On the second stage of the Camí de Sant Jaume, connections have emerged between Reus and the Spanish city of León, linked by architect Antoni Gaudí and shared struggles for linguistic recognition. Though separated by geography, both cities share demographic similarities, Reus has 115,000 residents, while León has 130,000, and a deeper cultural resonance.

Gaudí, born in Reus, designed and built the Casa Botines in León between 1891 and 1892. This striking building, located at the heart of the historic city centre, stands as one of only three known works by the Catalan architect outside Catalonia, alongside the Episcopal Palace in Astorga (León) and El Capricho in Comillas (Cantabria).

Language and Identity

A further bond exists in the cultural and linguistic revival movements in both regions. In León, activists promote the use of llionés, an Astur-Leonese language with an estimated 25,000 to 50,000 speakers across León and Zamora provinces. A photograph accompanying the original report displays the slogan “Llión xuntu enxamas sedrá venciu” (“León united will be victorious”), promoted by grassroots groups since the late 20th century.

Despite lacking official status, the Statute of Autonomy of Castilla y León includes provisions for protecting Leonese under Article 5.2. However, cultural associations including El Teixu, La Caleya, Furmientu and Facendera pola Llingua have submitted a 100-page report to the Council of Europe, denouncing the regional government’s failure to implement measures required under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which Spain signed in 1992 and ratified in 2001.

The administration's response has been inactivity, without carrying out any of the measures recommended by European institutions.

The UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, updated in 2009, classifies Astur-Leonese as endangered. In contrast, Catalan is considered a secure language due to its speaker base and vitality, though concerns remain over declining everyday usage and strains on language immersion policies established in 1983.

Historical Parallels

Both León and Catalonia trace their medieval origins to early independence, the Kingdom of León in 910 and Catalonia’s break from French suzerainty in 988. Despite differing political trajectories today, with Catalan activism often leaning toward independence and Leonese advocacy focusing on autonomy and cultural rights, both regions resist centralising pressures that have long prioritised Castilian language and identity since the unification of Spain under the Catholic Monarchs.

Official signage along the Camino de Santiago in León frequently bears the word “Castilla” crossed out from the region’s formal name, Castilla y León, a visible act of dissent reflecting ongoing tensions over historical recognition and self-determination.

Reported by reusdigital.cat, es.wikipedia.org, europapress.es, e. gancedo | león.