The Province of León (, ; ; ; ) is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northern part of the Region of León, and in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.
It has a population of 448,030 in an area of across its 211 municipalities.
The climate is dry, cold in winter and hot in summer. This creates the perfect environment for wine and all types of cold meats and sausages like the leonese "Morcilla" and the "Cecina".
There are two famous Roman Catholic cathedrals in the province, the main one in León and another in Astorga. The province shares the Picos de Europa National Park (in the Picos de Europa mountain range) with Cantabria and Asturias. It has 211 municipalities.
History The province of León was established in 1833 with the new Spanish administrative organisation of regions and provinces to replace former kingdoms. The greater Leonese Region was composed of the provinces of León, Salamanca, Valladolid, Palencia and Zamora.
The Kingdom of León was founded in 910 A.D. when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the Iberian peninsula shifted their main seat from Oviedo to the city of León. The eastern, inland part of the kingdom was joined dynastically to the Kingdom of Castile, first in 1037–1065, then in 1077–1109 and again in 1126–1157, 1230–1296 and from 1301 onward (see: historic union of the Kingdoms of Castile and León). The western and Atlantic provinces became the Kingdom of Portugal in 1139.
The independently administered Kingdom of León, situated in the northwestern region of the Iberian Peninsula, retained the status of a kingdom until 1833, although dynastic union had brought it into the Crown of Castile. The Kingdom was composed of Adelantamientos Mayores, where the Leonese Adelantamientos consisted of the territories between the Picos de Europa and the Duero River. The political and military chiefs of these territories were referred to as Adelantados; those chiefs began to convene as an assembly in the early 12th century, while the crown appointed the Merinos as minor and appellate judges.
According to UNESCO, in 1188 the Kingdom of León developed the first Parliament in Europe, the Cortes de León, which included the elected representatives of towns and cities. In 1202, that Parliament approved economic legislation to regulate trade and guilds.
Climate As for the temperatures, in general it is a cold climate due to the altitude and the abundance of frost (which persist from November to May), being more intense in the mountainous areas reaching -18 °C. Vega de Liordes, an enclave in the León sector of Picos de Europa belonging to the municipality of Posada de Valdeón registered on January 7, 2021.
Municipalities
The province has 211 municipalities:
Acebedo Algadefe Alija del Infantado Almanza La Antigua Ardón Arganza Astorga Balboa La Bañeza Barjas Los Barrios de Luna Bembibre Benavides Benuza Bercianos del Páramo Bercianos del Real Camino Berlanga del Bierzo Boca de Huérgano Boñar Borrenes Brazuelo El Burgo Ranero Burón Bustillo del Páramo Cabañas Raras Cabreros del Río Cabrillanes Cacabelos Calzada del Coto Campazas Campo de Villavidel Camponaraya Cármenes Carracedelo Carrizo Carrocera Carucedo Castilfalé Castrillo de Cabrera Castrillo de la Valduerna Castrocalbón Castrocontrigo Castropodame Castrotierra de Valmadrigal Cea Cebanico Cebrones del Río Chozas de Abajo Cimanes de la Vega Cimanes del Tejar Cistierna Congosto Corbillos de los Oteros Corullón Crémenes Cuadros Cubillas de los Oteros Cubillas de Rueda Cubillos del Sil Destriana Encinedo La Ercina Escobar de Campos Fabero Folgoso de la Ribera Fresno de la Vega Fuentes de Carbajal Garrafe de Torío Gordaliza del Pino Gordoncillo Gradefes Grajal de Campos Gusendos de los Oteros Hospital de Órbigo Igüeña Izagre Joarilla de las Matas Laguna Dalga Laguna de Negrillos León Llamas de la Ribera Lucillo Luyego Magaz de Cepeda Mansilla de las Mulas Mansilla Mayor Maraña Matadeón de los Oteros Matallana de Torío Matanza de los Oteros Molinaseca Murias de Paredes Noceda del Bierzo Oencia Las Omañas Onzonilla Oseja de Sajambre Pajares de los Oteros Palacios de la Valduerna Palacios del Sil Páramo del Sil Peranzanes Pobladura de Pelayo García La Pola de Gordón Ponferrada Posada de Valdeón Pozuelo del Páramo Prado de la Guzpeña Priaranza del Bierzo Prioro Puebla de Lillo Puente de Domingo Flórez Quintana del Castillo Quintana del Marco Quintana y Congosto Regueras de Arriba Reyero Riaño Riego de la Vega Riello Rioseco de Tapia La Robla Roperuelos del Páramo Sabero Sahagún San