Comillas
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Pontifical University
of Comillas
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Comillas consists of a combination of traditional popular architecture and the more avant-garde elements of modern architecture. Towards the end of the 19th-c the town changed from a fishing port into a place for rest and relaxation of more affluent families, including on occasion the Royal Family (1881-82). The town itself is dominated by three important constructions: one is the cemetery, located in what was once the 16th-c Parish church, and which contains some interesting Modernist mausoleums. It also has the famous angel that was the work of the Catalan sculptor, Limona. The second is the Sobrellano Palace, which was designed by Domenech i Montaner, and has a Neo-Gothic chapel-cum-pantheon. And finally the Pontifical University, which was the work of Juan Jerónimo Martorell and Esteban Cascante.
Yet another work on a much smaller scale but no less important, is the famous "Capricho" -Gaudi masterpiece-.
Apart from Comillas beach there are many other magnificent beaches in the vicinity, including Oyambre beach. Situated close to the ría of La Rabia this is one of the most important areas for tourists and ecologists.
