Palencia is a city and a municipality, capital of the province of the same name, in the Autonomous Community of Castile and Leon. Its municipality covers an area of 94,95 square kilometres, including the hamlet of Paredes del Monte, and has a population of 76,331 inhabitants (INE 2023). The city of Palencia is situated 749 metres above sea level, on the Submeseta Norte, and is crossed by the river Carrión and a branch of the Canal de Castilla.

It is the main commercial and administrative centre of the province and one of the main industrial centres of  Castile and Leon. Its economy is currently based on the service sector, although the agri-food, automobile and construction materials industries are still very important.

It was the seat of the first university of Spain, the Estudium Generale, founded in 1221. The city of Palencia was declarated an Asset of Cultural Interest with the category of historical site in 2018 (BOE, Acuerdo 18/2018).