Trasmiera
Encyclopedia
Trasmiera 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.
It is subdivided into the 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.
, 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 whom 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 mill
s, a good example of which is in the town of Isla.
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.
The fame of the master mason
s 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.
Contracts were temporal, and the emigration from the comarca generally took place in March, to come back for the winter. The most famous and most solicited masons were sometimes out of their homeland for years, and they only came back to get married or to administrate their properties, sometimes also to make their will; however they didn't lose their neighbour status in their hometowns, even if they stayed long years away from it. Normally the family name
reflected their origin. Some of these masons achieved hidalgo
status with their own heraldic arms granted by the king, and even occupying public charges sometimes.
, to come up with and arrange its design. Woodworking
was very highly regarded during the Middle Ages
and Renaissance
. After the rules of the Council of Trent
in 1563, which promoted the cult to icons and altarpieces, many workshops arose in this Cantabrian comarca. The highest peak is from the 17th century, from when much documentation exists.
Some altarpiece-makers as Simón de Bueras, Juan de Alvarado or Bartolomé de la Cruz reached great prestige and were called to work in La Rioja, Castile
and the Basque Country
. The so called Masters of the Seven Villas (around Santoña bay) were the ones who had more contact with the Castilian workshops. Many of these altarpiece-makers were consummate architects and had fine workshops where carvers
, carpenters, sculptors, gilders
and a whole series of necessary jobs for their work's culmination.
These are some of the essential jobs in an altarpiece-maker workshop:
In addition to these consummated masters, many apprentices and officials worked in the workshops. During the first five years the master taught the apprentice and gave him food and shoes. After that, if the apprentice wanted to continue with the job, he spent another five years as official until he reached enough knowledge level in the job that allowed him to become independent and establish his own business.
and butlers of the parish church. These men chose one of these offers, then showed it to all the contestants to commence the bidding. That auction
lasted the time that a candle takes to consume (although some times it was three candles' time), and the job was given to the master whose bid was on top at that moment. The next requisite was that either the assigned master had to pay a warranty deposit, or he had to present other colleagues as guarantors. Once this session was finished, the contract was signed before a notary. There was also a commission of masters who were in charge of assuring that the project carried out as planned.
and his followers reflected in the first stage of the Counter-Reformation
is the style which the Trasmeran masters complied with. Images are represented with great realism and expressivity; the suffering of the saints and martyrs is patent. The most clear example of this tendency is Juan de Anchieta
, disciple of Juan de Juni
. After that, the style of the masters evolved, and half past the 17th century they let into their work the influence of Gregorio Fernández
. The altarpiece workhouses imitated and spread the new trends until the tastes changed, and by the end of that century images are gradually removed, so the altarpiece structure got represented by other kind of decoration.
Bellfounding
in Cantabria is tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages
. The comarca of Trasmiera was a cradle for prestigious bellfounders, whose fame transcended the Spanish
borders, which granted them works in some part of Europe
and America
. They reached such significance that many specialists remark that there is no cathedral
, basilica
or church that hasn't had in its belfries some work of a Cantabrian bellmaker.
In Trasmiera the job was carried out basically in the Seven Villas Assembly (made up of the villages of Ajo, Arnuero
, Bareyo
, Castillo Siete Villas, Güemes, Isla, Meruelo, Noja
and Soano) where bellmaking workshops abounded then. This knowledge was transmitted from fathers to sons through the centuries, constituting real sagas of master bellmakers.
This importance allowed the fact that important cathedrals in Mexico
or Peru
have bells made by Trasmerans in situ
. Thus, the bell called "La Cantabria" was founded in Lima
in 1797 for its cathedral, demonstrating the significance of these artisans and their origin. In 1753, the bell considered the largest of Spain, weighing 22 tonne
s, was made by master founders of Arnuero destined to the cathedral of Toledo
, and whose making took two years. Some chronicles tell that when the bell was used for the first time, it broke all the glasses of the city and caused all the pregnant ladies to miscarry, which forced its makers to make holes in it to lower its ringing.
