Mount Castillo, in the Cantabrian municipality of Puente Viesgo, is home to some of the oldest man-made paintings in Europe. At its summit, the remains of an early Middle Ages castle are currently being studied by archaeologists Lino Mantecón and Javier Marcos. And halfway up the slope, historians Rafael Bolado del Castillo and José Ángel Hierro Gárate toil in some trenches from the last civil war.
In fact, the research work, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Government of Cantabria, began last year. Although the existence of Civil War fortifications was known to both locals and some specialists in the field, what was known was the stone parapet located on the access road.
In 2021, Hierro approached the site, after seeing a photograph of it published by historian Fernando Obregón. There, he discovers a small trench located next to him. Coincidence of life, a few days later a fire devastated the area and Felipe Sierra discovered another line of trenches, much larger, located lower down and connected to the one above.
After informing Hierro about it, he quickly realized that it was a particularly well preserved complex. “Not only is it very interesting because of what it can contribute to the knowledge of the military operations of the civil war in the region,” he underlines, “but its location makes it an ideal place to enhance the value of a tourist point of view. » .
A few years later, Hierro presented to the ministry an intervention project focused on documenting the remains and exploring possible new structures. In addition to those discovered, Bolado highlights the possible existence of other lower lines. “Neighbors in the area told us that remains could be seen further down years ago.” However, the abundant vegetation and steepness of the slope make navigation very difficult, so archaeologists have focused on the known area.
The leftovers
The actions of these two years focused on the recovery of a section close to the path that leads to the summit of the mountain. Although the documented remains are over 175 meters long, only the westernmost portion has been excavated by archaeologists (sometimes removing up to over a meter of fill). Investigations show that in the upper area one section was uncovered, while another was probably covered with logs, earth and stones.
A branch, partially dug into the rock, descends towards the lower trench, which is accessed by a complex path recently cleared by municipal employees. It is actually a complex system made up of several interdependent elements. First of all, a slightly zigzag trench, with an interior and exterior dry stone facing. This trench is connected, by three perpendicular branches with an equally sinuous route, to as many shelters dug into the rock, in the form of a mine gallery. Finally, another internal circulation trench connects the two access branches to two of the shelters.
In the excavations, numerous elements linked both to the structures and to the episode of war in which they were involved were found: cartridges of rifle ammunition of three different calibers, fragments of artillery projectiles and aviation bombs, cans of food, sapper tools and even leftovers. corrugated iron used to cover certain sections of the trench.
The war context
These trenches were part of the defensive complex located around Puente Viesgo. To understand its function, we must go back to the coup d’état of 1936 and the division of Spain into two zones: that controlled by the legitimate republican government and that under the control of the putschists. The former province of Santander remained under Republican control, after the failure of planned coups in Santoña and the provincial capital. The front line was – to simplify considerably – located near the Cantabrian watershed and remained relatively stable during the early stages of the war.
Things would change when Franco, after failing to take Madrid, decided in March 1937 to concentrate on the northern front. On the last day of this month, Franco’s aviation devastated Durango; A few weeks later, it was the turn of Gernika, which burned under the bombs of the Nazi Condor Legion. In June, there was the assault on the “Iron Belt” of Bilbao, which fell on the 19th.
After the fall of Bilbao, the Republican government ordered an offensive on Brunete to serve as a diversion. After its failure, the putschists turned towards the province of Santander. Some 80,000 men organized into four corps of the Republican army faced an attack that began on August 14. In the following days, the Republican defenses were overwhelmed by enemy attack.
In the case of Puente Viesgo, the fighting began on August 23. This position represented the last defense against the advancing Italian fascists en route to Santander. The Italians attacked from the flanks and forced the Republicans to flee on the 24th, at the risk of being trapped by the enemy. The same day, the putschist troops arrived in the town of Renedo and cut communication with Asturias in Barreda. On the 26th, they entered Santander, taking more than 16,000 prisoners, many of whom were shot in the following days.
The fifth columnists in the trenches
Hierro and Bolado emphasize that these excavations are a magnificent example of what Civil War archeology can contribute to the knowledge of this period. It’s not just about unearthing ancient remains, but they provide very valuable information. Thus, they point out that other remains of the war trenches they are investigating clarify an aspect that has gone relatively unnoticed by many researchers on the conflict in the region: the fifth-column character of some of those principally responsible for the defensive works.
“When we visit certain fortifications built by the Republicans, what is striking is the lack of logic they demonstrate from a tactical point of view. Some, in fact, seem to be designed more to make the enemy’s task easier than anything else,” Hierro explains. According to his interpretation, this is because several of the key figures in the organization of Santander’s defense against the putschists had contact with the rebels or sympathized with them. As he points out, in a way, “they work for the enemy.” The research he carried out in the archives goes in the same direction, even if it is still ongoing.
And now ?
A few days before the end of this year’s campaign, the two archaeologists say it clearly. “We need at least one more year to consolidate this part and leave it ready for the City Hall and the Ministry to undertake the next phase, the valorization of this magnificent complex,” says Bolado.
Óscar Villegas (RPC), mayor of Puente Viesgo, expresses his interest “in highlighting both the remains of the early Middle Ages located at the summit and the trenches on the slope”. Its intention is to “integrate these resources” into an interpretive journey, “with the advice of experts in the field”.
The councilor highlights the good disposition that Eva Guillermina Fernández (PP), current Director General of Culture, has recently shown in this regard. In this sense, he emphasizes that the Town Hall is already working on the “Path of the Pioneers”, in reference to Abbot Henri Breuil and other researchers who placed Puente Viesgo at the center of international Prehistory.
