Santander () is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. It is a port city located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao with a population of 172,000 (2017). It is believed to have been a port since ancient times, due to its favorable location, and is documented as far back as the 11th century. Much of the medieval city was lost in the Great Fire of 1941. Today, its remaining old town, beach and other attractions are popular with tourists and other visitors and its economy is mainly service based. The port is still very active and a regular ferry service operates to the United Kingdom. Fish and seafood dominate the local cuisine. Santander notably houses the headquarters of multinational bank Banco Santander, which was founded there. The city has a mild climate typical of the Spanish northern coastline with frequent rainfall and stable temperatures. Cold snaps and heat waves are very rare.

History

Origins, Roman period and Middle Ages

The origin of the earliest human settlements in the current Santander is not easy to establish because there is little written and archaeological data. However, there would appear to be good practical reasons for ancient settlers to have chosen the north side of the bay, sheltered from it and safer from the storms of the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...

, on the north side of the promontory of Somorrostro and along the ancient Becedo estuary. Moreover, the hillside provided good visibility for spotting potential attackers, making this the ideal place for the foundation of a stable settlement, which was to evolve throughout the Middle Ages. Although it is mentioned for the first time in 1068, in a draft document made by King Sancho II, in the 9th century

Alfonso II the Chaste Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...

founded the Abbey of the Holy Bodies in the existing chapel on the hill of Somorrostro, housing as holy relics the heads of

Saint Emeterius :''Another Saint Emeterius is associated with the legend of Saint Severus of Barcelona.'' Saints Emeterius (or Hemeterius, Madir) and Celedonius ( es, San Emeterio y San Celedonio; la, Emeterius et Caeledonius; died 300 AD) are venerated as saint ...

and

Saint Celedonius :''Another Saint Emeterius is associated with the legend of Saint Severus of Barcelona.'' Saints Emeterius (or Hemeterius, Madir) and Celedonius ( es, San Emeterio y San Celedonio; la, Emeterius et Caeledonius; died 300 AD) are venerated as saint ...

and the graves of other unknown martyrs, giving the abbey its name.

Alfonso VIII of Castile Alfonso VIII (11 November 11555 October 1214), called the Noble (''El Noble'') or the one of Las Navas (''el de las Navas''), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army at ...

granted the city a '' fuero'' (charter) in 1187. Santcivitatis

During the 12th and 13th centuries the population was contained within the walls of two different pueblas. La Puebla, the older, on the hill overlooking the city facing the bay, included the old castle, the Abbey of the Holy Bodies and the cloister. It had three rows of houses, separated by Rua Carnicerias and Rua Mayor, where the homes of prominent people of the town were, as well as those of the Abbot's canons. Meanwhile, the Puebla Nueva contained the convent of Santa Clara and San Francisco, which gave its name to one of the main streets; other important streets were the Rua de la Sal, The cavalcade Palace, Ribera, Don Gutierre, Puerta de la Sierra, Gallows and the Arcillero Rua. The two pueblas were joined by a bridge over the river that divided Becedo and flowed down to the shipyards, which were ordered by the king to take timber from the Cantabrian forests for shipbuilding. The villa was required to give the monarchy a ship per year. By the end of the 15th century Santander had a population of about 4,000 or 5,000 inhabitants. The city owes its existence to the excellent harbour of the Bay of Santander. Santander was an important port for Castile in the later Middle Ages, and also for trade with the New World. It officially became a city in 1755.

''Cabo Machichaco'' explosions

On 3 November 1893 a steamship, , caught fire while she was being unloaded at a pier in the heart of the city. A crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 people watched as crew and firefighters fought the fire. About 40 tonnes of dynamite being carried in her forward holds exploded, killing about 590 people, injuring about 2,000, sinking the ship and destroying at least 65 buildings near the harbour. On 21 March 1894 a

salvage diver Salvage diving is the diving work associated with the recovery of all or part of ships, their cargoes, aircraft, and other vehicles and structures which have sunk or fallen into water. In the case of ships it may also refer to repair work done to m ...

working to salvage cargo from ''Cabo Machichaco''s wreck accidentally detonated about 11 tonnes of dynamite that were submerged in the after hold of the ship. 18 people were killed and 11 injured.

