Valdeolea () is a municipality in

Cantabria Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the east ...

, northern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is located in a hill region crossed by the

Camesa The Camesa is a river located in the north of Spain, a tributary of the Pisuerga. It rises in the province of Palencia in the municipio of Brañosera. It runs briefly through the region of Cantabria, where gives its name to a Site of Community ...

river and its numerous affluents. It is formed by 19 towns and villages: Barriopalacio, Bercedo, Camesa, Castrillo del Haya, Cuena, El Haya, Las Henestrosas de las Quintanillas, Hoyos, La Loma, Mata de Hoz, Mataporquera, Matarrepudio, Olea, La Quintana, Las Quintanillas, Rebolledo, Reinosilla, San Martín de Hoyos e Santa Olalla. Metaporquera is the largest of them, with some 1,000 inhabitants, and also the municipal seat. The municipal territory is home to eight

menhir A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be foun ...

s, located on the left bank of the Camesa in the Monte Omeda site. It also houses remains from the Roman age and the Middle Ages. Also notable is the Romanesque churches of ''Santa Eulalia la Toma'' (1176), ''Santa Maria de las Henestrosas de las Quintanilla'' (12th century), and ''Santa Maria'' (at Olea), modified in the 16th-17th centuries.

References

External links

History of Valdeolea
Municipalities in Cantabria {{Cantabria-geo-stub