Duchy of Cantabria

Its precise extension is unclear in the different periods, but it seems likely that it included Cantabria, parts of Northern Castile, La Rioja, and probably western areas of Biscay and Álava.

The legend of this destruction remained for long in the memory of the affected peoples.

Bishop Braulio of Zaragoza (631-651) wrote in his Life of St. Emilianus how the saint prophesied the destruction of Cantabria because of their alleged sins.

It is held in popular belief that the converted refugees from the City of Cantabria founded the monastery of Our Lady of Codés in Navarre.

A Senate of Cantabria mentioned in the Life of St. Emilianus bears witness to a local nobility and a governing diet which may have been one of the last independent Hispano-Roman provincial authorities.

Approximate limits of the Duchy of Cantabria
Peña Amaya, where the ancient Cantabrian town of Amaya was located. Situated on the southern end of the Duchy, looks like a forward watchtower on the Castilian countryside.