Great Fire of 1941

Santander fell victim to a great fire in 1941. Fanned by a strong south wind, the fire burned for two days. The fire started in Cádiz Street, next to the harbour, the Cathedral and the medieval quarter. The fire destroyed the Old Town Hall, Jesús de Monasterio and Vargas streets and Atarazanas square buildings. It led to a major change in the architecture of Santander, away from the older small stone and wood buildings with balconies to the enormous blocks of flats built during the reconstruction. There was only one casualty of the fire, a firefighter from Madrid killed in the line of duty, but thousands of families were left homeless and the city was plunged into chaos. The fire destroyed the greater part of the medieval town centre and gutted the city's Romanesque cathedral.

Geography

The city is located on the northern side of the Bay of Santander. Vista aérea de la Bahía de Santander

Climate

The city of Santander has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

( Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''), the annual thermal oscillation of the average monthly temperatures reaching around 10 °C (18 °F). The maximum temperature reached in Santander Airport was on 27 June 2009, and the minimum temperature on 21 January 1957. The warmest maximum daytime average for a month was in August 2003, with . Warm months (mean above ) are however rare. The warmest temperature recorded in downtown is in August 1940. Sunshine hours are very low by comparison with the rest of mainland and southern Spain. Even compared with other areas of northern Spain, such as

Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...

, which have much more sunshine hours in coastal cities such as Vigo or Pontevedra. With just around 1650 hours of sunshine, Santander's southern areas are about as sunny as London and Paris, and quite a bit less sunny than most of England's south coastal regions. The area closer to the coast has higher sunshine time but lower summer afternoon temperatures.

Tourism and sights

The bars and restaurants of the old town are popular with tourists, as well as the El Sardinero beach a couple of kilometres away. The Cathedral of Santander: The lower temple, called "cripta del Cristo" was built around 1200 on other earlier Roman buildings. It is long and wide, organised into three naves. Its style is a transition from Romanesque to

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

. The Lighthouse of Cabo Mayor presides over the entrance to the Bay of Santander. Parque de la Vaguada de las Llamas is one of the largest parks in northern Spain, covering of the city. Santander is pilot for a Smart city. It is embedded with 12,000 sensors. File:Santander - Catedral 13.jpg, Santander Cathedral File:Santander - beach 4.jpg, Beach of El Sardinero File:Campeonato Mundial de J80 en Santander 2009 01.jpg, Mouro Island File:Palacio de la Magdalena 3.jpg, La Magdalena royal palace File:Playa Del Camello 2.jpg, Playa del Camello File:Cantabria. Santander. Palacete del Embarcadero. Paseo de Pereda. Spain (2745625131).jpg, Palacio del Embarcadero File:Fachada Este Hotel Real.jpg, Hotel Real

Politics and government

The People's Party were the leading party in the municipal elections of 1999, 2003 and 2007.

Economy

As a service centre at the regional level, Santander contains important public institutions and private organisations with a large number of employees, including

Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital The Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, mainly known as ''Valdecilla,'' is a general hospital located in the city of Santander, Cantabria, in Spain. History The Valdecilla Health House was founded by the end of the first third of the 2 ...

, the University of Cantabria and Grupo Santander. Activities related to culture, leisure and tourism are an important part of the city's economy, and the regional and municipal authorities look to augment the summer tourist trade with additional offerings, including conventions, conferences, cultural festivals and cruises. Banco Santander, Spain's largest bank and corporation, has had its legal headquarters located in the city since its foundation.

Transport

There are ferry services to and from Portsmouth and

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

in the United Kingdom and

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

in Ireland, all operated by Brittany Ferries. Santander railway station serves three million annual passengers. The city is served by the Seve Ballesteros–Santander Airport (SDR), located south of the city centre.

