Tourist information - Avila
Avila, a World Heritage Site, rises beneath the shelter of the Gredos Sierra. Behind the walls of this capital of Castile-León, a priceless compound is concealed, comprised of Renaissance churches and palaces: a silent witness to the bygone beauty of the city when it was a textile power.
Being the birthplace of Santa Teresa de Jesús, the city has a lots of religious structures inside and outside the walled enclosure related to the life of the mystic.
Excellent roasts and the famous veal T-bone steak are only a some of the dishes that define the spectacular cuisine of this province, without playing down the wonderful cakes and pastries, in particular the renowned "yemas de Santa Teresa" (a sweet made with egg yolk and sugar.
The extensive history of Avila begins with the primitive Celtiberian settlement of the Vetones around 700 B.C. The first wall was built with the arrival of the Romans in the third century B.C., making Avila a strategic point of defense. Following several centuries of decadence, the city was repopulated and rebuilt in the 11th century. The legend states that Raimundo de Borgona, son-in-law of King Alfonso VI, was in charge of supervising the reconstruction of the wall on the ruins of the ancient Roman fortress. The peak period of the city would come in the 16th century, when wool manufacture would allow its economic take-off. Within this boom, many civil and religious buildings were integrated the city, which still stand in the historic quarter.
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