Amaya (Burgos)

Amaya is a village in the municipality of Sotresgudo, in the province of Burgos, Castile and Leon, Spain, set on a hilltop above the Odra River valley at about 1,000 metres elevation. It was a principal settlement of the Cantabri and a site of Roman era importance, was captured by the Visigothic king Liuvigild in 574, and later served as capital of the Duchy of Cantabria. Its later prominence during the Reconquista and the repopulation of Castile is remembered in a saying that names Amaya as the head when Castile was still a small territory. The village had 37 residents as of 2024, down from 67 in 2002.