Riocorvo

Riocorvo is a street-village in the municipality of Cartes, on the banks of the River Besaya, declared a Cultural Heritage Site (Historic Ensemble) in 1981. Its single main street preserves a row of 17th and 18th-century baroque mansions with coats of arms, built on both sides of the old Royal Road connecting the Cantabrian coast with Castilla.

Among its most notable buildings are the Casona-Palacio de los Alonso Caballero, with a large heraldic shield on its facade, and the Casona de los Pulpitos, from the 18th century, with a five-section gallery supported by carved pulpit-shaped brackets. Riocorvo received the Village of Cantabria 2021 award.

The ensemble reflects the prosperity of the centuries when the Besaya was the main trade route between the port of Santander and the plateau, and its wealthiest residents built these stately homes as symbols of status.