Puerto del Escudo
Encyclopedia
The Puerto del Escudo is a mountain pass
at 1,011 meters elevation
located in the valley of Luena
, to the east of the Sierra del Escudo de Cabuérniga
mountain range
and on the boundary between Cantabria
and Castile
(province of Burgos
) in Spain. The source of the Magdalena or Luena River is located there. It has been one of the main access routes from the coast to the interior plateau
crossing the Cantabrian Mountains
. At the moment the N-623 highway runs over it and is well-known for its steep inclines on its Cantabrian slope that can be up to 15%, causing a difficult transit for heavy vehicles. This characteristic and its altitude result in the relatively frequent closing of the pass when there is heavy snow in the winter.
During the Spanish Civil War
, the pass was the site of a decisive battle between Republican forces (trying to hold the pass) and Italian forces (trying to dislodge them), part of the Battle of Santander
. A pyramid
-shaped tomb
for the Italians killed in the battle still stands at the top of the pass, although their bodies were removed some years ago.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
at 1,011 meters elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
located in the valley of Luena
Luena
Luena can refer to:*Luena, Moxico Province, Angola, the Luena River, Angola which rises near it, and the Luena people, and ethnic group in the area*Luena River, the name of several rivers in south-central Africa*Luena, Cantabria, Spain...
, to the east of the Sierra del Escudo de Cabuérniga
Sierra del Escudo de Cabuérniga
The Sierra del Escudo de Cabuérniga is a mountain range located between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Bay of Biscay, inside the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain...
mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
and on the boundary between 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...
and Castile
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
(province of Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
) in Spain. The source of the Magdalena or Luena River is located there. It has been one of the main access routes from the coast to the interior plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
crossing the Cantabrian Mountains
Cantabrian Mountains
The Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.They extend for more than approximately 180 miles across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the edges of the Galician Massif close to Galicia, along the coast of the...
. At the moment the N-623 highway runs over it and is well-known for its steep inclines on its Cantabrian slope that can be up to 15%, causing a difficult transit for heavy vehicles. This characteristic and its altitude result in the relatively frequent closing of the pass when there is heavy snow in the winter.
During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, the pass was the site of a decisive battle between Republican forces (trying to hold the pass) and Italian forces (trying to dislodge them), part of the Battle of Santander
Battle of Santander
The Battle of Santander was fought over the summer of 1937 in the War in the North campaign in the Spanish Civil War. Santander's fall on September 1 assured the Nationalist conquest of the province of Santander and marked the last stand of the Republic's "Army of the North," which was destroyed...
. A pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
-shaped tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
for the Italians killed in the battle still stands at the top of the pass, although their bodies were removed some years ago.
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes
External links
- Puerto de El Escudo Satellite view.
- Monumento del puerto del escudo