Guide turistiche

York is a historic walled city in North Yorkshire, England, at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss. Over the years it has also been known by its inhabitants as Eboracum, Eoferwic, and Jórvík.

The city was founded in AD 71 and became in turn the capital of a Roman province and of the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jorvik. After the establishment of the Kingdom of England, York was regarded as the capital of the North, and housed the Council of the North. Whilst the idea of the North being a separate province with its own capital has since disappeared from secular politics, the Church of England has retained the concept, and York remains the seat of the Archbishop of York and the capital of the Province of York. York is also the traditional county town of Yorkshire.

Traditionally the term City of York was used for the area within the city walls but the modern City of York, created on April 1, 1996, is a much larger unitary authority that includes several neighbouring parishes which formerly belonged to surrounding districts. The York urban area has a population of 137,505 while the entire unitary authority has a population of 184,900.

The historic core of the city is a major tourist destination in itself, attracting visitors from both the United Kingdom and overseas. York is also the site of several major tourist attractions, including York Minster, York Castle Museum, and the National Railway Museum. York is home to the University of York, founded in 1963, and York St John University, which was founded in 1841 and gained university status in 2006.


Etymology


The name 'York' ultimately derives from the Latin name for the city, variously rendered as Eboracum, Eburacum or Eburaci. The first known recorded mention of York by this name is dated circa 95-104 AD and is an address on a wooden stylus tablet from the Roman fortress of Vindolanda in Northumbria.[1]

The etymology of Eboracum is uncertain as the language of the indigenous population of the area was never recorded. One theory is that Eboracum is derived from the Proto-Brythonic word Eborakon which can mean "place of the yew trees" or "the field of Eburos". Efrog in Welsh, Eabhrac in Irish Gaelic, Iorc in Scottish Gaelic.The name is then thought to have been Latinized by replacing -akon with -acum. Another theory is that the language of the indigenous population was a Germanic language similar to Old English and so Eboracum is derived from eofor meaning a boar.[2][3]

The Anglo-Saxons who inhabited York in the 7th century knew it as Eoferwic. Two centuries later, as a Viking trading centre, the city was known as Jórvík.[4]

This was reduced to York in the centuries after the Norman Conquest, moving from the Middle English Yerk to Yourke in the 14th century through to Yourke in the 16th and then Yarke in the 17th century. The form York is first found in the 13th Century.[5]


History


There is archaeological evidence that Mesolithic people settled in the region where York now is from 8000/7000 BC, although it is not known if these were permanent or temporary settlements. By the time of the Roman conquest of Britain, the area was occupied by tribes known to the Romans as the Brigantes and the Parisii. The Brigantes initially became a Roman client state but later became more hostile to Rome. As a result the Roman Ninth Legion was sent north of the Humber.[6]

The city itself was founded in AD 71, when the Ninth Legion conquered the Brigantes and constructed a military fortress (castra) on flat ground above the River Ouse near its junction with the River Foss. The fortess was later rebuilt in stone, covered an area of 50 acres, and was inhabited by 6,000 soldiers. Much of the Roman fortress now lies under the foundations of York Minster, and excavations in the Minster's undercroft have revealed some of the original walls.[4][7]

The Emperors Hadrian, Septimius Severus and Constantius I all held court in York during their various campaigns. During his stay, the Emperor Severus proclaimed York capital of the province of Britannia Inferior, and it is likely that it was he who granted York the privileges of a colonia or city. Constantius I died during his stay in York, and his son Constantine the Great was proclaimed Emperor by the troops based in the fortress.[7]

In the seventh century York was the chief city of the Anglo-Saxon King Edwin of Northumbria. The first Minster church was built at this time, for the baptism of Edwin in 627. Edwin ordered that this small wooden church should be rebuilt in stone, but he was killed in 633 and the task of completing the stone Minster fell to his successor Oswald.[4][8]

In 866, Northumbria was in the midst of civil war when the Vikings raided and captured York. Under Viking rule the city became a major river port, part of the extensive Viking trading routes throughout northern Europe. The last ruler of an independent Jorvik, Eric Bloodaxe, was driven from the city in the year 965 by King Edred, completing the unification of England.[9]

In 1069, York was ravaged by William the Conqueror as part of the harrying of the North. The old Anglo-Saxon Minster was badly damaged by fire at this time, and the Normans took the decision to build a new Minster on a fresh site. Around the year 1080 Archbishop Thomas started building a cathedral that in time became the current Minster. York started to prosper again, becoming a profitable port and centre of trade, particularly in wool. King Henry I granted the city's first charter, confirming trading rights in England and Europe.[8][10]

In 1190, York was the site of an infamous pogrom of its Jewish inhabitants. The Jews sought sanctuary in Cliffords Tower, one of the city's fortifications. The mob besieged the trapped Jews for some days while preparations were made to storm the castle. Eventually a fire was started, whether by the Jews or their persecutors is uncertain, and 150 Jews lost their lives.[11]

The city underwent a period of decline during Tudor times. Under Henry VIII, the dissolution of the monasteries saw the end of the monastic houses of York, although the city continued as an ecclesiastical and social centre. Henry VIII created the Council of the North in York, and this increased in importance under Elizabeth I, leading to a revival in the city's influence.[12][13]

In 1644, during the Civil War, the Parliamentarians besieged York, but with the arrival of Prince Rupert, with an army of 15,000 men, the siege was lifted. The Parliamentarians retreated some six miles from York with Rupert in pursuit, before turning on his army and devastatingly defeating it at the Battle of Marston Moor. Of Rupert's 15,000 troops, no fewer than 4,000 were killed and 1,500 captured. The siege was renewed, but the city could not hold out for long, and on July 15 the city surrendered to Sir Thomas Fairfax.[12]

Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and the removal of the garrison from York in 1688, the city was gradually dominated by the local aristocracy and gentry. Competition from the nearby cities of Leeds and Hull resulted in York losing its preeminent position as a trading centre, but the city's role as the social and cultural centre for wealthy northerners was on the rise. York's many elegant townhouses date from this period, as do the Assembly Rooms, the Theatre Royal, and the Racecourse.[13][14]

George Hudson was responsible for bringing the railway to York in 1839. Although Hudson's career as a railway entrepreneur eventually ended in disgrace, by this time York was a major railway centre. By the turn of the century the railway accommodated the headquarters and works of the North Eastern Railway, which employed over 5,500 people in York. The railway was also instrumental in the expansion of Rowntree's Cocoa Works and Terry's Confectionery Works, who were major employers in the city.[13][15]

With the emergence of tourism as a major industry, the historic core of York became one of the city's major asset, and in 1968 it was designated a conservation area. The existing tourist attractions were supplemented by the establishment of the National Railway Museum in York in 1975. The opening of the University of York in 1963 added to the prosperity of the city. The fast and frequent railway service, which brings York within two hours journey time of London, has resulted in a number of companies opening offices in the city