La necessitat d’anomenar vila un llogarret: motivacions en la fundació de San Vicente de la Barquera (1210)

Abstract

This article proposes is to show a series of hypotheses about the reasons behind the founding of San Vicente de la Barquera by King Alfonso VIII of Castile. Like the rest of the inhabited centers in the Cantabrian coast, this town was a rural space: one of the so-called aldeas (small towns) or costas bravas (rough coasts). When the need to articulate, arbitrate, trade and dominate, led to the kings of several kingdoms to call them villas. This might be interpreted as a mere declaration of intent. However in this article we we point to other factors that were involved in the founding of this port town.