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Ciudad Rodrigo: General Information Video

The small cathedral city now known as Ciudad Rodrigo has a long history of warfare and conquest. Originally a Celtic village known as Mirobriga, it fell to Roman hands, and finally was reestablished as a fortified city by King Ferdinand II of León in the twelfth century. The cathedral, built from the twelfth century to the fourteenth century, represents a hybrid of Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles. In the Napoleonic Wars, Ciudad Rodrigo's prime location made it militarily important, and it fell under French control in 1810, only to be wrested away by British General Wellington, who was later honored for his contributions in liberating Spain from France, in 1812.