Valladolid

Valladolid, city in Castilla-León, northern Spain, capital of Valladolid Province, on the Pisuerga River. It serves as a market for grain produced in the area. Industrial products made in the city include textiles, leather goods, paper, chemicals, motor vehicles, aluminium, and railway equipment. Among the principal points of interest are the church of Santa María la Antigua, completed early in the 13th century; the 15th-century Colegio de Santa Cruz, which houses a museum; the 16th-century cathedral, an unfinished building in late Renaissance style; and the last residence of Christopher Columbus. The city is also the site of the University of Valladolid (1346). The city served as the capital of Spain before Madrid, and suffered extensive damage at the hands of the French in the Peninsular War. Population 316,564 (2007).