Centro de Estudios Montañeses

The Centro de Estudios Montañeses (CEM) is a Spanish cultural institution based in Santander, Cantabria, founded in 1934. Its principal objectives are the promotion of studies on the history, literature, art, ethnography and sciences of the autonomous community of Cantabria. It serves as the official chronicler of Cantabria, a consultative institution for the history and heritage of Cantabria, and a heraldic advisor or king of arms for the municipalities of the community. Founded in Santander in 1934, the CEM was designated official chronicler and advisory entity on heritage matters by the Diputación Provincial de Santander in December of the same year. These functions continue today, transferred to the autonomous community of Cantabria with the restoration of democratic rule. The CEM collaborates as an advisory entity on cultural heritage and heraldry with the Government Council of Cantabria and the Ministry and General Directorate of Culture. It is also an advisory organization to the Santander City Council, with which it maintains the editorial series Ex vetustate novum, dedicated to relevant unpublished works. Its cultural dissemination organ is the journal Altamira, whose first issue appeared in April 1934. Nearly 90 issues have appeared to date, sometimes irregularly, such as the ten-year gap between 1935 and 1945 resulting from the Civil War and the post-war economic crisis. In September 1934 the first monographic publication, La escultura funeraria en la Montaña, appeared, the fruit of collaboration between Elías Ortiz de la Torre, Francisco and Fernando González-Camino Aguirre and the Marquis of Saltillo. Since then the CEM has published more than one hundred titles. The CEM is well known for its extensive editorial output, which at its current pace could reach two hundred monographs by its first centenary, to which must be added another hundred volumes of periodical publications issued under its imprint. It also has many other meritorious achievements less remembered by the general public: the Archivo Histórico de Cantabria, the Ethnographic, Maritime and Prehistory museums, and various other heritage compilations, enhancements and conservation projects for the culture of Cantabria. The current president, Antonio de los Bueis Güemes, was elected in 2024. The CEM's headquarters, after a long journey through various premises in the city of Santander, is currently located at Calle Gómez Oreña 5, 3rd floor, Santander, sharing the building with the current Ateneo de Santander. The building was constructed in 1935 by the Ateneo Popular de Santander through popular subscription, according to a design by the architect Deogracias Mariano Lastra, and is currently owned by the Government of Cantabria.

The Centro de Estudios Montañeses (CEM) was founded in Santander in 1934, in the intellectual milieu associated with Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo and his library, and in study environments linked to archaeology, prehistoric rock art and the Cave of Altamira. From its foundation, the leading cultural figures of Cantabria have been associated with the CEM. The Diputación Provincial delegated to it a large part, if not all, of the activities related to local history or its impact on national or universal history. In December 1934 it was designated official chronicler and advisory entity on heritage matters by the Diputación Provincial de Santander, functions it continues to exercise today, transferred to the autonomous community of Cantabria with the restoration of democratic rule. In 1939 the Diputación ceded premises to the CEM, which it dedicated to the Provincial Archive, the germ of the current Archivo Histórico Provincial. Among the significant cultural projects that arose or were developed from the CEM are the Museo de Prehistoria y Arqueología de Cantabria, the Archivo de Arte Montañés, the Museo Etnográfico, the Museo Marítimo del Cantábrico and many other initiatives, some fully established and others still in development. In 1948 it received the Premio Virgen del Carmen for cultural entities for its contribution to the celebration of the seventh centenary of the conquest of Seville and the millennium of the Navy of Castile. In 1957 the Banco de Santander published a historical work, Aportación al estudio de la historia económica de la Montaña, to commemorate the centenary of its foundation; all the study and editing tasks were entrusted to members of the CEM. In 1964 it responded positively to a report requested by the Diputación Provincial on the change of the name of Santander to Cantabria, referring to the province. In 1967, when the Institución Cultural de Cantabria was created, it was one of the founding institutions and the one longest associated with it. After the disappearance of the Institución Cultural de Cantabria, the CEM has assumed some of its former functions. In 1974 it celebrated its first forty years with a week of conferences held in the assembly hall of the Diputación, later published in two volumes. In 1998 the CEM organized the annual assembly of the Confederación Española de Centros de Estudios Locales (CECEL). In 1971, three days before the end of the year, the possibility of changing the name to Centro de Estudios Cántabros was debated; the proposal was rejected because, in addition to the "inconveniences of all kinds" it would entail, it would mean renouncing the "prestige achieved by the institution with the name it currently bears." The current president, Antonio de los Bueis Güemes, was elected in 2024. The CEM's headquarters, after a long journey through various premises in Santander, is currently at Calle Gómez Oreña 5, 3rd floor, sharing the building with the Ateneo de Santander. The building was constructed in 1935 by the Ateneo Popular de Santander through popular subscription, designed by the architect Deogracias Mariano Lastra, and is currently owned by the Government of Cantabria.

• 2024

  Antonio de los Bueis Güemes elected president.

• 1998

  Organized the annual assembly of the Confederación Española de Centros de Estudios Locales (CECEL).

• 1974

  Celebrated its first forty years with a week of conferences, later published in two volumes.

• 1971

  Proposal to rename to Centro de Estudios Cántabros debated and rejected.

• 1967

  Founding institution of the Institución Cultural de Cantabria.

• 1964

  Issued a report on the proposed name change of Santander province to Cantabria.

• 1957

  Banco de Santander commissioned CEM members to produce a historical work for its centenary.

• 1948

  Received the Premio Virgen del Carmen for cultural entities.

• 1939

  Diputación ceded premises to the CEM, which it used for the Provincial Archive, germ of the current Archivo Histórico Provincial.

• 1934

  Founded in Santander; first issue of the journal Altamira published in April; designated official chronicler by the Diputación Provincial de Santander in December.

• 1934

  First monographic publication, La escultura funeraria en la Montaña, published in September.

Official chronicler and heritage advisory institution of Cantabria, dedicated to cultural research and publication.

• Revista Altamira

  Cultural dissemination journal, first issue April 1934; nearly 90 issues to date.

• Ex vetustate novum

  Editorial series dedicated to relevant unpublished works, in collaboration with the Santander City Council.

• La escultura funeraria en la Montaña

  First monographic publication, September 1934.

• Aportación al estudio de la historia económica de la Montaña

  Historical work published by Banco de Santander in 1957, edited by CEM members.

1. 1CEM – Historia, cultura y estudios sobre Cantabria y Santander (España)centrodeestudiosmontaneses.com
2. 2Centro de Estudios Montañeses - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Centro de Estudios Montañeses - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia librees.wikipedia.org