Adrián del Valle San Andrés del Rabanedo Sancedo San Cristóbal de la Polantera San Emiliano San Esteban de Nogales San Justo de la Vega San Millán de los Caballeros San Pedro Bercianos Santa Colomba de Curueño Santa Colomba de Somoza Santa Cristina de Valmadrigal Santa Elena de Jamuz Santa María de la Isla Santa María del Monte de Cea Santa María de Ordás Santa María del Páramo Santa Marina del Rey Santas Martas Santiago Millas Santovenia de la Valdoncina Sariegos Sena de Luna Sobrado Soto de la Vega Soto y Amío Toral de los Guzmanes Toral de los Vados Toreno Torre del Bierzo Trabadelo Truchas Turcia Urdiales del Páramo Valdefresno Valdefuentes del Páramo Valdelugueros Valdemora Valdepiélago Valdepolo Valderas Valderrey Valderrueda Valdesamario Val de San Lorenzo Valdevimbre Valencia de Don Juan Valverde de la Virgen Valverde-Enrique Vallecillo Valle de Ancares La Vecilla Vegacervera Vega de Espinareda Vega de Infanzones Vega de Valcarce Vegaquemada Vegas del Condado Villablino Villabraz Villadangos del Páramo Villademor de la Vega Villafranca del Bierzo Villagatón Villamandos Villamanín Villamañán Villamartín de Don Sancho Villamejil Villamol Villamontán de la Valduerna Villamoratiel de las Matas Villanueva de las Manzanas Villaobispo de Otero Villaornate y Castro Villaquejida Villaquilambre Villarejo de Órbigo Villares de Órbigo Villasabariego Villaselán Villaturiel Villazala Villazanzo de Valderaduey Zotes del Páramo
Comarcas The province has 8 comarcas/counties: El Bierzo Maragatería Tierra de Sahagún La Montaña La Ribera La Cabrera Tierras de La Bañeza Tierras de León
Demographics
As of 2025, the population is 448,030, of which 48.7% are male, and 51.3% are female. Minors make up 12.3% of the population, and seniors make up 29.4%.
Languages
The Provincial Government of León signed accords with language associations for promoting the Leonese language. Leonese is taught in the city of León, Mansilla de las Mulas, La Bañeza, Valencia de Don Juan or Ponferrada for adult people, and in sixteen schools of León. The City Council of León writes some of its announcements in Leonese in order to promote the language.
In the western part of the El Bierzo, the westernmost region of the province, Galician language is spoken and taught at schools.
Immigration As of 2025, immigrants make up 10.1% of the population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Colombia, Morocco, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Portugal.
Cuisine Embutidos Cecina de León: from beef. In the Leonese language, cecina means "meat that has been salted and dried by means of air, sun or smoke". Cecina de León is made of the hind legs of beef, salted, smoked and air-dried in the province of León, and has PGI status. Botillo: from pig. Traditionally made in the western Leonese regions, botiellu in Leonese or botelo in Galician, is a dish of meat-stuffed pork intestine. It is a culinary specialty of the county of El Bierzo and also of the region of Trás-os-Montes in Portugal. This type of embutido is a meat product made from different pieces left over from the butchering of a pig, including the ribs, tail, and bones with a little meat left on them. These are chopped; seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and other spices; stuffed in the cecum of the pig; and partly cured via smoking. It can also include the pig's tongue, shoulder blade, jaw, and backbone, but never exceeding 20% of the total volume. It is normally consumed cooked, covered with a sheet. In some parts of the province, especially close to the Orbigo river, it is also known as yosco. It has PGI status.
Cheese Queso de Valdeón (Valdeón cheese): a blue cheese produced in Posada de Valdeon, traditionally wrapped in chestnut or sycamore maple leaves before being sent to market.
Wines Bierzo: in the west of the province of León and covers about 3,000 km2. The area consists of numerous small valleys in the mountainous part (Alto Bierzo) and of a wide, flat plain (Bajo Bierzo). The denominación de origen covers 23 municipalities. Tierra de León: in the southeast of the province of León.
Sweets Mantecadas de Astorga Hojaldres de Astorga Lazos de San Guillermo Nicanores de Boñar
See also Matar judíos () Santiago de Peñalba Castrillo de los Polvazares Cave of Valporquero Kingdom of León Leonese language List of municipalities in León Montes de León Asturica Augusta
Notes and references
External links
The Official Tourism Website of the Province of Leon Leonese Provincial Government Leonese City Council San Isidro Ski Resort