In 2004, as a wedding present to the Princes of Asturias
, Cantabria gave them the "Virgen Bien Aparecida" bell, which weighs 1,600 kg and was founded in Gajano (Marina de Cudeyo
) by two of the last master bellmakers and heirs to the Trasmeran tradition, the Portilla brothers.
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
of Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), 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
Asón River
The Asón is a river in Northern Spain, flowing through the Autonomous Community of Cantabria. It source is in the Collados del Asón Natural Park. It flows into the Cantabrian Sea in the town of Colindres, where it forms the Santoña estuary which is the most important Special Protection Area in the...
. 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.
It is subdivided into the municipalities of Argoños
Argoños
Argoños is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 1.260 inhabitants.-Towns:*Ancillo*Argoños *Cerecedas*Santiuste-External links:...
, Arnuero
Arnuero
Arnuero is a municipality in the province and autonomous community of Cantabria, northern Spain.The municipality is located in the northeastern portion of the province, and includes three small villages : Arnuero, Soano and Isla...
, Bárcena de Cicero
Bárcena de Cicero
Bárcena de Cicero is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 2.546 inhabitants. Its capital is Gama.-Towns:*Adal*Ambrosero*Bárcena de Cicero*Cicero*Gama...
, Bareyo
Bareyo
Bareyo is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 1.702 inhabitants. Its capital is Ajo.-External links:* - Cantabria 102 Municipios...
, Entrambasaguas
Entrambasaguas
Entrambasaguas is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 2.692 inhabitants.-External links:* - Cantabria 102 Municipios...
, Escalante
Escalante, Cantabria
Escalante is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 749 inhabitants.-External links:* - Cantabria 102 Municipios...
, Hazas de Cesto
Hazas de Cesto
Hazas de Cesto is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 1,285 inhabitants. Its capital is Beranga.-External links:* - Cantabria 102 Municipios* - Beranga´s Web...
, Liérganes
Liérganes
Liérganes is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 2,391 inhabitants.-Towns:*Bucarrero*Calgar*Casa del Monte*El Condado*La Costera*Extremera*La Herrán...
, Marina de Cudeyo
Marina de Cudeyo
Marina de Cudeyo is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 5,000 inhabitants. Its capital is Rubayo.-Towns:*Rubayo *Pedreña*Pontejos*Gajano*Orejo*Elechas...
, Medio Cudeyo, Meruelo, Miera, Noja
Noja
Noja is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain.It has 2 beaches, "Trengandin" and "Ris"....
, Ribamontán al Mar, Ribamontán al Monte
Ribamontán al Monte
Ribamontán al Monte is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain....
, Riotuerto
Riotuerto
Riotuerto is one of the municipalities of Cantabria, lying between the North Coast of the Cantábrican Sea and the mountains of the Cantabrian Sierra. It is part of the ancient merindad of Trasmiera. The centre of Riotuerto is La Cavada, once the home of the famed cannon factory and is now the site...
, Santoña
Santoña
Santoña is a town in the eastern coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. It is situated by the bay of the same name. It is 45 km from the capital Santander. Santoña is divided into two zones, an urban plain, and a mountainous area, with Mount Buciero at its...
, Solórzano and Voto.
History
Its history starts in prehistoric times, evidences of whom can be found at the caves of Puente ViesgoPuente Viesgo
Puente Viesgo is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain....
, La Garma (Omoño), Santoña
Santoña
Santoña is a town in the eastern coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. It is situated by the bay of the same name. It is 45 km from the capital Santander. Santoña is divided into two zones, an urban plain, and a mountainous area, with Mount Buciero at its...
and Miera. On the other hand, no trace of Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
presence is known in the area, except in Santoña bay, for the romanization
Conquest of Hispania
The Roman conquest of Hispania was a historical period that began with the Roman landing at Empúries in 218 BC and ended with the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, then Hispania, by Caesar Augustus in 17 BC....
of this zone was scarce and weak.
