Limpias: Indelible Slides “That is how I want the days of my coast: with the sun blazing, and the waves quiet, very quiet.” Jesús Cancio, Cantabrian poet ome 15,000 or 20,000 years have passed since that long ago S time when a tribe reached these Cantabrian valleys. In those IMPIAS days the tribes which travelled inland from the Cantabrian L And Its Parador coast came in search of game. The climate was very cold, almost glacial, and they lived on big game: roe deer and wild boar. Their only means of defense were spears and other basic weapons. During battles and migrations, the greatest difficulty lay in transporting the children and elderly unused to such heretofore unknown temperatures: they were the holders of the sacred fire which would ensure them heat and hot meals. Inevitably, the youngest men defended the rearguard. They had to protect themselves from the powerful northeast wind, cold and damp. When they reached the sea they found that its waters were salty, and did not quench their thirst. But at some point they found food: fallow deer, game, and from the sea, seaweed and mussels. Then they discovered fire: fertile hearths for roasting game – probably fallow deer and even an occasional bison. The fish, grilled golden brown in the embers, must have made them feel as if they were in paradise. Nor was it difficult for them to discover and find recesses, grottos, and caves in the rocks where they could set up their homes. After the first inhabitants of Santander, there came other tribes which had to fight the already established inhabitants in order to invade their territory. The area was called kent-áber, place by the sea. In the bay they fished in boats constructed from tar-covered skins stretched over willow brances. They lived in forts, and organized permanent sentry system to guard the coasts. They were very efficient and safe places. Nevertheless, nothing was enough: one day there came many, many invaders. They came well- equipped, armed with helmets and spears, and advancing to the sound of drums and trumpets. They even had machines to launch destructive stones. 1 They were no longer tribes, but very large armies fully equipped to destroy Virtually this entire area enjoys, suffers and boasts of inexpressible settlements that were brave and uncontrollable, but lacked the resources to vocations, all immensely rich. Some fish, others have their own defend themselves. Almost before the local people knew what had idiosyncrasies such as unique arts and handicrafts, singular customs which happened, the valley was soaked in blood. Rome had arrived, well- are difficult to pass on. Above all, these peaceful residents only sin by established arrogant conqueror of Europe. Navigation was organized: they cushioning the blow. Resigned but not at all mute, they say what they started by mining and transporting tin and copper and even exported think, and think before speaking. valuable malmsey and oil, to Gaul and to Britain. They are a people rich in culture and a pleasant climate, frequently Many more years passed, and the land was under German rule, at the course, but extremely hospitable. They may boast of their own icons, or service of Catholic Rome. But around the year 711, news spread of the those appropriated from others, so much so that even the Holy Inquisition death of El Cid and the loss of that early peninsular nation. came to its authority in the matter of traditions of dubious orthodoxy. Pilgrims used many pilgrimage routes through Cantabria to reach These villages are as rich as they are varied and distinct in innumerable Santiago (the Camino de Santiago). One was the coastal route, traveling everyday details. Only the traveler can distinguish between them. Cantabria from west to east, using the ancient road built by Agrippa. Another path went up the Ebro river, continuing through the Besaya Valley, from south to north. The sea routes were heavily traveled, although there was always the threat of attack by Vikings or Normans, hence the “Four Villas” (Castro, Laredo, Santander, and San Vicente) were chartered ports which played an important role. Al Isidri used the maritime route in the 12th century. Eguilior Palace: “In the 11th and 12th centuries, the Vikings and Normans raided these coasts. For the port of San Emeterio, the danger ceased to come from the Joyful south, and began to arrive from the north, via the ocean. It is speculated Twilight Sorrows that its fortifications were probably ordered by Alfonso I, precautionary measures to protect them from the Moorish cavalry.” “For Santander, the green civilized land of Santander, if it has an excess of anything, it is Alfonso VIII granted Santander a charter in 1187; he ordered the possibilities.” reconstruction of the city walls and the abbey. After that it was a city of the Crown, whose residents were free citizens, not subject to the feudal Camilo José Cela lords’ power. he marines of the Brotherhood took part in the discovery of But it was the