Today, our journey into the darkness of History, the enigmas of Art, and that metaphorical island of Barataria, nestled between the two, which is Mystery, leads us once again to one of the most picturesque places in northern Spain, a place that has always drawn us like a magnet: Santillana.
In Santillana, a bastion of remarkable attractions, nestled between the lush exuberance of the Pasiego valleys and the evocative proximity of the magnificent Cantabrian cliffs, we find one of the most beautiful and interesting towns in Spain.
On the other hand, as travelers committed to adventure and mystery, but also aware of the role of devil's advocate we must always play to avoid falling into the trap of the trivial, we imagine that the obscure beginnings of this town, which still retains its genuine medieval appearance like a breath of fresh air in the face of future vicissitudes, stemmed from its proximity to a legendary place: the famous caves that bear its name. These caves, dating back thousands and thousands of years, already indicated their importance as a place of spirituality and knowledge.
We know that the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana, one of the four great Romanesque collegiate churches located in Cantabria, began as a humble hermitage where, around the 12th century, the mortal remains, transformed into relics, of a mysterious saint named Juliana were enshrined. She is known for her ability to put in their place that figure whom the poet Baudelaire described as a taciturn solitary soul, and to whom another writer, Ambrose Bierce, dedicated his famous Dictionary: the Devil.
With this background, it is not at all surprising that a prosperous and authentic village developed around the imposing Romanesque structure that now stands before us, a village that every summer attracts thousands of tourists who are captivated by its irresistible charm.
It is also true that visiting the town and venturing with an open mind into the somber solitude of the Collegiate Church, including its spectacular cloister, involves not only enjoying art that constantly invites you to take in every detail, but also immersing yourself in that fabulous universe of archetypal images. This imagery transformed a seemingly crude and medieval narrative into the best marketing campaign in history, to the point that, even with its ups and downs, it continues to resonate throughout the centuries.
And both Santillana and its priceless Collegiate Church remain, still there, to show us a message that, although right before our eyes, we don't always pause long enough to truly grasp.
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