Sahagún () is a town and municipality of Spain, part of the autonomous community of

Castile and León Castile and León is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwestern Spain. Castile and León is the largest autonomous community in Spain by area, covering 94,222 km2. It is, however, sparsely populated, with a pop ...

and the

province of León 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. About one quarter of its population of 463,746 (2018) lives in the c ...

. It is the main centre of population in the Leonese part of the Tierra de Campos natural region. Sahagún contains some of the earliest examples of the

mudéjar architecture Mudéjar were Muslims who remained in Iberia in the Late Middle Ages, late medieval period following the Reconquista, Christian reconquest. It is also a term for Mudéjar art, which was greatly influenced by Islamic art, but produced typically b ...

. It lies on the Way of St. James and is often considered the half-way point between St. Jean Pied de Port and Santiago de Compostela. The Battle of Sahagún was a notable victory by the British light cavalry against their more numerous French adversaries in 1808. The first settlement on the site grew up around the nearby

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery consecrated to the saints Facundus and Primitivus. The name ''Sahagún'' is thought to derive from an abbreviation and variation on the name ''San Fagun'' ("Saint Facundus").

Villages

Arenillas de Valderaduey,

Celada de Cea Celada is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Andrian Celada (born 1987), Filipino basketball player *Carlo Celada, Italian gymnast See also

*La Celada, a village in Córdoba, Spain *Celadas, a municipality in Teruel, Aragon, ...

, Galleguillos de Campos,

Joara Joara was a large Native American settlement, a regional chiefdom of the Mississippian culture, located in what is now Burke County, North Carolina, about 300 miles from the Atlantic coast in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Joara is n ...

, Riosequillo, Sahagún, San Martín de la Cueza, San Pedro de las Dueñas, Sotillo de Cea, Villalebrín and Villalmán.

Monastery

The monastery acquired importance during the reign of Alfonso III de Asturias, and reached its greatest splendour during the reign of

Alfonso VI of León and Castile Alfonso VI (1 July 1109), nicknamed the Brave (''El Bravo'') or the Valiant, was king of Kingdom of León, León (10651109), Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia (10711109), and Kingdom of Castile, Castile (10721109). After the conquest of Toledo, Spai ...

. On 25 November 1085, this latter king promulgated the edicts known as the Fuero de Sahagún, which gave a number of privileges to the Monastery and town, fomenting its growth. The king favoured the

Cluniac Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saint Peter, Saints Peter and Saint Paul, Paul. The abbey was constructed ...

order and the monastery was known as the "Spanish

Cluny Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon. The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in ...

". Friction often erupted into disputes between the townsfolk and the monastery in the mid-12th century, as recorded in the '' Crónicas anónimas de Sahagún''. The monastery was very important on the pilgrimage route to

Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela, simply Santiago, or Compostela, in the province of Province of A Coruña, A Coruña, is the capital of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city ...

, and in the 14th century housed a University (see also

List of early modern universities in Europe The list of early modern universities in Europe comprises all University, universities that existed in the early modern age (1501–1800) in Europe. It also includes short-lived foundations and educational institutions whose university status is ...

). In the 19th century, the monastery was disbanded and the structure nearly completely razed.

Notable residents

Bernardino de Sahagún Bernardino de Sahagún ( – 5 February 1590) was a Franciscan friar, missionary priest and pioneering ethnographer who participated in the Catholic evangelization of colonial New Spain (now Mexico). Born in Sahagún, Spain, in 1499, he jour ...

* St. John of Sahagún

External links

IX Centenary of Leon-Castilla's King Alfonso VI

Sahagun's History webpage

Sahagun's townhall webpage

Gallery

File:PuenteCeaSahagún.jpg, Roman bridge File:Sahagun - Arco de San Benito 2.jpg, Arch of San Benito File:Sahagun - Capilla de San Mancio 1.jpg, Chapel of San Mancio File:Sahagun - Monasterio de Santa Cruz - MM Benedictinas 1.jpg, Monastery of Santa Cruz File:Sahagun - Monasterio de San Benito2.jpg, Torre del Reloj File:Sahagún Iglesia JMM.jpg, Church of San Lorenzo File:Iglesia de la Virgen Peregrina (Sahagún).jpg, Church of the Virgen Peregrina File:Ermita de la Virgen del Puente.jpg, Hermitage of La Virgen del Puente File:Sahagun - Iglesia de San Tirso 06.JPG, Church of San Tirso File:Sahagun - Iglesia de la Trinidad (albergue de peregrinos)2.jpg, Church of La Trinidad File:Sahagun - Monasterio de San Benito3.jpg, Monastery of San Benito File:Sahagún_plaza_Mayor.jpg, Street in Sahagún

References

Municipalities in the Province of León {{León-geo-stub