Santander

Although we can be fairly sure that man has inhabited the coastal areas around the Bay of Santander since prehistoric times, there was no physical evidence of this until the Roman era.

During the Reconquista when Spain fought to recapture the country from the Moors, Santander was involved in numerous naval battles, together with San Vicente de la Barquera, Laredo and Castro Urdiales, the four towns making up the so called Cuatro Villas del Mar (‘Four Towns on the Sea’). In 1248 during the reign of Fernando III el Santo (‘Ferdinand The Saint’) Santander took part in the battle for Seville, fighting under the command of Admiral Boniface. In recognition of its contribution, the King granted Santander a coat of arms depicting a golden tower, a chain over the Guadalquivir river and a ship.