VENUE

The II Ibero-American Conference on Smart Cities will take place on the 7-9 of October, 2019 in the Auditorium of the University Duques de Soria Campus (Soria, Spain), with the sponsorship of the Ibero-American Program for Science and Technology Development (CYTED).

ABOUT SORIA

The Douro flows from its source in the province of Soria, welcoming the approaching visitors in the gentle lowlands of its two hills, the hill of Mirón and the hill of Castillo. Soria looks happily towards the future as it can offer its visitors the quality of life that is desired by many. Its name comes from SO (one that looks) and ORIA, from the word UR-A (river or stream of water), meaning the lookout on the river, the Douro in this case.

Soria retains its historical and medieval character. Its corners ooze with poetry and its breathtaking landscapes invite everyone to contemplate and relax in the serenity of this place. Despite this quiet, the town teems with life and is a cauldron of cultural activity with all sorts events, sports, cuisine and music.

The town is a testimony of the medieval period, the city has a remarkable collection of monuments from the Romanesque period; this includes churches, ramparts, monasteries and the medieval bridge that crosses the Douro River, it stands as an evidence of its medieval borders which it preserves until now with the help of its arches and cutwaters. The city's coat of arms also dates back to this period: a gules field, a silver castle with three battlements and the bust of a king wearing a golden crown.

There is also a range of Gothic features and noble streets with Renaissance palaces, sculpted façades, coats of arms, arches and windows with large decorative elements.

Charming Baroque churches, hermitages and convents can be admired both in the town center and on the outskirts. An outstanding hermitage is that of San Saturio, patron saint of the city. It is built over a cave located on the banks of the Douro River, where art and nature merge in a masterful way.

The long standing and barbican town of Soria is also found in the cartographic poetry, written with the ink and quill of Bécquer, Machado, Gerardo Diego and Unamuno, these authors’ words guide us on our journey through the routes of Soria.

Many slogans and titles have been attributed to Soria. The oldest slogan calls it "The Very noble and Very Loyal Town of Soria". On its coat of arms, it says “Pure Soria, the head of Extremadura". Writers also found ways to describe this place: "The well-sung Soria", "Soria, the town of Poets". Machado thought of it as "Mystical and warring", "The cold Spanish Soria, so beautiful under the moon". Soria is also known as "Saint Teresa’s Town" and in one of Saint Juan’s stanzas "Soria, the glory of Spain". We even find it in a Spanish hit song "The place hard to find (....) on the shores of the Douro (...) where do you go? I'm on my way to Soria, where I’ll find the glory I never felt before".

Dear visitor, use all your senses to discover this magnificent city. Enjoy the reddish colors of its palaces and rooftops, its amber autumn, the different shades of its green parks and the Columbia blue sky. The smells of the surrounding mountains and its pleasant summer nights. Enjoy the flavors of campfire food, butter, rashers of bacon and a wide range of edible mushrooms. The sounds of wildlife in the mountains and the music at parties. Visiting Soria is definitely an enriching and memorable experience.

VISA

To receive a visa invitation letter, send a request to luis.hernandez.callejo@uva.es with ICSC2019-VISA as email subject. Make sure to include the following information in the original email:

• Your name as it appears on the passport.
• Your current postal address.
• Your registration confirmation number.
• If you have accepted papers in the conference, provide their title and indicate if you’re the "exclusive author" or a "coauthor".

All this information is necessary and leaving out any piece of it will delay the issuing of the invitation letter. The invitation letter visa requests are answered in the order in which they are received. The PDF is an electronic signed version of the original letter which will be sent by post to the provided address. If you do not receive the letter by post in time for the visa appointment, print out your letter in PDF and take it with you.

Please, plan accordingly.