Astorga Tourist Attractions
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Astorga, still partly surrounded by walls dating from the late Roman period, is an old-world episcopal city beautifully situated on an outlier of the Manzanal range. Described by Pliny in Roman times as a "splendid city" ("urbs magnifica"), it rose to prosperity and power in the ninth century and became an important staging point on the pilgrim road to Santiago de Compostela. The Roman walls are best seen from the main road (N VI) on the west side of the town.
Cathedral
The town's finest building is the cathedral (15th-16th C.), which has three Plateresque doorways with sculptured scenes from the life of Christ on the west front and two 17th century towers.
Cathedral - Interior
The high altar has a retablo (1562) by Gaspar de Hoyos and Gaspar de Palencia, with fine carving by Gaspar Becerra. The choir-stalls, with a riot of carved decoration, date from 1551. The Gothic cloister was rebuilt in 1780.
Museo Diocesano
The Diocesan Museum displays the valuable cathedral treasury, including a silver gilt casket presented by Alfonso III (866-910), a reliquary containing a fragment of the True Cross and an 11th century chalice.
Museum of the Pilgrim Way
Adjoining the cathedral is the Bishop's Palace, a Neo-Gothic building by Antoni Gaudí (1893). It now houses the Museo de los Caminos, with a variety of material on the history of the pilgrim road to Santiago de Compostela, and also collections of Roman antiquities and Maragato costumes.
Town Hall
In the arcaded Plaza Mayor can be found the 17th century Casa Consistorial. A notable feature is the clock, with two figures in Maragato costume which strike the hour (at present removed during the restoration of the clock).
Ergástula Romana
In the basement of the building to the left of the Town Hall is the Ergástula Romana, an underground room 60m/200ft long, 10m/35ft wide and 8.5m/28ft high which is said to have been a prison for Roman slaves.
Plaza Romana
On the Plaza Romana are the remains of a third C. mansion with fine mosaic floors.
