01
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Regina Coeli Convent
Former convent that houses the Diocesan Museum, with a collection of religious art. It is part of the monumental heritage of the medieval town.
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Points of interest in Santillana del Mar (EN)
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02
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Peredo Barreda Palace - Caja Cantabria Cultural Center
It belonged to the noble Peredo-Barreda families of the town, in which the position of Merino fell on many occasions. It was built in the early eighteenth century, next to the Gothic house of the lineage, with money from Mexico. It has a park with interesting botanical species, an important art collection and is the venue for congresses and important temporary exhibitions.
03
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Casa de los Villa
Characteristic construction of the urban architecture of the XVIII century. In the middle of this century it belonged to Don Francisco Antonio Pantaleón de Villa. Its arms share the barracks with those of the Cos, Bracho and Bustamante families.
04
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Casas del Águila y la Parra
Two historic buildings that house exhibitions and interpretation centers. They are a reference of the civil architecture of Santillana and are the venue for cultural activities.
05
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Plaza Mayor and Torre del Merino
Administrative center of the town with the Town Hall. The Torre del Merino presides over the square, one of the symbols of civil power in the Middle Ages. Ideal starting point to walk the streets of Santillana.
06
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Tower of Don Borja
It was built in the 15th century and enlarged in the 16th century. It owes its name to D. Francisco de Borja Barreda, last holder of the estate of this family in the 19th century. It consists of two volumes joined by an inner courtyard, and was restored in 1981 to become the headquarters of the "Fundación Santillana", which currently uses it as a cultural center with important exhibitions.
07
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Valdivieso Palace
Built in the first half of the 18th century. It is known as the house of the Valdivieso in the Cadastre of the Marques de la Ensenada in 1753, showing its coat of arms. Its current function is as a hotel.
08
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House of Doña Leonor de la Vega
The construction is attributed to Leonor de la Vega, mother of the Marquis of Santillana, Don Iñigo López de Mendoza. It is a building dating from the late fifteenth century, and has been restored to house the current hotel.
09
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Casa de los Hombrones
Baroque house built at the end of the XVII century. It owes its name to the two soldiers holding their arms and the motto "Un buen morir es onra de la vida" (A good death is a sign of life).
10
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House of the Abbots
Originally this house belonged to the Abbots of the Collegiate. Later and according to the Cadastre of the Marquis de la Ensenada in 1753 it was owned by Don Pedro A. Barreda Bracho. It must have been built at the end of the 17th century. At present it is known as the House of the Archduchess, for having been the residence of the Archduchess Margarita of Austria and Borbón, daughter of the Archdukes Salvador and Blanca, emigrated from their country at the fall of their empire.
11
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Quevedo and Cossio's Manor House
It is located in the street of the River in front of the trough or washhouse. It is actually two houses (which are now one), and attached to each other forming a square, built in the late seventeenth century. The most outstanding feature of the building, in addition to the ashlar masonry, is the tunnel with stone arches that crosses the building to serve as a drainage to the trough and stream, from which the street takes its name.
12
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Collegiate Church of Santillana del Mar
The transformation of the old monastery into a collegiate church - when the Benedictine rule that governed it was changed to that of the Order of Canons of St. Augustine - took place in the middle of the 12th century, when the present church was built in Romanesque style, which is the largest in the Cantabrian cornice. Its structure of three apses and three naves follows the model of Frómista (Palencia) and of the international Romanesque that penetrates into Castile through the Camino de Santiago. The sculpture of its arcade, capitals and corbels evoke the fundamental themes of medieval religiosity, in particular the struggle between Good and Evil, and the need for penance and forgiveness to be saved from the pains of hell. This message is shown through allegories and animal symbols (lions, pelicans, doves, crows, snakes, goats...) and plant symbols (apples, ferns, acanthus, lilies, vines, grapes, pineapples...) as well as some human scenes. In the center of the transept stands the tomb of Saint Juliana, whose relics are kept in the chest of the altarpiece with the coats of arms of the Casa de la Vega.
13
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Velarde Palace
One of the most outstanding buildings of the town, in the Plaza de las Arenas, a quiet and less crowded area. An example of the noble architecture that characterizes the historic center of Santillana del Mar.
14
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Altamira Cave and Museum
The Altamira Cave, discovered by Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola in 1879, is located in the grounds of the Altamira Museum on one of the hills that surround the secluded and pleasant valley that shelters the universal town of Santillana del Mar. Its discovery aroused a strong controversy among archaeologists, since they did not believe that prehistoric men were capable of making such perfect paintings. The main room, called the polychrome room, has been considered the "Sistine Chapel of Quaternary art". Its ceiling depicts almost a hundred animals and signs, including 21 bison in different attitudes, accompanied by other animals such as deer, horses, goats, bovids, as well as signs, hands and human figures, sometimes superimposed, made with various techniques - engraving, silhouetting, painting, scraping and shading effects - resulting in a composition of great movement and beauty, unique in Paleolithic art. It was made 14,000 years ago. The rest of the cave (which has a longitudinal development of 270 m) contains numerous engravings, even older, and an important archaeological site in the vestibule. The Altamira cave has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
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Santa Justa Beach, Santillana del Mar, Spain
Santillana del Mar is one of the towns of greatest historical and artistic value in Spain. To pronounce its name is to refer to the Altamira Caves, a cave full of prehistoric paintings described as the "Sistine Chapel" of cave art. Among the monuments that can be visited are the collegiate church of Santa Juliana and the towers of Merino and Don Borja, two of the oldest civil buildings in the town. In the streets of Santilla, medieval and cobbled, there are usually artisan workshops. It is typical to snack on milk with biscuits. It also highlights the nature and the coast, optimal for fishing.