THE NAME OF VALLADOLID

According to some historians, the name comes from “Valle de Lid,” a plain where pre-Roman tribes would gather to hold their contests.

Others have claimed that it comes from “Valle de Ulit,” a Moorish captain who settled here in the 8th century, although this theory now seems to have been discarded.

Another theory is that it comes from “Vallis Olivetum,” or Valley of the Olives, although, given the area’s extreme climate, it is unlikely that there were enough olive trees to give it its name.

According to experts, the most likely origin is the Celtic expression “Vallis Tolitum” or “Valley of the Waters,” given the confluence of the Pisuerga River and the Esgueva River, which in the past flowed through several tributaries.

There is also another, quite plausible theory regarding the demonym “Vallisoletano,” which is believed to originate from the Middle Ages, when the city was called “Vallisoletum” or “Valley of the Sun” due to the large number of hours of sunshine the valley receives each year.