Galdames () is a valley, town and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
located in the province of
Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...
, in the autonomous community of
Basque Country, northern Spain.
Main sights are Santa Maria Magdalena and Arenaza caves, both situated in Triano mountain range and the latter containing
stalactites and rest of mining operations. Medieval Tower of Loizaga is located in Concejuelo ward, nowadays site of a museum of classic automobiles.
Neighborhoods
Galdames is administratively divided into 8 neighborhoods or wards:
* Atxuriaga (La Aceña).
* Concejuelo.
* Humaran.
* Larrea.
* Montellano.
* San Esteban Galdames.
* San Pedro Galdames.
* Txabarri.
History
The town of Galdames was first mentioned in a document dating to 1214. During the Middle Ages, Galdames was the home of various important lords and their families. The towers of the local Loizaga, Atxurriaga and Larrea people bear witness to this.
The Council of Galdames claimed the right to be a member of the
Lordship of Biscay
The Lordship of Biscay ( es, Señorío de Vizcaya, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. On ...
, which it received in 1672. In 1740 the council separated from the Lordship of Biscay before rejoining in 1800.
During the
First Carlist War
The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Spanish monarchy: the conservative and devolutionist ...
, the followers of
Baldomero Espartero burned the forests surrounding San Pedro Galdames. From the 19th to mid-20th centuries, the town prospered due to the mineral wealth located beneath the valley.
In 1946, a group of
Maquis returned from the Cantabrian mountains to Bizkaia and constructed a sheltered in the cave of
Uraiaga and the surrounding mines.
Makiak Boluetan (1946)
/ref>
Demography
References
Municipalities in Biscay
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