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 Studium 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).

The lack of housing during the post-war period and population growth due to rural emigration led to large urban developments, led by the Obra Sindical del Hogar y Arquitectura, which led to the emergence of new neighbourhoods, such as the Casas del Hogar in the Barriada del Carmen, the current Barrio San Juanillo or Ave María, and housing groups such as those known as José Villagrá, Santa Bárbara or of the Parque Móvil de los Ministerios.

During this period, important educational and welfare facilities were built. Among the former, the construction of publicly promoted centres stands out, such as the Ave María, Pan y Guindas and Sofía Tartilán schools in the social housing neighbourhoods, as well as a large number of schools promoted by religious congregations, such as the so-called Blanca de Castilla, La Salle or Santo Ángel, among others.

In terms of healthcare buildings, the most important were the current Hospital Río Carrión, the Clínica Nuestra Señora de la Salud and the Hospital San Telmo. Likewise, the construction of headquarters and delegations for the main organisations, such as the Edificio del Instituto Provincial de Higiene, or the one for the Delegación de Hacienda, as well as cultural buildings, such as the Casa de la Cultura, or sports buildings, such as the Pabellón Municipal, acquired notable importance.