port which gave the city its importance, and where it T America, providing naval technicians as well as money. Among showed its power. A significant expansion in trade during the 13th century the rough seamen of Cantabria, Juan de la Cosa is recognized as lead to the strengthening of the Spanish navy in the next century. This is the greatest Spanish cartographer of the 15th century, and the most where the so-called “Four Villas” (Santander, San Vicente, Laredo, and knowledgeable sailor in Spain. Christopher Columbus entrusted him with Castro Urdiales) displayed their strength and power. navigating the first voyage of discovery aboard the Santa María. Tough seafaring people, frequently whale hunters, they worked the sea In the end, it would be Felipe II who most benefited the city. It was the hard, and established important shipyards. These were times of fleeting king himself who erected the episcopal see of Santander. In 1785 the splendor. consulate was born, on the orders of Carlos III. From that time all regional trade began to expand. In Santander, the civil wars of the late Middle Ages divided families, The Peninsular War ruined these lands. But in the 19th century, creating violent confrontations. Enrique IV gave the city charter to the Cantabria was reborn with flourishing maritime trade. The port of second Marquis of Santillana in 1466, which provoked a serious outburst Santander was filled with ocean liners, and at the Magdalena Palace, of violence. the king and queen gave the city its most magnificent moments. In Cantabria everything begins and ends with the sea. 2 The villa of Limpias belongs to the eastern part of autonomous community of Cantabria. It was very important throughout the 15th century due to its location on the road to Burgos and its active port, famous for elver fishing. There still remain signs of those splendors: large houses and palaces, and the important port known as Ribero in the 16th century. From here ships departed for England and Flanders laden with iron from Cantabrian The Legend: foundries and wood from its forests, and later, filled with Castilian wheat. The Weeping Christ Limpias commemorates this history today with a unique outdoor River Museum at the end of the riverwalk.. It is always open. he legend started when, around 1919, various people believed The Parador de Limpias is located in Eguilior Palace, on the El T they saw Christ weeping: “The Christ of Limpias is weeping,” “I Castañar Estate, a perfect spot for travelers seeking rest, relaxation and have seen Christ weeping.” And so began the pilgrimage in tranquility. The forested estate is an excellent example of the green search of a miracle. It is said that the faithful pilgrims began to arrive and Cantabrian landscape, and it just calls out to walkers. You do not need to that even today, after almost two centuries, they still come to pray and be an ecologist to learn how to distinguish between the native tree species: ask the famous Christ for help. hazelnuts, oaks and chestnuts together with reforested eucalyptus, accompanied by a wide variety of birds. Another key moment in local history was when Queen Isabel the Catholic and her daughter Juana passed through on their way to Laredo, Laredo and its magnificent beaches await swimming enthusiasts nearby, where Juana was to take ship for France to be married. in the Bay of Biscay, so different from other bodies of water in color, temperature, and surf. The Bay of Biscay has been a luxury of kings, and The palace of the Counts of Limpias displays coats of arms, towers, it is still a luxury for present-day visitors. and balconies on its four floors. The House of the Picos is notable for its beauty. “In the rough terrain of Cantabria, the joy of summer, brief and unique in nature, is clothed in cheerful abandon which captivates and touches by The valley of the Asón River starts in Colindres, and the river ascends to cut across the Ruega Valley and Alisas Pass to reach the El Miera region. Once again the landscape is the protagonist. The rias of Limpias, Rada, and Argoña are like arms defending against the tide. They create enormously lush microclimates which benefit the colonies of many and varied species of vertebrates and birds. Of the migrating birds, the spoonbills are the most admired. They arrive from Holland and make a stop here before continuing their long trip to Africa. The diving marine ducks are entertaining, and normally seek shelter in the inlets. Locals tell visitors that with patience, they can easily recognize the eider duck, a bird with black, white, and green feathers and an elegant, elongated profile A Short Walk its strangeness, in a country where souls, valleys, mountains and heavens alike wear a halo of sorrow, a dreamy twilight which seems infused with to Ampuero tears and clouds by the angel of melancholy.” T he town is famous for its running of the bulls during the festival Concha Espina of its patron saint, which has become very popular.