., 2001: 156,368), western Spain. An important Iberian settlement, it was sacked by Hannibal in 217 bc. It later became a Roman station. Captured by Moors in the 8th century, it was reconquered by Christians from 1087 to 1102. It was occupied by the French in the Peninsular War (1808–14). It is a cultural centre as well as the commercial centre of an agricultural district. Its many landmarks include the 12th-century Romanesque cathedral, the Gothic-style cathedral (begun 1513), and the University of Salamanca (founded 1218).

Castile-León Summary

Castile-León, comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) and historic region of northwestern Spain, encompassing the provincias (provinces) of Valladolid, Burgos, León, Salamanca, Zamora, Palencia, Ávila, Soria, and Segovia. Its capital is the city of Valladolid. Castile-León is bounded by the

Spain Summary

Spain, country located in extreme southwestern Europe. It occupies about 85 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with its smaller neighbour Portugal. Spain is a storied country of stone castles, snowcapped mountains, vast monuments, and sophisticated cities, all of which have made it a