Education

* University of Cantabria is the largest university in Cantabria. *

European University of the Atlantic The European University of the Atlantic ( es, Universidad Europea del Atlántico), or UNEATLANTICO, is a private Spanish university located in the Scientific and Technological Park of Cantabria (PCTCAN), in the city of Santander, Cantabria. Thi ...

is a private university founded in 2013. *

Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo Universidad (Spanish for "university") may refer to: Places * Universidad, San Juan, Puerto Rico * Universidad (Madrid) Football clubs * Universidad SC, a Guatemalan football club that represents the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala ...

(UIMP) specializes in teaching Spanish and culture to foreign students. *

Central Library of Cantabria Cantabria Central Library ( es, Biblioteca Central de Cantabria) is a library in the city of Santander, in Cantabria, Spain. It was known as the State Public Library of the city of Santander, although on March 23, 1999, it was declared by decree as ...

, founded in 1839

Culture

Santander has a great tradition and cultural activity, with events that play an important role in cultural and social life of the city. UIMP is a major international summer university and organizes large festivals of music and

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

. The Festival Internacional de Santander (FIS), Festival Internacional de Música de Órgano (FiMÓC), Encuentro de Música y Academia and the Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition are main cultural events.

Diet

Santander's

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

is characteristic of Cantabria in that it is based mainly on

seafood Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...

. Popular

shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...

include ''almejas'' ( clams) and ''navajas'' ( razor clams); fish include seabream, red mullet, anchovies,

seabass Sea bass is a common name for a variety of different species of marine fish. Many fish species of various families have been called sea bass. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the fish sold and consumed as sea bass is exclusively the European b ...

and sardines; and

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

and

cuttlefish Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...

are also commonly eaten. Some typical dishes from the city of Santander are the fried calamari called ''rabas'', double donuts, bean stew called '' cocido montañés'', and

dishes ranging from

and sardine to products such as ''morguera''.

Notable people

Historical figures

* Francisco Marroquin (1499–1563), first bishop of Guatemala and provisional Governor of Guatemala *

Toribio de Peñalva Toribio de Peñalva (c.1606-c.1685) was a Spanish military man, who served during the Viceroyalty of Peru as Alcalde de la hermandad and Public procurator, Procurator General of Buenos Aires. Biography He was born in Piélagos, Santander, Spain ...

(c.1606-c.1685), Spanish military man, Procurator General of Buenos Aires during the Viceroyalty of Peru * Manuel Pardo (1774–?), a Spanish soldier, the Interim Governor of Spanish Texas in 1817 *

José de Madrazo y Agudo José Sotero de Madrazo y Agudo (22 April 1781 – 8 May 1859) was a Spanish painter and engraver; one of the primary exponents of the Neoclassical style in Spain. He was the patriarch of a family of artists that included his sons Federico ...

(1781–1859), a Spanish painter and engraver, an exponent of the Neoclassical

19th century

* Jenaro Quesada, 1st Marquis of Miravalles (1818–1889) Grandee of Spain and Spanish soldier *

José Antonio Mijares José Antonio Mijares (1819–1847) was a Mexican Army Lieutenant who led the Mexican resistance force against the American garrison of San José del Cabo in the Battle of San José del Cabo where he was killed leading the assault. Early life Jos ...

(1819–1847) a Mexican Army Lieutenant who led the Mexican resistance force against the American garrison of San José del Cabo in the

Battle of San José del Cabo The Battle of San José del Cabo was a military engagement of the Mexican–American War which took place on two November days in 1847, after the fall of Mexico City. Background On 21 July, 115 men from the Seventh Regiment of New York Voluntee ...

* Rafael Izquierdo y Gutiérrez (1820–1883) a Spanish Military Officer, politician, and statesman; Governor-General of the Philippines from 1871 to 1873 * Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola (1831–1888) a Spanish jurist, amateur archaeologist, owned the land of the Cave of Altamira * Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo (1856–1912) a Spanish scholar, historian and literary critic. * Francisco Iturrino (1864–1924) a Spanish Post-impressionist painter of Basque ancestry, sometimes called a Fauvist *

Concha Espina María de la Concepción Jesusa Basilisa Rodríguez-Espina y García-Tagle, short form Concha Espina (15 April 1869 or 1877 or 1 April 1879 or 15 April 1879 in Santander – 19 May 1955 in Madrid), was a Spanish writer. She was nominated for ...

