Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half of the Inner Plateau, the city lies on the left bank of the Carrión river.

[4] Palencia has a substantial forest of 1,438 hectares (3,550 acres) 6 km away on a plateau above the city, known locally as the "Monte el Viejo" ("Old Mount").

Due to Palencia's altitude, nightly temperatures tend to be cooler, leading to a lower average in the summer months.

The fortified Celtiberian settlement is mentioned as Pallantia (Παλλαντία) by Strabo and Ptolemy,[7] a possible derivation of an Indo-European root pala ("plain").

According to the 5th-century Galician chronicler Idatius, the city of Palencia was all but destroyed (457) in the Visigothic wars against the Suevi: the date falls in the reign of Theodoric II, whose power centre still lay far to the east, in Aquitania.

When the Visigoths conquered the territory, however, they retained the Roman rural villa system in establishing the Campos Góticos ("Gothic Fields").

Maurila, an Arian bishop established in Palencia by Leovigild, followed King Reccared's conversion to Catholicism (587), and in 589 he assisted at the Third Council of Toledo.

Bishop Conantius, the biographer of Saint Ildephonsus, assisted at synods and councils in Toledo and composed music and a book of prayers from the Psalms; he ruled the see for more than thirty years, and had for his pupil Fructuosus of Braga.

[10] When the Moors arrived in the early 8th century, resistance was fragmented among bishops in control of the small walled towns and the territorial magnates in their fortified villas.

Palencia was insignificant: Moorish writers only once cite the border city in the division of the provinces previous to the Umayyad dynasty.

The diocese of Palencia was but a name— a "titular see"— until Froila, Count of Villafruela, succeeded in retaking the area of the see in 921, but the true restorer of Christian power was Sancho III of Navarre.

Bishop Tello took part in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, where Palencia won the right to emblazon the cross over its castle.

[10] Saint Vincent Ferrer preached in Palencia, so successfully converting thousands of Jews, the Catholic sources tell, that he was permitted to employ the synagogue for his new-founded hospital of San Salvador,[10] later joined to that of S. Antolin.

With 27 rooms and 3,000 square metres of space, it is best known for its mosaics, the most important of which depict great mythological scenes and can be found in its main hall.

[8] The flamboyant Gothic Cathedral, built from 1321 to 1504 and dedicated to San Antolín, stands over a low vaulted Visigothic crypt; its museum contains a number of important works of art, including a retablo of twelve panels by Juan de Flandes, court painter to Queen Isabella I of Castile.

Thirteen kilometres south of the city, in the village of Baños de Cerrato, is the oldest church on the peninsula, a 7th-century basilica dedicated to Saint John and built by the Visigoth King Reccaswinth (died 672).

Nevertheless, today, it has a population with more retirees than the average, due to youth emigration to larger urban centres such as Valladolid, Madrid or Barcelona.

[12] According to the Municipality of the capital, Palencia is the city with more green areas per inhabitant of Spain and occupies one of the first places in the European Union.

The 13th-century poet Gonzalo de Berceo and Saint Dominic, Founder of the Dominican Catholic Order, studied at the University during its brief existence.

[13] Palencia is well-linked to other town and cities of Spain by roads and highways: Highways A - 62 Valladolid / Madrid A - 65 Benavente/ León / Asturias / Galicia A - 67 Santander CL - 610 => A -62 Burgos / Bilbao / Zaragoza / Barcelona Autonomic Roads C - 613 Sahagún C - 615 Guardo / Riaño C - 619 Aranda de Duero / Soria In addition, Palencia has a bus station located next to the train station.

There are several services from Palencia railway station to Valladolid-Campo Grande, Madrid (Chamartín and Príncipe Pío), León, Burgos, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Santander, 3 daily trains to Barcelona Sants, Bilbao-Abando, A Coruña, Santiago, Oviedo and Zaragoza-Delicias, 1 daily train to Albacete-Los Llanos and Alicante.

"Menestra de Verduras" is a mixture of vegetables cooked with chopped pieces Spanish ham, onion, garlic and spices is another traditional dish.

Palencia also offers a great assortment of lettuces, leeks, wild mushrooms, peppers, asparagus, endives and beans.