Camino Photo of the Day: the Last King

13 February 2023 Thom Photo of the Day 2013

This statue of King Alfonso IX of Galicia and León (1171-1230) sits in central Sarria. This well-loved king founded the University of Salamanca and convened the Cortes of León in 1188, a parliament that had a wider representation of his people than any other European parliament at the time. He was also the last king of an independent Galicia and León, as his son Ferdinand was already King of Castilla. With the accession of Ferdinand III, Castilla and León were joined in a union that exists to this day. Galicia, by contrast, tried to maintain their independence, and managed to do so with some success for more than two centuries.