Santillana del Mar

Santillana del Mar
Municipality

Church of the Colegiata in Santillana

Flag

Location of Santillana del Mar
Santillana del Mar

Location in Spain

Coordinates: 43°23′36″N 4°6′17″W / 43.39333°N 4.10472°W / 43.39333; -4.10472Coordinates: 43°23′36″N 4°6′17″W / 43.39333°N 4.10472°W / 43.39333; -4.10472
Country  Spain
Autonomous community  Cantabria
Province Cantabria
Comarca Western coast
Judicial district Torrelavega
Capital Santillana del Mar
Government
  Alcalde Isidro Rábago León (2007) (PSC-PSOE)
Area
  Total 28.46 km2 (10.99 sq mi)
Elevation 82 m (269 ft)
Highest elevation 275 m (902 ft)
Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Population (2008)
  Total 4,049
  Density 140/km2 (370/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 39330
Official language(s) Spanish

Santillana del Mar (Spanish pronunciation: [santiˈʎana ðel maɾ]) 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 Saint (Santo), nor flat (llana), nor is it by the sea (Mar) as implied by its name. However, the name actually derives from Santa Juliana (or Santa Illana) whose remains are kept in the Colegiata, a Romanesque church and former Benedictine monastery. The UNESCO World Heritage site Cave of Altamira is nearby.[1]

Localities

The 3,983 inhabitants (INE, 2006) are distributed as follows:

Notable people

Santillana (born 1952), footballer

In literature

The protagonist of the novel Gil Blas is born in Santillana.

In his philosophical novel "La Nausée", Sartre described Santillana as the prettiest village in Spain ("le plus joli village d'Espagne").

References

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