Benavente is a town and municipality in the north of the province of Zamora, in the autonomous community Castile and León of Spain. It has about 20,000 inhabitants.
Located north of the capital on an important communications hub, it was repopulated by King Ferdinand II of León, who also awarded it law-codes (a fuero) in 1167. It was originally known as Malgrat or Malgrado.
History 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.
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.
Location Benavente is located in the North of Province of Zamora, in the North-West of Spain. It is 65 km away from Zamora City and 260 km from Madrid and its coordinates are 42° 0' N 5° 41' W. The adjacent municipalities of Benavente are Villanueva de Azoague, Manganeses de la Polvorosa, Santa Cristina de la Polvorosa, Villabrázaro, San Cristóbal de Entreviñas, Castrogonzalo, Santa Colomba de las Monjas and Arcos de la Polvorosa, all of them belonging to Province of Zamora.
North-West: Manganeses de la Polvorosa North: Villabrázaro North-East: San Cristóbal de Entreviñas West: Santa Cristina de la Polvorosa East: San Cristóbal de Entreviñas South-West:Santa Cristina de la Polvorosa South: Villanueva de Azoague, Santa Colomba de las Monjas and Arcos de la Polvorosa South-East: Castrogonzalo
Transport Roads and Highways Benavente is connected to the national road network through different roads and highways:
· Autovía Ruta de la Plata: Gijón - Oviedo - Mieres - Puerto Pajares - León - Benavente - Zamora - Salamanca - Béjar - Plasencia - Cáceres - Mérida - Sevilla. · Autovía del Noroeste. Madrid - Benavente - Lugo - A Coruña - Arteixo · Autovía de las Rías Bajas. Benavente - Sanabria - Verín - Ourense - Vigo . · Palencia-Benavente.
TownsDistance (km)Toro69Villalpando30Puebla de Sanabria84Salamanca134Zamora65Tordesillas80Medina de Rioseco62Medina del Campo105Valladolid112Valencia de Don Juan33La Bañeza37Astorga65Ponferrada124León70Palencia90Segovia235Ávila190Burgos210Oviedo182Madrid266Ourense238Gijón210Soria318Vitoria-Gasteiz347Porto334Bilbao388Lisbon600Barcelona836
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.
National lines Daily services to: A Coruña, Astorga, Algeciras, Asturias (Oviedo-Gijón), Ávila, Badajoz, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cáceres, Cádiz, Cangas de Narcea, Irún, La Bañeza, León, Lugo, Logroño, Málaga, Madrid, Mérida, Ourense, Monforte, Palencia, Plasencia, Ponferrada, Pontevedra, Salamanca, San Fernando, San Sebastián, Santiago de Compostela, Sevilla, Valladolid, Verín, Vigo, Villablino, Zafra, Zamora and Zaragoza.
International lines Switzerland Germany Belgium Holland France - (París) France (Lyon - Grenoble) Andorra
Regional lines Alcubilla de Nogales Alija del Infantado Arcos de la Polvorosa Ayoo de Vidriales Camarzana de Tera Carracedo - 13:00 Cubo de Benavente Ferreras de Abajo Milles de la Polvorosa Molezuelas Mozar Puebla de Sanabria Pueblica de Valverde Santa Colomba de las Monjas Santibáñez de Vidriales Tábara Uña de Quintana Valle del Tera Valderas Villafáfila Villalpando Villanueva de Azoague Villarrín de Campos
Local Service Senior citizens have a free urban bus service.
Taxi The town has several taxi stands, one of them in the Bus Station.
Demographics The total population of Benavente in 2025 are 17,468, up from 17,246 in 2024 and 17,261 in 2023. The sexes were 52% women and 48% men.
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.
Plaza mayor The main square is plaza mayor where the Town hall building is located.
