Soria Capital City

Near the space now occupied by Soria capital city are found the earliest traces of its history. In an area that is now located five miles northwest of the city, on Mount Valonsadero, and two thousand years before the birth of Christ, groups of herders, whose cave paintings recorded scenes of their everyday life, were the first humans to enjoy the ambience of what was to be Soria.

Nearby the city is one of history's unique locations: Numancia. Its inhabitants, Celt arévacos resisted for over twenty years against the Roman invaders, until they fell after a long siege in 133 BC to the General Scipio. He didn't take them alive...

The city grew rapidly during the reign of Alfonso VIII.

Sorian nobles became the backbone of the Spanish crown, and many of them protected the royals in their childhood and fought in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, the defining battle against the forces of Islam in which the key to Andalusia was finally broken.

During the XVI, XVII and XVII centuries many of the principal palaces were built with wool being the main factor for development of the city.

In the nineteenth century a slow decline began. This was initiated at the beginning the century with the occupation of French troops in 1808. These invaders were expelled four years later leaving behind an impoverished and highly damaged city with much of the city wall having been demolished.

Today Soria is a small city, quiet and largely devoted to the service sector, It has a population around 38,000 inhabitants.

More information: http://www.ayto-soria.org