Ruta de la Plata

Significant archaeological sites from the Chalcolithic age have been unearthed in the soil beneath Benavente. It is mentioned in Roman times in the itinerary of Antonino de Brigecio, though not situated in the actual site of Benavente, but in a place near to its current location.

In the middle of the 12th century, the Town received the name of Malgrat and appears linked to the process of resettlement undertaken by the monarchs of León. Fernando II, King of León, grants the town its charter in 1167, with the Cortes (Courts) meeting there in 1202 in the period of Alfonso IX. In 1230, it is the scene of the definitive union of the Kingdoms of León and Castille in the agreement known as the Convenio de Benavente.

The subsequent history of the town is interwoven with that of its lords and masters. From 1398 it becomes the head of an extensive county under the demesne of the Pimentel family.

During the War of Independence, the foundations of Benavente and its fortress were shaken by the attacks of the Napoleonic troops, which affected many of its principal buildings. In the 19th and beginnings of the 20th centuries, the local bourgeoisie played a notable political and economic role within the framework of the Restoration. In 1920, it was granted the title of City by Alfonso XIII. Due to its situation and dynamism, Benavente and its surrounding area is nowadays seen as one of the driving forces of provincial and regional development.