On the contrary, the culture of the Cantabri
Cantabri
The Cantabri were a pre-Roman Celtic people which lived in the northern Atlantic coastal region of ancient Hispania, from the 4th to late 1st centuries BC.-Origins:...
persisted until the end of the Visigoth
Visigoth
The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. These tribes were among the Germans who spread through the late Roman Empire during the Migration Period...
monarchy. Between the 8th and 10th centuries a great process of repopulation
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
took place, which indicates that these lands were almost uninhabited.
King Alfonso I of Asturias
Alfonso I of Asturias
Alfonso I , called the Catholic , was the King of Asturias from 739 to his death in 757.He was son of Duke Peter of Cantabria and held many lands in that region. He may have been the hereditary chief of the Basques, but this is uncertain...
(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 whom 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
Santoña
Santoña is a town in the eastern coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. It is situated by the bay of the same name. It is 45 km from the capital Santander. Santoña is divided into two zones, an urban plain, and a mountainous area, with Mount Buciero at its...
), 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
Nájera
Nájera is a small town located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, Spain on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the Way of St James.-History:...
(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 mill
Tide mill
A tide mill is a water mill driven by tidal rise and fall. A dam with a sluice is created across a suitable tidal inlet, or a section of river estuary is made into a reservoir. As the tide comes in, it enters the mill pond through a one way gate, and this gate closes automatically when the tide...
s, 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 BurgaleseBurgos (province)
The province of Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Palencia, Cantabria, Vizcaya, Álava, La Rioja, Soria, Segovia, and Valladolid. Its capital is the city of Burgos...
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
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
s of this comarca goes back to the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. 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
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and the African colonies. Many of them worked in the building of works so special as the El Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
Monastery and the Cathedral
Cathedral of Sigüenza
The Cathedral of Sigüenza is the seat of the bishop of Sigüenza, in Guadalajara, Spain.-Building:The Cathedral of Sigüenza is built in Romanesque and Gothic style....
of Sigüenza
Sigüenza
Sigüenza is a city in the province of Guadalajara in Spain.-History:The site of the ancient Segontia of the Celtiberian Arevaci, now called Villavieja , is half a league distant from the present 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
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
and that they had positions of great responsibility. They saw themselves in the necessity of creating a guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
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.
Contracts were temporal, and the emigration from the comarca generally took place in March, to come back for the winter. The most famous and most solicited masons were sometimes out of their homeland for years, and they only came back to get married or to administrate their properties, sometimes also to make their will; however they didn't lose their neighbour status in their hometowns, even if they stayed long years away from it. Normally the family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
reflected their origin. Some of these masons achieved hidalgo
Hidalgo (Spanish nobility)
A hidalgo or fidalgo is a member of the Spanish and Portuguese nobility. In popular usage it has come to mean the non-titled nobility. Hidalgos were exempt from paying taxes, but did not necessarily own real property...
status with their own heraldic arms granted by the king, and even occupying public charges sometimes.
Renowned masons and some of their works
- Martín, Bartolomé y Gaspar de Solórzano: Cathedral of Palencia.
- Juan Gil de HontañónJuan Gil de HontañónJuan Gil de Hontañón was a master builder and Trasmeran mason of Spain during the 16th century. His first work was associated with Segovia, where he was associated with the school of Juan Guas...
: Cathedrals of ToledoCathedral of ToledoThe Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain, seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo....
, Segovia and SalamancaOld Cathedral, SalamancaThe Old Cathedral is one of two cathedrals in Salamanca, Spain, the other being the New Cathedral of Salamanca....
. - Rodrigo Gil de HontañónRodrigo Gil de HontañónRodrigo Gil de Hontañón was a Spanish architect of the Renaissance.He was born at Rascafría. His workings include the Palace of Monterrey in Salamanca, the Palace of Guzmanes in León, and the facade of the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso at the University of Alcalá de Henares...
: Cathedrals of ValladolidCathedral of ValladolidThe Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Assumption , better known as Valladolid Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Valladolid, Spain...
