Husillos, Spain

Husillos is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 208 inhabitants.Town HolidaysJULY 3rd Fiesta de la Octava AUGUST 5th Fiesta de Verano DECEMBER 4th Santa BarbaraTourism: Town Council 0034-979808244 www.dip-palencia.esGeographyHusillos is a little municipality in Northern Spain, in Castile-León, very close, only 11 km away, from Palencia and about 260 km northwest of Madrid. Husillos has 208 inhabitants and is 16,4 km² in size.HistoryHusillos has had dwellers called vacceos of Celtic origin, and then successively the Romans, the Visigods, Muslims and finally Modern Europeans. The recent history of Husillos starts at the end of the 9th century AD, when the presbiterus Gatón rebuilt the Church of Santa Maria (vid Archivo General de Simancas) that had been destroyed during the Muslim occupation of Palencia (8th and 9th centuries.)During the 10th century the Abbey of Santa Maria de Fusiellos was built, also called Santa Maria de la Dehesa Brava. In the 11th century the king Sancho el Mayor (Castile) gave the town of Husillos to the Bishop of Palencia, the nearest city. The Middle Ages was the Golden Era for the region of Palencia that comprised Husillos. An important Jewish community lived in the Palencia region during several centuries, although they were finally forced to leave for political and religious reasons in 1492. In the 16th century and after the Battle of Saint Quentin that ended on Saint Laurent's day, AUGUST 10th 1557, Philip II of SPAIN built the Palace of San Lorenzo del Escorial, near Madrid. The king asked the Abbot of Husillos whether he could give the relic of Saint Laurent, his foot, for the palace of El Escorial. The Abbot gave him it as a present.