Liébana

Liébana is a comarca of Cantabria (Spain). It covers 575 square kilometres and is located in the far southwest of Cantabria, bordering Asturias, León and Palencia. It is made up of the municipalities of: Cabezón de Liébana, Camaleño, Cillorigo de Liébana, Pesaguero, Potes, Tresviso and Vega de Liébana.

View of the village of Potes, comarcal capital of Liébana
Liébana
Comarca
Country Spain
Autonomous communityCantabria
ProvinceCantabria
CapitalPotes
Municipalities
List
Area
 • Total574.83 km2 (221.94 sq mi)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Total5,319
 • Density9.3/km2 (24/sq mi)
Demonym(s)lebaniego, -a
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)

Geography
Image of Peña Ventosa in Liébana.

Liébana is a closed mountainous comarca, constituted by four valleys (Valdebaró, Cereceda, Valdeprao and Cillorigo) that connect in Potes, the centre of the comarca. Its main rivers are the Deva, the Quiviesa and the Buyón. The steep-sided uplands are formed of Carboniferous limestone affected by karstic processes. Shale and sandstone can be found in the bottom of the valleys.

The considerable deepness of the valleys, with big differences in altitude and steep slopes creates a great wide variety of environments which allow for a multitude of vegetable species: beeches, holm oaks, cork oaks and other types of oaks (Quercus robur, Quercus Pyrenaica and Quercus lusitania), grazing pastures and cultivated crops. Its narrow relief makes it have a microclimate different from the rest of the region, affected by an Atlantic climate. So, while in the bottom of the valley of Liébana a Mediterranean climate can be enjoyed, it shifts progressively as we ascend to a humid Atlantic climate until subalpine conditions are reached in the high peaks of Picos de Europa. The average annual temperatures are 28°C maximum and 8°C minimum, with a lower precipitation rate than in other Cantabrian zones (800 mm annually versus 1,000 to 1,200 mm of average in the region).

Municipalities

The seven municipalities, with their areas and populations, are set out below:

Name Area
(km2)		 Population
(2001)[2]		 Population
(2011)[3]		 Population
(2018)[4]
Cabezón de Liébana 81.4 692 704 592
Camaleño 161.8 1,107 1,029 946
Cillorigo de Liébana 104.5 1,089 1,341 1,337
Pesaguero 70.0 378 341 285
Potes 7.6 1,557 1,476 1,350
Tresviso 16.2 52 73 64
Vega de Liébana 133.2 964 840 745

Economy

The economy of the comarca of Liébana has shifted from the primary sector to the rural tourism boom, thanks to its landscapes and the appeal of the Picos de Europa National Park. Nevertheless, the development brought by tourism has affected the township of Potes, capital of the comarca almost exclusively, to the detriment of the rest of the villages of the valley. Thus, Potes in the late 20th century enjoyed population growth, the other settlements were undergoing a decrease in population. However since 2000 Potes has been declining in population, in line with the rest of the comarca.

History

At the end of the 14th century, King John I of Castile granted the lordship of Liébana to his cousin Don Juan Téllez of Castile, Lord of Aguilar de Campoo and son of the Infante Don Tello of Castile. Towards the second half of the 15th century, the possession of the lordship of Liébana was the cause of one of the frequent peerage wars of that time, and subsequently of a long lawsuit between the heirs of Don Juan Téllez of Castile (the Marquises of Aguilar de Campoo) and the successors of the second marriage of his wife Doña Leonor de la Vega (the Dukes of Infantado). In 1576 the courts passed sentence in favor of the House of Infantado.

Saint Beatus of Liébana (c. 730 – c. 800) settled in the region, where he died. He was a monk, theologian and geographer, remembered as the compiler of the Commentary on the Apocalypse, written in 776, which contains one of the earliest Christian world-maps.

See also

Bibliography

References
  1. Estimate at 1 January 2018: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  2. Census at 1 November 2001: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  3. Census at 1 November 2011: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  4. Estimate at 1 January 2018: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.

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