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Burgos is a both a province (la provincia de Burgos) and capital city of the province located in la Comunidad Autónoma de Castilla y León. It is the second largest in Castilla y León in terms of population (166,000) and industry. Burgos centrally located half-way between Madrid and the northern coast and half-way between the eastern and western coasts.

Although the city itself has its origins in the year 884 A.D., the area is full of prehistoric fossils indicating that man has been inhabiting the area since the Neolithic Age (about 4,500 B.C.)! The archeological site of Atapuerca is located about 15km from Burgos-Capital.

During the eleventh through thirteenth centuries Burgos matured into a medieval city: a place of agriculture, commerce, and urbanization. During this time Burgos became an important city economically, religiously, and politically. The principal product at the time was wool, a highly sought commodity throughout Europe. Religious importance emerged during five centuries (XI-XV) when pilgrimages were important and popular. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (el Camino de Santiago ) brought people from all over Europe through Burgos.

Burgos continued to thrive through the next centuries; until the seventeenth century, when it began to decline. The population fell from 12,000 in the late 1500s to 6,000 in the 1630s due to starvation, disease, and people moving out of the city and into the country. This left Burgos with mostly clergy and poor along with the few remaining artisans. At the end of the 1700s, under the influence of the Enlightenment and Carlos III, Burgos began to slowly recover. The city wall was taken down during this time and the pedestrian street along the Arlanzón River, el Epsolón,, was created.

The beginning of the nineteenth century brought the Spanish War of Independence and was an interesting time for Burgos. The city was occupied from 1808 to 1813 by the French as a strategic hold on their march to Madrid and Portugal. This occupation greatly affected Burgos life. During their retreat, the French destroyed many of the city’s buildings, including the near 1,000 year old castle (which was modified and/or rebuilt during that time). In general, the nineteenth century was a time of modernization. The railroad began to expand and an industrial society began to develop. This new development greatly benefited the ideally located Burgos. The population once again began to grow and was accompanied by new commerce. The newly organized Spanish state created province capitals, Burgos being one. This new organization greatly benefited the city. This period is also marked by the renovation of the oldest parts of the city and the building of new public buildings including the Teatro Principal.

Although the city itself benefited, only a select few of the people actually thrived through this time. Most of the population was poor, especially during years that crops failed. Burgos became a center of military operations during the Revolution and was the first capital of the Franco regime. Everyone lived in hunger until the 1950s when new businesses and factories began to develop. The major industrial transformation began in the 1960s and is still alive today. Today, Burgos is an important city both historic and modern, urban and rural. It has a rich cultural and historical past evident in the magnificent buildings, statues, and people. (This BRIEF, SIMPLIFIED history is in part adapted from Burgos, Guía Visual by University professors Luis Martínez García and René J. Payo Hernanz.)