The Cortes of León from year 1188 was a parliamentary body in the medieval Kingdom of León. According to UNESCO it is the first documented written example of modern parliamentarism in the history of Europe.^[1]

After coming to power, King Alfonso IX, faced an attack by his two neighbours, Castile and Portugal, decided to summon the Curia regis. This was a mediæval organisation composed of aristocrats and bishops, but because of the seriousness of the situation and the need to maximise political support, Alfonso IX took the decision to also call the representatives of the urban middle class from the most important cities of the kingdom to the assembly.^[2]

However, all these meetings were exceptional and did not lead to a regular attendance of town representatives in the Curiae.

León's Cortes dealt with matters like the right to private property, the inviolability of domicile, the right to appeal to justice opposite the King and the obligation of the King to consult the Cortes before entering a war.^[3]