 Even the name of the city produces strange emotions. Soria, of which nothing is known about the origin of the name and which doesn't evoke the same resonant echo within the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León as does its sister cities of Ávila and Segovia.
This sensation is due, in part, to a history that is characterised for its harshness and the hard living conditions suffered by those who lived here. It is also due to the fact that the city has always been dependent on the vagaries of the surrounding countryside. For these reasons, the sentiment is of a distant, dark and cold provincial capital city. Located at over 1056 metres above sez-level, this region has one of the most unforgiving climates of the Iberian Peninsula.
Soria was founded by the romans and conquered by the muslims as the expanded northwards. The city was recaptured by Spanish troops under the leadership of the castillian nobleman, el Conde Fernán González. However, the city lost much when its Jews were expelled.
Traditionally an agriculturally dependent centre of activities, the city is surrounded by forests and its field were used for livestock and the growth of cereals. It is also one of the least populated provinces of Spain.
 But Soria is much much more than this. One of its villages, Numancia, best reflects the fighting spirit of its citizens. We still speak of the Numancian resistance to indicate strength of character and hope in the face of overwhelming odds.
Pompey and Scipion took good note of this when they conquered the region. In their battles with the celtiberians who were the forefathers of the sorians, they noted the strength of character and capacity for sacrifice that the people of the land was capable. This fighting spirit is the basis of the convertion that Soria has experienced to become the modern and dynamic city that it is today. Little by little the city is opening up to tourism to show off the treasures that have remained hidden from view.
 In many ways Soria is still an unknown quantity. It was not known until relatively recently that Soria has one of the best offers for hotels in Spain including the luxurious National Parador and the Alfonso VIII. It's not well known either that Soria has one of the richest collections of romanic architecture in Spain. Churches such as Santo Domingo, San Juan de Rabaneda, San Nicolás and the cathedral of San Pedro.
There is also a collection of renaissance achitecture such as the Palacio de los Ríos, gothic such as Nuestra Señora del Espino, barroque (las ermitas de San Saturio and Mirón), remains of the arabic temples now known as the Claustro de San Juan del Duero and, of course, the ruins of Numancia.
Soria is like the Egyptian Sphinx, it is an enigma that calmly watches the world and waits patiently for the reches that are hidden within to be disovered by those curious enough to enter.
More information:
http://www.dipsoria.org:8080/
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