(c.1877–1955) a Spanish writer nominated for a

Nobel prize in literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

25 times in nine years *

Marcial Solana González-Camino Marcial Augusto Justino Solana González-Camino (1880–1958) was a Spanish scholar, writer and politician. In science he is best known as historian of philosophy and author of a monumental work on 16th century Spanish thinkers, though he contrib ...

(1880–1958) a Spanish scholar, writer and politician; historian of philosophy *

María Gutiérrez Blanchard Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...

(1881–1932) a Spanish painter, developed a unique style of

Cubism Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...

* Ángel Herrera Oria (1886–1968) a Spanish journalist, Roman Catholic politician and later a cardinal * Gerardo Diego (1896–1987) a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27

20th century

* Emilio Botín (1903–1993), a Spanish banker, the chairman of Santander Group from 1950 to 1986 * José Luis Zamanillo (1903–1980), a

Traditionalist Traditionalism is the adherence to traditional beliefs or practices. It may also refer to: Religion * Traditional religion, a religion or belief associated with a particular ethnic group * Traditionalism (19th-century Catholicism), a 19th–cen ...

politician and leader of Carlist paramilitary Requeté structures * Francisco de Borbón y Borbón (1912–1995), a Spanish aristocrat, Lieutenant General of the cavalry in the Spanish army * Matilde Camus (1919–2012), a Spanish poet who also wrote non-fiction *

Elena Quiroga Elena Quiroga de Abarca (Santander, October 26, 1921 – Corunna, October 3, 1995) was a Spanish writer. Elena Quiroga was renowned for her narrative prose work. She was considered one of the most prominent women of her time, mostly because she ...

(1921–1995), Spanish writer, explored the themes of childhood and adolescence *

Daniel Gil Daniel Gil Pila was one of the leading Spanish graphic designers of the 20th century. Born in Santander, Daniel Gil studied in the Academy of Fine Arts of Madrid. In the early 1950s, he attended the Ulm School of Design, where he was a disci ...

(1930–2004), one of the leading Spanish

graphic designer A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography, or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, ...

s of the 20th century * Emilio Botín (1934–2014), a Spanish banker, executive chairman of Spain's Grupo Santander *

Juan Carlos Calderon ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of '' John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanis ...

(1938–2012), a Spanish singer-songwriter and musician *

Álvaro Pombo Álvaro Pombo García de los Ríos (born 23 June 1939) is a Spanish poet, novelist and activist. Born in Santander, Cantabria, he studied at the Complutense University of Madrid and received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy at Birkbeck, Univers ...

(born 1939), a Spanish poet, novelist and activist * Juan Navarro Baldeweg (born 1939), architect and professor at the

Superior Technical School of Architecture of Madrid The Higher Technical School of Architecture of Madrid ( es, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid, ETSAM) is the school of architecture of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Spain. It trains future architects and grants the ...

Alfonso Vallejo Alfonso Rodríguez Vallejo (19 August 1943 – 3 December 2021) was a Spanish playwright, poet, Painting, painter and neurologist. He had published 34 plays and 25 poetry books. Vallejo was awarded the Lope de Vega prize in 1976 for his play "E ...

(born 1943), playwright, poet, painter and neurologist *

Germán Gullón Germán Gullón (Santander, May 21, 1945), literary critic and writer, is a professor of Spanish literature and member of the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis at the University of Amsterdam. He has authored, beside his scholarly works and ...

(born 1945), literary critic, writer and professor of Spanish literature at the University of Amsterdam *

Domingo Sarrey Domingo Sarrey ( Santander, Cantabria, Spain 1948) is a visual artist and video artist. His first video art piece was generated in the Computing Centre of Madrid Complutense University in 1968, while studying physics, although he had already car ...

