York

York is also the ecclesiastical capital of the Church of England, the archbishop of York being second only to the archbishop of Canterbury in the Anglican Church. The Lord Mayor of this both medieval and modern town also has a special status, sharing only with the Lord Mayor of London the honorific prefix of "Right Honorable". The title of the Duke of York is traditionally awarded to the second eldest son of the Sovereign.

York's fame rests on its amazing sights. York Minster is the largest medieval church in England and beyond question one of the most beautiful. Its large amount of medieval stained glass is unique. The townscape is characterized by magnificent half-timbered constructions, three medieval guildhalls, numerous churches and public buildings, and romantic streets. York also has the longest circuit of medieval town walls, approximately 3mi/8km long. The walls offer a pleasant walk with marvelous views of the city. Several excellent museums enrich the cultural life of the city.

In contrast to other towns, the streets in York are often called "gates" (Stonegate, Petergate etc.), as in parts of Scandinavia. This is a relic of the Danish occupation. The word which actually means "gate" in other places in England is "bar" in York.

York was founded by the Romans in A.D.71 and called Eburacum. It was the seat of the Ninth and subsequently the Sixth Legion (with 5,600 men), and also one of the important military and trading bases in the north of England near the Scottish border. The Romans never succeeded in occupying Scotland. In the second century Eburacum became a "colonia", an important veteran town and a major cultural center. Emperor Hadrian visited the town, and two other emperors died here while on visits: Severus in 211, and Constantius Chlorus in 306. The latter's son, Constantine the Great, was proclaimed emperor in Eburacum. Under the Saxons the town, now known as Eofirwic, developed its strategic function. It became both the capital of the Anglian kingdom of Deirta and, as the see of a bishop after 625, its spiritual center, from which Christianity spread throughout the north of England. Under Alcuin or Ealhwine (735-804) the monastic school gained an international reputation. Alcuin was even summoned by Charlemagne to advise him on the establishment of schools in the Frankish kingdom. After numerous attacks the Vikings finally conquered the town in 866, and made it into their headquarters. They named it Jorvik, from which its present name is derived. The Normans arrived about 200 years after the Vikings, broke the resistance of its citizens and razed the town to the ground. As a result of this none of York's historical buildings is more than 900 years old. After reconstruction York shone even more magnificently than before.

During the Middle Ages York achieved prosperity as a center of wool-weaving and the cloth trade. The Plantaganet kings, particularly Richard II, used their powers to promote the town. Edward III (1327-1377) was the first to bestow the title of Duke of York on one of his younger sons, whose grandson, Duke Richard (1416-1460), began the War of the Roses against the House of Lancaster, after they had ruled since 1399. His son ascended the English throne in 1461 as Edward IV, of the House of York. He was succeeded in 1483 by his brother, Richard III, who, two years later, was deposed by the usurper Henry Tudor (Henry VII). During the turmoil of the Reformation a number of the town's churches fell into neglect. Cromwell laid siege to the town during the Civil War, but was able to come to a peaceful agreement with its leaders. The Industrial Revolution passed York by without trace. The coming of the railroad finally effected the town's economic growth, which has been continued by the arrival of more than three million tourists a year.