Trasmiera (Spanish: Trasmiera; Cantabrian and historically: Tresmiera) is a historic comarca of Cantabria (Spain), located to the east of the Miera River (tras Miera, meaning behind Miera, from the point of view of Asturias de Santillana), reaching the western side of the Asón. It extends between the bays of Santander and Santoña, occupying most of the Eastern seaboard of Cantabria. This piece of coast is known for its cliffs and fine beaches, such as those of Langre, Loredo, Isla, Noja and Berria. Towards the interior, the comarca offers large prairies as well as considerable hotel and camping development.
Municipalities
Trasmiera is composed of the 19 municipalities of Argoños, Arnuero, Bárcena de Cicero, Bareyo, Entrambasaguas, Escalante, Hazas de Cesto, Liérganes, Marina de Cudeyo, Medio Cudeyo, Meruelo, Miera, Noja, Ribamontán al Mar, Ribamontán al Monte, Riotuerto, Santoña, Solórzano and Voto. Their areas and populations are as follows:
History
Its history starts in prehistoric times, evidences of whom can be found at the caves of Puente Viesgo, La Garma (Omoño), Santoña and Miera. On the other hand, no trace of Roman presence is known in the area, except in Santoña bay, for the romanization of this zone was scarce and weak. On the contrary, the culture of the Cantabri persisted until the end of the Visigoth monarchy. Between the 8th and 10th centuries a great process of repopulation took place, which indicates that these lands were almost uninhabited.
King Alfonso I of Asturias (739-757), Duke of Cantabria, ordered the resettlement of what now is known as the comarca of Trasmiera, where there was little presence of human settlements. The repopulation was done following the habits of the time, with the help of small monasteries, around which immediately appeared family settlements which would reach village status, marking the origin for future small towns or villas. The monks received in exchange the property of the barren lands with the condition of having to cultivate them.
The most ancient repopulation monasteries were those of San Vicente de Fístoles (in Esles de Cayón) and Santa María del Puerto (in Santoña), the latter having a large jurisdictional scope that lasted until the 16th century; however, from the 11th century on it was forced to depend on the monastery of Santa María la Real in Nájera (La Rioja) by royal order, and so it remained until the 19th century when the Desamortización caused the dissolution of the monasteries.
In the documents of the 11th century, the comarca of Trasmiera appears as a geographic and administrative entity. This delimitation has contributed to the conservation of many ancestral habits and activities through the centuries. One unusual activity that endured until recent times were tide mills, a good example of which is in the town of Isla.
Merindad of Trasmiera
From the 13th century on, this demarcation was established as administrative entity by royal order. The king was represented by a merino, which at first was a person from the Burgalese Lara family. The capital of the merindad was in Hoz de Anero where the Assemblies of Cudeyo, Ribamontán, Siete Villas, Cesto and Voto took place. When some years went by, the administrators or merinos passed to be elected from the native families of Trasmiera.
Master masons of Trasmiera
The fame of the master masons of this comarca goes back to the Middle Ages. The job of mason needed good training, was traditional and had certain renown beyond the Trasmeran frontiers. During the 15th to 18th centuries masonry was at its very peak in Spain, Portugal and the African colonies. Many of them worked in the building of works so special as the El Escorial Monastery and the Cathedral of Sigüenza, and great monuments in Galicia; however they barely left their mark in Cantabria.
It is known that at the beginning of the 12th century a large number of masons of Trasmiera were called to work in the construction of Avila's City Walls. From the 15th century on it is known by documents that they were working all around Castile and that they had positions of great responsibility. They saw themselves in the necessity of creating a guild association, an esoteric and reserved association in which they communicated by an especial jargon that only they knew. This jargon was called la pantoja. The job was transmitted from fathers to sons, so they enjoyed an especial learning that allowed them to be Masters, and thus to direct cathedral constructions before the thirties.