Santoyo

History

The lands within the borders of the current municipality of Santoyo were populated since, at least, classical antiquity. In the Sarnallano moor some material remains of a vaccaean fort can be found. The "Las Quintanas" Roman villa was built in the Late_Roman_Empire, probably in the 4th century - in the 1990s archaeologists discovered amongst its ruins an oven, a hypocaustum, some pottery (both terra sigillata and common) and a well full of debris. All settlements were abandoned as a consequence of the downfall of the Visigothic Kingdom. The current Santoyo is the result of a resettlement carried out in September 988 (late 10th century) under Fernán de Armentales, a vassal of count García Fernández of Castile. The name of the town itself is most probably derived from the Latin Sanctus Ioannes. In the 11th century it was a fortified town, but very scarce remains of the wall have survived.