León reads like a palimpsest, a manuscript where layers of history overlap and converse. Among them, the Jewish presence occupies a decisive chapter, one now reclaimed through archaeology and cultural interpretation.
The journey begins in Puente Castro, on the city’s outskirts, where the remains of the Castrum Iudeorum reveal the life of a community that thrived in the Middle Ages and, after violence and exile, left traces that can still be followed.
Excavations have brought to light ceramics, millstones, weapons and epigraphic fragments that help reconstruct the urban fabric of the 11th century. Here stood the Jewish quarter beyond the walls, protected by fortifications and organized around its synagogue, marketplace and cemetery. The Fuero of León, enacted in 1017, guaranteed rights and regulated coexistence between Christians and Jews, explaining the economic and cultural vitality of the aljama.
History, however, shifted in 1196, when the troops of Alfonso VIII razed the enclave during the war against León. The siege left scars confirmed by archaeology: arrowheads, charred walls, unmistakable signs of destruction. After the catastrophe, the Jews regrouped inside the city, in what is now the Barrio Húmedo, where the community flourished again until the expulsion of 1492.
Today, those artifacts speak to the present in the Museum of León, which displays Hebrew tombstones and objects recovered from the excavations, and in the Cathedral, where Gothic paintings depict scenes with Jewish figures, a reflection of coexistence and religious tension. Memory extends to the Prado de los Judíos, linked to the old cemetery near the Torío River.
A Literary Curiosity
Sephardic memory also finds its way into children’s literature. The book “Stories and Anecdotes of the Sephardic People of León”, written by Antón Basagoiti, brings the daily life of the medieval Jewish community closer to young readers through tales that combine historical rigor with accessible language. Presented at the Palacio del Conde Luna in 2023, it features illustrations by the artist Lolo, completed by his children after his passing, a work that became a family tribute. More than entertainment, it seeks to convey values and knowledge, showing how Jewish culture enriched León’s heritage.
Among other cultural activities, every September León joins the European Days of Jewish Culture, with guided tours, concerts and workshops that reinterpret Sephardic recipes using local products. In summer, the historic garden of El Bosque becomes a stage for Mediterranean music; in autumn, the hiking event La Salamanquesa recalls the path of exile through the mountains. These experiences transform history into living culture.
A Walk Through the Intramural Quarter
From Puente Castro, the route leads to the historic center, where streets preserve names that evoke the Jewish quarter within the walls: Calle Misericordia, Plaza del Grano, Plaza San Martín, and the evocative Portillo de los Judíos. Here once stood homes, workshops and the main synagogue, now vanished but documented in medieval archives. Walking these streets is like reading an open book, where stones speak.
After exploring the Jewish quarter, visitors can savor another facet of León: its gastronomy. The city boasts a tapas tradition that turns strolling through the Barrio Húmedo and Barrio Romántico into a social ritual. León’s cuisine offers dishes that embody its identity: cecina, a cured beef with Protected Geographical Indication; the cocido maragato, served “in reverse order”; and the hearty botillo of El Bierzo. Add to that garlic soups, artisan cheeses and sweets such as Nicanores de Boñar or the San Marcos cake, paired with wines from the Bierzo DO or a Prieto Picudo. Flavors that extend history to the table.