, Segovia and SalamancaOld Cathedral, SalamancaThe Old Cathedral is one of two cathedrals in Salamanca, Spain, the other being the New Cathedral of Salamanca....
, Santiago de CompostelaCathedral of Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Greater, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is the destination of the Way of St...
... - Diego de RiañoDiego de RiañoDiego de Riaño was a Spanish architect of the Renaissance. He was one of the most outstanding architects of the Plateresque style....
: CathedralSeville CathedralThe Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See , better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville . It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world....
and Town Hall of Seville. - Juan de Herrera, the Trasmeran: Cathedral of Santiago de CompostelaCathedral of Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Greater, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is the destination of the Way of St...
. - Juan de Maeda: Cathedrals of GranadaGranada CathedralGranada Cathedral is the cathedral in the city of Granada, capital of the province of the same name in the Autonomous Region of Andalusia, Spain.-History:...
and SevilleSeville CathedralThe Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See , better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville . It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world....
. - Diego de Praves: Royal architect in ValladolidValladolidValladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
. - Juan de Nates: Works in Valladolid.
- Francisco de Praves: Architect of the Duke of Lerma in Valladolid.
- Marcos de Vierna: General Commissioner of Public Works during the reigns of Ferndinand VIFerdinand VI of SpainFerdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
and Charles IIICharles III of SpainCharles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
. - Valentín Mazarrasa: Works in Valladolid, ToroToro, ZamoraToro is a town and municipality in the province of Zamora, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is located on a fertile high plain, northwest of Madrid at an elevation of 740 meters....
and ZamoraZamora, SpainZamora is a city in Castile and León, Spain, the capital of the province of Zamora. It lies on a rocky hill in the northwest, near the frontier with Portugal and crossed by the Duero river, which is some 50 km downstream as it reaches the Portuguese frontier...
. - Julián Mazarrasa: Author of a treaty on architecture.
Master altarpiece-makers
Another one of the traditional jobs of Cantabria and above all of the comarca of Trasmiera is the altarpiece-making; to conceive and compose an altarpieceAltarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
, to come up with and arrange its design. Woodworking
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
was very highly regarded during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
. After the rules of the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
in 1563, which promoted the cult to icons and altarpieces, many workshops arose in this Cantabrian comarca. The highest peak is from the 17th century, from when much documentation exists.
Some altarpiece-makers as Simón de Bueras, Juan de Alvarado or Bartolomé de la Cruz reached great prestige and were called to work in La Rioja, Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
and the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
. The so called Masters of the Seven Villas (around Santoña bay) were the ones who had more contact with the Castilian workshops. Many of these altarpiece-makers were consummate architects and had fine workshops where carvers
Wood carving
Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object...
, carpenters, sculptors, gilders
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
and a whole series of necessary jobs for their work's culmination.
These are some of the essential jobs in an altarpiece-maker workshop:
- Master architect, who organized the structure and presented the design
- Master carver, who was in charge of the decoration's motives
- Master carpenter
- Master sculptor
- Master painter, who did the colors
- Master gilder, who did the gilding and the artistic scraping
In addition to these consummated masters, many apprentices and officials worked in the workshops. During the first five years the master taught the apprentice and gave him food and shoes. After that, if the apprentice wanted to continue with the job, he spent another five years as official until he reached enough knowledge level in the job that allowed him to become independent and establish his own business.
Hiring and execution process
When there was need for an altarpiece work, a banner calling for these masters was placed in the church door on Sunday. After a month, the altarpiece-makers gathered in said church and there they showed their drawings, their devised design and their work and payment conditions to the clergyClergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
and butlers of the parish church. These men chose one of these offers, then showed it to all the contestants to commence the bidding. That auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
lasted the time that a candle takes to consume (although some times it was three candles' time), and the job was given to the master whose bid was on top at that moment. The next requisite was that either the assigned master had to pay a warranty deposit, or he had to present other colleagues as guarantors. Once this session was finished, the contract was signed before a notary. There was also a commission of masters who were in charge of assuring that the project carried out as planned.
