Astorga

Astorga, where the pilgrimage roads from France and Portugal merge, once had 22 hospitals to lodge and care for ailing travelers. The only one left today is next to the cathedral, which is itself a huge 15th-century building with four statues of St. James. Astorga is in the area of Maragatos ethnicity, which has a distinct culture and architecture characteristics, stemming from the region's Celtic and, later, Roman roots.