Astorga, city and seat of a bishopric in northwestern Spain, in León Province, 40 km (25 mi) southwest of the city of León. Astorga is situated near the Gerga Torrent (a tributary of the Esla and Duoro rivers), on the eastern slopes of the Montes de León. The principal building in the city is the cathedral, built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Parts of the city walls still survive.
Astorga, called Asturica Augusta by the Romans, became an episcopal seat in the 3rd century. The Goths, and later the Moors, destroyed the city, but the site was resettled in the 9th century. It resisted a siege by the French from March 21 to April 22, 1810, during the Peninsular War. Population (1998 estimate) 12,387.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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