Lc23 Introduction

INTRODUCTION

Valladolid, with a population of around 350,000 people, is a town located at about 200 kilometers northwest of Madrid. It lies on a large plain and belongs to the region of Castile and León (historically two separate kingdoms but now a single administrative unit, the largest region of the European Union, too). It is a convenient place to live for different reasons. To begin with, it is easy to move around since the traffic is not normally very dense and there are highways surrounding the city that link it to the rest of the region. There are hospitals, green areas for entertainment, several university colleges, some industry (a lot of it connected with the making of cars) and an interesting cultural life with international events (such as the “Seminci” - a remarkable film contest- or the Holy Week - a religious related one-week festivity that receives thousands of visitors every year-) and a lot of interesting museums to learn and enjoy oneself.

As for its name, there are different theories. Some historians claim that the name comes form “Valle de Lid”, a plain where preroman tribes used to gather to fight. Others think that it comes from “Valle de Ulit”, a Moorish captain that settled here at around 700. Finally, others defend that it comes from “Vallis Olivetum” or Valley of the olive trees, even though it is not easy to find olive trees in the area at present. The most likely theory, however, is that it may come from a Celtic expression, “Vallis Tolitum”, or valley of the waters, since two rivers flow up to this day across the town.

Ruth Vega

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