Standing
on a small hill in the foothills of the Sierra
de Cantabria, Laguardia was probably built
on the site of an early Bronze Age settlement.
In the 10th century, Sancho Abarca founded
the castle at the northern end of the town.
In 1164, Sancho
el Sabio granted its charter and ordered the building
of the walls.
Its urban structure is typical of a defensive city,
walled with church-fortresses at its northern and
southern extremes. On the interior, three streets
run longitudinally from one end to the other and
the centre is laid out according to Gothic distribution.
The town walls were taken over by dwellings, establishing
a type of symbiosis that has assured their survival
to the present day.
Of special cultural importance is the network of
wine cellars throughout the urban centre.
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