Editing Santander, Spain (section)

===Origins, Roman period and Middle Ages===
The origin of the earliest human settlements in the current Santander is not easy to establish because there is little written and little archaeological data. However, there would appear to be good practical reasons for ancient settlers to have chosen the north side of the bay, sheltered from it and safer from the storms of the [[Bay of Biscay]], on the north side of the promontory of [[Somorrostro]] and along the ancient [[Becedo]] estuary. Moreover, the hillside provided good visibility for spotting potential attackers, making this the ideal place for the foundation of a stable settlement, which was to evolve throughout the [[Middle Ages]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Fernández González|first1=Lorena|title=Santander una ciudad Medieval|date=2002|publisher=Estvdio|isbn=9788495742056}}</ref>

Although it is mentioned for the first time in 1068, in a draft document made by [[Sancho II of León and Castile|King Sancho II]], in the 9th century [[Alfonso II of Asturias|Alfonso II the Chaste]] founded the ''Abadía de los Cuerpos Santos'' ("Abbey of the Holy Bodies") in the existing chapel on the hill of Somorrostro, housing as holy relics the heads of [[Saint Emeterius]] and [[Saint Celedonius]] and the graves of other unknown martyrs, giving the abbey its name.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13458d.htm |title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Santander |publisher=Newadvent.org |date=1 February 1912 |access-date=14 April 2011}}</ref>

[[Alfonso VIII of Castile]] granted the city a ''[[fuero]]'' (charter) in 1187.{{Sfn|Casado Soto|1985|p=646}}
[[File:Santcivitatis.jpg|thumb|left|Santander, c. 1590&nbsp;– by [[Joris Hoefnagel]]]]
During the 12th and 13th centuries the population was contained within the walls of two different pueblas. La Puebla, the older, on the hill overlooking the city facing the bay, included the old castle, the Abbey of the Holy Bodies and the cloister. It had three rows of houses, separated by Rua Carnicerias and Rua Mayor, where the homes of prominent people of the town were, as well as those of the Abbot's canons. Meanwhile, the Puebla Nueva contained the convent of Santa Clara and San Francisco, which gave its name to one of the main streets; other important streets were the Rua de la Sal, The cavalcade Palace, Ribera, Don Gutierre, Puerta de la Sierra, Gallows and the Arcillero Rua. The two pueblas were joined by a bridge over the river that divided Becedo and flowed down to the shipyards, which were ordered by the king to take timber from the Cantabrian forests for shipbuilding. The villa was required to give the monarchy a ship per year.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

By the end of the 15th century Santander had a population of about 4,000 or 5,000 inhabitants.{{Sfn|Casado Soto|1985|p=648}}

The city owes its existence to the excellent harbour of the [[Bay of Santander]]. Santander was an important port for [[Crown of Castile|Castile]] in the later Middle Ages, and also for trade with the [[New World]]. It officially became a city in 1755.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ringrose|first=David R.|title=Toward a contemporary city: Santander, 1755–1910|year=2005|page=7 |publisher=Ed. Universidad de Cantabria|isbn=9788481029772}}</ref>
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