Palencia

Municipality

Flag

Coat of arms

Palencia

Location in Spain

Coordinates: 42°1′N 4°32′W / 42.017°N 4.533°WCoordinates: 42°1′N 4°32′W / 42.017°N 4.533°W

Country

Spain

Government

• Alcalde

Alfonso Polanco (P.P.)

Area

• Total

94.71 km² (36.57 sq mi)

Elevation

749 m (2,457 ft)

Population

• Total

80,649 (2,013)

Demonym(s)

Palentino, na.

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

Postal code

34001–34006

Dialing code

979

Official language(s)

Spanish

Website

Official website

Palencia (Spanish pronunciation: [paˈlenθja]) is a city south of Tierra de Campos, in north-northwest Spain, the capital of the province of Palencia in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The municipality had a population of 81,522 in 2011.

Palencia lies in the north of the central Spanish plateau, the Meseta Central, in the middle of the Carrión river valley, near the river's confluence with the Pisuerga, which flows through the town and creating four small islands, Dos Aguas and Sotillo being the largest. Palencia is located approximately 190 km north of Madrid, and some 40 km north of the capital of Valladolid.

Two hills surround the city in its north-east area. On the closest stands the 30 metre high statue of Christ known as the Cristo del Otero, the fourth tallest statue of Christ in the world.

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"). This park is a popular amusement area for the locals.

The Canal de Castilla runs close to the city.

Palencia's municipality includes the village of Paredes de Monte, 14 km away.

The region of Palencia has a Continental Mediterranean climate with very cool winters, due to altitude (749 m) and isolation from maritime influences, chilly winds, including some days of snow in the winter and minimum temperatures usually below 0 °C (32 °F). Fogs are also frequent because of the Carrion river. Summer tends to be warm with temperatures that consistently surpass 30 °C (86 °F) in July and that can rarely reach 38 °C (99 °F). Due to Palencia's altitude, nightly temperatures tend to be cooler, leading to a lower average in the summer months. Precipitation levels are moderated, but precipitation can be observed throughout the year (except July and August). Summer and winter are the driest seasons, with most rainfall occurring in the autumn and spring.[14]

The rain is very frequent in winter, and infrequent in summer. Rainfall is light but frequent during the winter months, and infrequent in summer with heavy thunderstorms.

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Wikipedia