 Located in the north of the province of Burgos, the Merindades are the birthplace of the name "Castilla".Most of the villages of the Merindades were quoted in the "Becerro de Behetrias" at the moment of the creation of the subdivision Merindad by Pedro of Castile.The comarca capital is Villarcayo, although the biggest town in the comarca is Medina de Pomar.