Ávila

Ávila or Ávila de los Caballeros, city in central Spain, capital of Ávila Province, in Castile-León, on the Adaja River, near Madrid. The city is a commercial and tourist center situated in a livestock-raising region. Many fine monuments of medieval architecture remain, including a Gothic cathedral dating mostly from the 14th century and the well-preserved dark granite walls of the ancient city, with imposing gates and surmounted by many turrets, dating mainly from the 12th century. Population (2006 estimate) 53,272.