Astorga, Spain

Astorga
Town Hall
Roman Sewers
Roman Walls
Chocolate Museum
Astorga
Location in Spain
Coordinates: 42°27′32″N 6°3′48″W / 42.45889°N 6.06333°W / 42.45889; -6.06333
Country Spain
Autonomous community Castile and León
ProvinceLeón
ComarcaLa Maragatería
Judicial districtAstorga
Government
  MayorVictorina Alonso Fernández (PSOE)
Area
  Total
46.78 km2 (18.06 sq mi)
Elevation
870 m (2,850 ft)
Population
 (2018)
  Total
11,029
  Density240/km2 (610/sq mi)
DemonymAstorganos
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
24700
Dialing code987
ClimateCsb
WebsiteOfficial website

Astorga (Spanish: [asˈtoɾɣa] , Leonese: Estorga) is a municipality and city of Spain located in the central area of the province of León, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León, 43 kilometres (27 mi) southwest of the provincial capital. It is located in the transit between the Páramo Leonés and the mountains of León and acts as the backbone of the comarcas of Maragatería, La Cepeda and the Ribera del Órbigo. The city is the head of one of the most extensive and oldest dioceses of Spain, whose jurisdiction covers half of the province of León and part of Ourense and Zamora. It is also head of the judicial party number 5 of the province of León.

Astorga lies in the area of the Maragatos, a small ethnic and cultural community with distinctive customs and architecture. The town lies at the junction of the French route of the Camino de Santiago, the most popular route, and the Silver Route from Mérida in southern Spain, an alternative route of the Way of St. James (Spanish: Camino de Santiago). Saint Turibius of Astorga was bishop of the city in the 5th century.