Style of the images in Trasmiera
The Roman influence of MichelangeloMichelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
and his followers reflected in the first stage of the Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
is the style which the Trasmeran masters complied with. Images are represented with great realism and expressivity; the suffering of the saints and martyrs is patent. The most clear example of this tendency is Juan de Anchieta
Juan de Anchieta
Juan de Anchieta was a leading Spanish Basque composer of the Renaissance, at the Royal Court Chaplaincy in Granada of Queen Isabel I of Castile.-History:...
, disciple of Juan de Juni
Juan de Juni
Juan de Juni was a French–Spanish sculptor, who also worked as a painter and architect.-Career:...
. After that, the style of the masters evolved, and half past the 17th century they let into their work the influence of Gregorio Fernández
Gregorio Fernández
Gregorio Fernández was a Spanish Baroque sculptor. He belongs to the Castilian school of sculpture, following the style of other great artists like Alonso Berruguete, Juan de Juni, Pompeyo Leoni and Juan de Arfe.-Biography:...
. The altarpiece workhouses imitated and spread the new trends until the tastes changed, and by the end of that century images are gradually removed, so the altarpiece structure got represented by other kind of decoration.
Master bellmakers
Bellfounding
Bellfounding is the casting of bells in a foundry for use in churches, clocks, and public buildings. A practitioner of the craft is called a bellmaker or bellfounder. The process in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. In early times, when a town produced a bell it was a momentous occasion in...
in Cantabria is tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The comarca of Trasmiera was a cradle for prestigious bellfounders, whose fame transcended the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
borders, which granted them works in some part of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. They reached such significance that many specialists remark that there is no cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
, basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
or church that hasn't had in its belfries some work of a Cantabrian bellmaker.
In Trasmiera the job was carried out basically in the Seven Villas Assembly (made up of the villages of Ajo, Arnuero
Arnuero
Arnuero is a municipality in the province and autonomous community of Cantabria, northern Spain.The municipality is located in the northeastern portion of the province, and includes three small villages : Arnuero, Soano and Isla...
, Bareyo
Bareyo
Bareyo is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 1.702 inhabitants. Its capital is Ajo.-External links:* - Cantabria 102 Municipios...
, Castillo Siete Villas, Güemes, Isla, Meruelo, Noja
Noja
Noja is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain.It has 2 beaches, "Trengandin" and "Ris"....
and Soano) where bellmaking workshops abounded then. This knowledge was transmitted from fathers to sons through the centuries, constituting real sagas of master bellmakers.
This importance allowed the fact that important cathedrals in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
or Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
have bells made by Trasmerans in situ
In situ
In situ is a Latin phrase which translated literally as 'In position'. It is used in many different contexts.-Aerospace:In the aerospace industry, equipment on board aircraft must be tested in situ, or in place, to confirm everything functions properly as a system. Individually, each piece may...
. Thus, the bell called "La Cantabria" was founded in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
in 1797 for its cathedral, demonstrating the significance of these artisans and their origin. In 1753, the bell considered the largest of Spain, weighing 22 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s, was made by master founders of Arnuero destined to the cathedral of Toledo
Cathedral of Toledo
The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain, seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo....
, and whose making took two years. Some chronicles tell that when the bell was used for the first time, it broke all the glasses of the city and caused all the pregnant ladies to miscarry, which forced its makers to make holes in it to lower its ringing.
In 2004, as a wedding present to the Princes of Asturias
Felipe, Prince of Asturias
Felipe, Prince of Asturias de Borbón y de Grecia; born 30 January 1968), is the third child and only son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain....
, Cantabria gave them the "Virgen Bien Aparecida" bell, which weighs 1,600 kg and was founded in Gajano (Marina de Cudeyo
Marina de Cudeyo
Marina de Cudeyo is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 5,000 inhabitants. Its capital is Rubayo.-Towns:*Rubayo *Pedreña*Pontejos*Gajano*Orejo*Elechas...
) by two of the last master bellmakers and heirs to the Trasmeran tradition, the Portilla brothers.