Santander Bank Building (Edificio Banco de Santander)

One of the most beautiful buildings in the city is the headquarters of Sanander Bank (on the map). The history of the building began in 1919, when the Bank purchased the hotel building on Pereda Boulevard and another building that stood next to it.

Designed by architect Javier González Riancho. The Marcelino Sanz de Santuola street, which separated the buildings, was blocked by an arch decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs. The facades of both buildings were brought into a uniform appearance, but the building is still not symmetrical - there is one more window on the left.

At the corners of the pediment are female sculptures by Juan Blanes, symbolizing agriculture and mining (left).

On the right, a girl with scales and an account book represents trade, another holds a small ship in her right hand, and the left leans on a gear, which means navigation and shipbuilding.

The bas-relief above the arch depicts saints Emeterio and Celedonio, who are associated with an ancient legend. The first Christians were tortured by the Romans, and their severed heads were put in a boat and set adrift. The boat washed ashore in the area of present-day Santander, later a monastery was founded on this site, and Emetrio and Celedonio are considered patrons of the city.

The Bank was created by a Royal decree of may 15, 1857 as a financial instrument for the export of Castilian wheat through the port of Santander and the import of goods from America. Now the financial group Santander (Groupo Santander) is not only the largest in Spain, but also in the entire Euro zone, by capitalization ranks 10th in the world among banks, its assets will amount to over 1 trillion euros. The Bank is a permanent sponsor of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, and the Bank's logo can be seen on the racing cars of the McLaren and Scuderia Ferrari teams.