A Brief History of
Cantabria.
Human beings have lived in Cantabria since
prehistoric times. The cave paintings of
Altamira are calculated to be fifteen thousand
years old and the existence of settlers
in this region is well attested in many
other places. Many centuries later the Cantabrians
settled there. Their fierce resistance to
the Romans resulted in their extermination.
During the Middle Ages the inhabitants of
the region acted as a rearguard for the
Reconquest and were also the founders of
the enclaves that would later become Castile.
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Together with Asturias, the region was the last
one to be dominated by the Romans, whose influence
was very superficial and restricted almost entirely
to the area of the cities they founded.
After the year 409, with the vanishing of Roman
power in the Peninsula, Cantabria recovered its
independence, which was to last until 574 with
the coming of the Visigoths, who created the Duchy
of Cantabria. This name showed it to be a geographical
area with an identity of its own, although, after
a period of confusion, it finally disappeared
during the Middle Ages when the eastern part was
absorbed into Castile and the western part in
Asturias.
Thesetting up of the province of Santander, which
took place in 1833 as a part of the territorial
reform of Spain, gave Cantabria an administrative
centre for the firt time in its history. This
gave rise to a series of initiatives throughout
the 19th century.
About the Capital of Cantabria: Santander.
SANTANDER is the capital of Cantabria. Located
on a beautiful bay and flanked by enormous beaches,
the city, well-designed and elegant, suffered
considerable damage during the great fire of 1941.
However, today, after careful reconstruction,
it can be seen to have recovered all its former
charm.
The beautiful La Magdalena Palace is the annual
site of one of the most important international
summer university programs in the world.
Its museum houses a valuable collection of paintings
from the 17th and 18th centuries. |
