Torrelavega ( Cantabrian: ''Torlavega'') is a

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 ...

and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province

Autonomous Community eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

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 situated roughly 8 kilometres from the

Cantabrian Coast Cantabrian Coast is the name given to a lush natural region in Northern Spain, stretching along the Atlantic coast from the Portugal–Spain border, border with Portugal to the France–Spain border, border with France. The region includes nearl ...

and 27.5 kilometres from the capital of the Autonomous Community,

Santander Santander may refer to: Places * Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain * Santander Department, a department of Colombia * Santander State, former state of Colombia * Santander de Quilichao, a m ...

, half way between the

Principality of Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensiv ...

and the Basque Country. The rivers Saja and flow through the city. It is the capital of the

comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...

(county, but with no administrative role) of

Valle del Besaya The Besaya valley ( es, Valle del Besaya) is both a comarca located in the center of Cantabria, along the course of the Besaya River, and the natural valley of said river. Its capital is Torrelavega Torrelavega ( Cantabrian: ''Torlavega'') is a m ...

which includes also composed of the municipalities of

Suances Suances is a municipality in Cantabria Province, Spain. :es:Anexo:Municipios de Cantabria Geography Suances is located in the central coast of Cantabria, in the Ría de San Martín de la Arena, where the rivers Saja and Besaya flow to the Cant ...

, Polanco,

Cartes Cartes is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2009 census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. ...

Los Corrales de Buelna Los Corales de Buelna 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 ...

, Cieza,

Arenas de Iguña Arenas de Iguña is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given p ...

Bárcena de Pie de Concha Bárcena de Pie de Concha is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of ...

Molledo Molledo is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a histo ...

Anievas Anievas is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 12.919 inhabitants. Its capital is Cotillo. Towns * Barriopalacio * Cotillo (Capital) *Calga Calga ...

and

San Felices de Buelna San Felices de Buelna is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad históric ...

. Its highest point is 606 metres and its lowest point is 12 metres. Torrelavega is a regional center for industry and transport, and its weekly livestock fair is famous in Spain. Its stadium is known as El Malecon. The

Cave of Altamira The Cave of Altamira (; es, Cueva de Altamira ) is a cave complex, located near the historic town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain. It is renowned for prehistoric cave art featuring charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contem ...

, famed for the prehistoric paintings found inside, is about 10 kilometers northwest of the city.

History

Torrelavega was founded at the end of the thirteenth century by Garci Lasso de la Vega I (the elder), Adelantado Mayor of the

Kingdom of Castile The Kingdom of Castile (; es, Reino de Castilla, la, Regnum Castellae) was a large and powerful state on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region. It began in the 9th cent ...

in the name of King Alfonso XI of Castile. Its current name is due to the contraction of the original

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

of "Torre de la Vega". The Castle or Tower of the Vega's was built by Leonor Lasso de la Vega, daughter of Garci Lasso de la Vega II, the younger, and mother of the

Íñigo López de Mendoza, marqués de Santillana Inigo derives from the Castilian rendering (Íñigo) of the medieval Basque name Eneko. Ultimately, the name means "my little (love)". While mostly seen among the Iberian diaspora, it also gained a limited popularity in the United Kingdom. Ear ...

in order to administer the tax and privilege due in the family's territory. The name of the

is derived from the Astur-Leonese ''Bisalia'', which in turn derives from the Celtic, Bis-salia (the second Salia or Saja) from the two rivers that flow through the city. Torrelavega was an important agricultural hub in the

since medieval times. Continuous population growth and industrial development enabled Torrelavega to attain city status in 1895 from the Queen Regent Maria Christina of Bourbon, Princess of the Two Sicilies. The city is home to the main seat of the Spanish

anarcho-syndicalist Anarcho-syndicalism is a political philosophy and anarchist school of thought that views revolutionary industrial unionism or syndicalism as a method for workers in capitalist society to gain control of an economy and thus control influence i ...

labor union the

Confederación Nacional del Trabajo The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( en, National Confederation of Labor; CNT) is a Spanish confederation of anarcho-syndicalist Anarcho-syndicalism is a political philosophy and anarchist school of thought that views revolutionar ...

Geography

Divisions

* Barreda * Campuzano * Duález * Ganzo *

La Montaña ''La Montaña'' ('The Mountain') was a revolutionary socialist periodical published in Argentina. The newspaper was directed by José Ingenieros and Leopoldo Lugones. The first issue was published on April 1, 1897. The first issue opened with a man ...

* Sierrapando * Tanos *Torrelavega (Metro) *

Torres Torres may refer to: People *Torres (surname), a Spanish and Portuguese surname *Torres (musician), singer-songwriter Mackenzie Scott **Torres (album), ''Torres'' (album), 2013 self-titled album by Torres Places Americas *Torres, Colorado, an un ...

* Viérnoles

Neighborhoods within the Metropolitan Area

*La Inmobiliaria *El Barrio de Sorravides *El Barrio Covadonga *La Nueva Ciudad *El Zapatón *El Poblado

Neighboring municipalities

*North:

Santillana del Mar Santillana del Mar () is a historic town situated in Cantabria, Spain. Its many historic buildings attract thousands of holidaymakers every year. There is an old saying that Santillana del Mar is ''The Town of Three Lies'', since it is neither a ...

and Polanco. *South:

and

. *East:

Piélagos Piélagos 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 Stat ...

and Puente Viesgo. *West:

Reocín Reocín is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , nation ...

and

Notable people

Óscar Freire Óscar Freire Gómez (born 15 February 1976) is a former Spanish professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbe ...

, spanish cyclist. * Juanjo Cobo, spanish cyclist. *

Dani Sordo Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born 2 May 1983) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland. Career Sordo began in motocross wh ...

, Rally Driver.

Twin towns – sister cities

Torrelavega is twinned with: *

Louga Louga ( ar, لوجا; Wolof: Luga) is a town in northwestern Senegal. Louga is a cattle market centre, and has road and rail links with the port city of Saint-Louis to the northwest and Dakar to the southwest. The area surrounding Louga is ...

, Senegal *

Old Havana Old Havana ( es, link=no, La Habana Vieja) is the city-center (downtown) and one of the 15 municipalities (or boroughs) forming Havana, Cuba. It has the second highest population density in the city and contains the core of the original city of ...

, Cuba *

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the Ga ...

, France *

Zug , neighboring_municipalities = Cham, Baar, Walchwil, Steinhausen, Unterägeri , twintowns = Fürstenfeld (Austria), Kalesija (Bosnia-Herzegowina) Zug (Standard German: , Alemannic German: ; french: Zoug it, Zugo r ...

, Western Sahara

References

External links

Ayuntamiento de Torrelavega
* http://www.oviedo.es/index.php/es/la-ciudad/ciudades-hermanadas Oviedo´s sister city is Torrevieja, not Torrelavega. * http://www.eldiariomontanes.es/20110324/local/torrelavega-besaya/torrelavega-louga-hermanas-201103241319.html {{authority control Municipalities in Cantabria