(born 1948), a visual artist and video artist. *

José Antonio Rodríguez Vega José Antonio Rodríguez Vega (3 December 1957 – 24 October 2002), nicknamed ''El Mataviejas'' (The Old Lady Killer), was a Spanish serial killer who raped and killed at least 16 elderly women, ranging in age from 61 to 93 years old, in and ar ...

(1957–2002), nicknamed ''El Mataviejas'' (The Old Lady Killer), was a Spanish serial killer who raped and killed at least 16 elderly women in and around Santander between August 1987 and April 1988 *

Álvaro Longoria Álvaro Longoria (born 1968 in Santander, Cantabria, Spain) is a film director, executive producer, and actor. He produces indie films for several distributors including Cinema Libre and Morena Films. He is perhaps best known for producing the f ...

(born 1968), a film director, executive producer and actor

Athletes

* Marcos Alonso Imaz (1933–2012), nicknamed Marquitos, was a Spanish footballer, 272 pro appearances *

José Pérez Francés José Pérez Francés (27 December 1936 – 30 September 2021) was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist. He finished four times on the podium of Vuelta a España and won three stages, although he never won the overall classification. He ...

(born 1936), a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist *

Francisco Javier Aguilar Garcia Francisco Javier Aguilar García (26 March 1949 – 11 May 2020) was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a forward. Club career Born in Santander, Aguilar started his career with local Racing de Santander, making his senior debut a ...

(born 1949), a Spanish retired professional footballer 300 pro appearances *

Seve Ballesteros Severiano Ballesteros Sota (; 9 April 1957 – 7 May 2011) was a Spanish professional golfer, a World No. 1 who was one of the sport's leading figures from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. A member of a gifted golfing family, he won 90 inte ...

(1957–2011), a Spanish professional golfer and World No. 1 * Quique Setién (born 1958), a Spanish retired footballer, 518 pro appearances, former coach of FC Barcelona * Marcos Alonso Peña (born 1959), a Spanish retired footballer, and a current coach, 309 pro appearances * Iván Helguera (born 1975), a Spanish football player, 326 pro appearances * Pedro Munitis (born 1975), a Spanish football player, 475 pro appearances * Iván de la Peña (born 1976), a Spanish football player, 331 pro appearances *

Mario Bermejo Mario Bermejo Castanedo (born 7 October 1978) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a striker. A veteran in the Segunda División, he amassed totals of 267 games and 73 goals for eight clubs over nine seasons. In La Liga h ...

(born 1978), a Spanish retired professional footballer, 546 pro appearances * Ruth Beitia (born 1979), high jumper, gold medallist at the 2016 Olympic Games *

Gonzalo Colsa Gonzalo Colsa Albendea (born 2 April 1979) is a Spanish retired footballer who usually played as a central midfielder. He amassed La Liga totals of 340 matches and 29 goals over 14 seasons, representing in the competition Racing de Santander (t ...

(born 1979), a Spanish retired footballer 394 pro appearances

Sports

Racing de Santander is the main

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team in the city, playing their home games at the

Campos de Sport de El Sardinero Campos de Sport de El Sardinero ("El Sardinero Sport Fields"), or simply El Sardinero, is a multi-purpose stadium in Santander, Spain, Santander, Spain. It is currently used mostly for association football, football matches, serving as the home gr ...

. Some elite teams of Santander: File:Santander.Palacio.de.Deportes.jpg, Palacio de Deportes in El Sardinero next to the

File:Santander - panoramio (57).jpg, Sporting marina in Puertochico File:Cabo Menor.jpg, Mataleñas municipal golf fields, in Cape Menor

References

;Citations ;Bibliography *

Bibliography

External links

Official tourism website
*
Webcams de Santander y Cantabria
nbsp;— Live webcams Santander and Cantabria.
Ayuntamiento de Santander
nbsp;— Official website of the Santander City Council (In Spanish).
Webcam en Puertochico
nbsp;— Live webcam of Santander's Puertochico district. {{Authority control Municipalities in Cantabria Port cities and towns on the Spanish Atlantic coast Populated coastal places in Spain