The place is traditionally known as the “City of Archbishops”. Fishing and agriculture have long been important, but more recently the primary sector has been displaced by the tertiary sector, i.e. tourism and services. King Alfonso XII and many nobles from Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Bilbao preferred to spend part of their time in places like Comillas.
The municipality was the first settlement in Spain with electrically powered street lighting.
Comillas is rich in architecture of late historicism and early modernism, mainly due to the patronage of Claudio López Bru.
Some of the most outstanding examples:
Palacio de Sobrellano (built 1878-1890 by Joan Martorell for the Márques de Comillas)
Panteón de Sobranello (chapel right next to the Palacio de Sobranello, also built by Martorell in 1881, the furnishings come from young Antoni Gaudí)
Building of the Pontifical University of Comillas (Spanish: Universidad Pontificia Comillas), started in 1883 by Martorell, completed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner; The university was founded by Claudio López Bru in Comillas, the main campus is now in Madrid.
Source: Wikipedia