Tourism
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
Hotels
"Parador de Turismo Rey Fernando II de León" (H****) Paseos de la Mota, s/n "Villa de Benavente" (H ****) Avda. de las Américas, s/n "Santiago" (H ***) Avda. Maragatos, 34 "Orense" (H **) C/ San Antón Viejo, 4 "Arenas" (H *) Ctra. de Madrid, Km 261
Hostels "Hostal Avenida" (HS**) Avda. El Ferial, 17 "Bristol" (HS**) C/ Santa Cruz, 44. "Universal" (HS**) C/ Sancti Spíritus, 17 "Alameda" (HS**) Autovía Madrid - Coruña km. 262 "Covadonga" (HS**) Avenida Federico Silva, 16 "Paradero 3" (HS*) Autovía Madrid – Coruña Km 261 "Paraíso" (HS *) C/ los Herreros, 64 "La Trucha" (HS) C/ la Viña, 5 "Jara" (HS) Autovía Madrid-Coruña km. 261 "Pensión La Trapería" (P) C/Agujero de San Andrés, 10
Climate Benavente is characterized by a cold semi-arid climate in the Köppen climate classification (BSk) with continental influences due to the altitude of the municipality and its distance to the sea. The amount of winter frosts is increased, taking place even in spring, with consequential damage to some of the local agriculture.
Twin towns – sister cities
Puebla, Puebla, Mexico. Vila Real, Portugal.
Dukes of Benavente
Titular Period Primera creación por Enrique II I Fadrique de Castilla y Ponce de León 1370–1394 Segunda creación por Enrique IV I Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel 1473- II Alonso Pimentel y Pacheco III Antonio Alonso Pimentel y Herrera de Velasco IV Luis Alonso Pimentel Herrera y Enríquez de Velasco V Juan Alonso Pimentel Herrera y Enríquez de Velasco VI Antonio Alonso Pimentel y Quiñones VII Juan Francisco Pimentel y Ponce de León VIII Antonio Alonso Pimentel y Herrera Zúñiga IX Francisco Casimiro Pimentel de Quiñones y Benavides X Antonio Francisco Pimentel de Zúñiga y Vigil de Quiñones XI Francisco Alonso Pimentel Vigil de Quiñones Borja Aragón y Centelles XII María Josefa Pimentel, Duchess of Osuna XIII Francisco de Borja Téllez-Girón y Alfonso Pimentel XIV Pedro de Alcántara Téllez-Girón y Beaufort Spontin XV Mariano Téllez-Girón y Beaufort Spontin XVI Pedro de Alcántara Téllez-Girón y Fernández de Santillán XVII Ángela María Téllez-Girón y Duque de Estrada actual tituar
Notable people José Carlos Guerra (artist)José Carlos GuerraJosé Carlos Guerra presenta en la Sala Maestra su obra más 'matérica' Maria Josefa Alfonso Pîmentel Tellez Girón Borja y Centelles, fourteenth Countess and twelfth Duchess of Benavente, a patron of Goya and Boccherini Fray Toribio de Benavente o Motolinía (1477–1569), a missionary to Mexico Alonso Briceño, one of the thirteen conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro Luis de Carvajal the Younger, Crypto-Jewish writer and martyr Pita Pizarro (1792–1845), a minister of Isabella II of Spain Francisco de Castro Pascual (1871–1949), microbiologist José Nuñez Pernía (1805–1879), a Marquis of Nuñez and the first president of the Sociedad Hahnemanniana Matritense Pedro Nuñez Granés (1869–1944), engineer Celestino Alonso Rodríguez Valdespino (1828–1875), chess player Federico Silva Muñoz (1923–1997), politician Laura Iglesias Romero, a scientist who does research for the CSIC Francisco José Ynduráin (1940–2008), scientist Almudena Fernández (born 1977), model
Language Regional speech is influenced by the Leonese language.
Cinemas and theatres
"Reina Sofía" Theatre.Teatro Reina Sofía "Multicines Benavente" Cinema.Multicines Benavente
See also
List of municipalities in Zamora San Pedro De Zamudia, Zamora Sandin, Zamora Almudena Fernandez - Famous model from Benavente.
References