Created the Marquis of Astorga in 1465 , in time modern city was plunged into a period of stagnation. During the War of Independence , Astorga endured the siege of the French troops, until the defeat, after more than thirty days of siege. During the Napoleonic period, the city was proposed as a capital of one of the departments in which they would be divided Spain at the time. In the nineteenth century , the introduction of the railroad caused the decline of the mule but allowed a revival of the old city again to enhance the possibilities offered as junction.
Its heritage and monuments, its location as a crossroads of the Via de la Plata and the Camino de Santiago , and various celebrations taking place throughout the year, among which are the carnivals, the Easter holidays and astures and Romans, the city becomes a recipient of national and international tourism. Among its most representative monuments are the Cathedral , the Episcopal Palace , the City Hall and the Roman Ergastula , all of them declared of cultural interest .