León highlights unique administrative system at first Gran Concejo

The Instituto Leonés de Cultura, an entity attached to the Diputación de León, organized the first ‘Gran Concejo’ to highlight the unique administrative system of the province of León. The province holds the highest number of minor local entities in Spain, known as ‘juntas vecinales’. These entities manage specific assets, including forest heritage, buildings, pastures, and woods, a system described as unique compared to most other Spanish territories.

The event, held at the Museo de los Pueblos de Mansilla de las Mulas, brought together approximately 300 representatives from various regions including Bierzo, Cabrera, Cepeda, Maragatería, Omaña, and the Páramo. The gathering included institutional and educational sessions alongside cultural festivities featuring traditional music, local wrestling, and various forms of ‘bolos’.

The Diputación emphasized its mission to defend, maintain, and promote this peculiar administrative system, ensuring that its traditions and rights are preserved and shared among its representatives.