Peñamellera Baja

Peñamellera Baja (in Asturian: El Valle Baju de Peñamellera) is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is borderered to the north by Llanes and Ribadedeva, to the west by Peñamellera Alta, and to the east and south by the Autonomous Community of Cantabria.

There have been some manifestations of Paleolithic art found in Peñamellera Baja. In La Loja cave, various stone tools were found that provides an important set of cave art corresponding to the Magdalenian age which show animal engravings such as horses and bison. The first documented evidence of Peñamellera dates from 1032. The counts Piniolo and Aldonza exchanged territories with the Leonine King Bermudo III, which gave the counts half of Peñamellera. After complete incorporation into the realm of King Ferdinand II's territory, he relinquished Asturias from these areas for inclusion in the kingdom of Leon, although ecclesiastically this decision still depended on the bishopric of Oviedo. In 1340, King Alfonso XI gave the people of Peñamellera jurisdiction, gaining representation without having to visit the sites of the Merindad of Asturias de Santillana. Subsequently various stately powers appeared such as Aguilar, who also occupied the lordship of Peñamellera. This measure brought about the appearance of stately towers and the patrimonialization of public office. Colosia towers and Siejo are examples of this. It is during this time that the intention to divide the valley into two administrative units arose, the high valley and the low valley (their separation was not effective until 1889). In the modern age, the valley of Peñamellera forms part of the Commonwealth of the five valleys of the Burgos region. Between 1514 and 1522, Peñamellera joined together with San Vicente de la Barquera to become an independent jurisdiction. In 1749, it was added to Intendance of Burgos and Cane of Laredo, and was present at the formation of the province of Cantabria, in 1778. Livestock and agriculture have always been present in the life of the valley, its people exempt from taxes from the sale of cattle due to a privilege that was granted by King Charles II. The capital of the valley in its low cueto was established in Abándames. Each cueto, high and low, had a ruler, a noble judge for each one and one for the valley in general. The population was a mixture of country gentry and a minimal number of famous nobility lineage. The valley also suffered from the war of independence, being occupied by French troops in 1809, when Colonel Gauthier broke surveillance of River and invaded the council back in 1810. The most important historical event of this century is the return of Asturian land back to the territories of Peñamellera Baja in 1833, thanks to the new territorial distribution in Spain; a year later the valley of Peñamellera asked, along with Rivadedeva, re entry into the Province of Santander. The request was denied, disassociating themselves from Cantabria and becoming part of the province of Oviedo. Then arguments began between Alles and Abándames for who would have the capital. In 1869, cuetos administratively separated the two remaining cuetos, so that Abándames remained as the low valley. This situation lasted until 1890, at which time the capital was transferred to Panes, a town that experienced a progressive increase in its population. The emigration to America was popular among young people: they travelled abroad and went back years later to spend their fortunes building houses, palaces, schools and other services that benefited all the people, such as improvements in roads and the delivery of water. During the Spanish Civil War noted that the low cueto had the strength of the Republican Army under Manolin Alvarez, being conquered the area on September 9, 1937 by Navarre troops using the Condor Legion. The history of Peñamellera Baja is basically the same as that of its neighbor, Alta, since their split in 1869.