1 Solar Celestine Citadel
We have to travel to Gijón to discover—literally, since the citadel is hidden in a courtyard accessed through a passageway— a treasure of our recent heritage . The complex was hidden from view from the main street; today, access is located at number 17 Capua Street.
It is a group of workers' housing that was inhabited until the end of the 20th century . In 2003, it was renovated by the Gijón City Council and, since 2018, it has been open to the public under the management of the Asturias Railway Museum, thus becoming part of the Gijón City Council's network of museums.
The houses had a corridor (5 m²), two rear rooms without a window (10 and 6 m²) and two other rooms with a window to the patio of 7,5 m². About 36 square meters. The hundred inhabitants of the citadel shared a toilet, a well and a laundry room.
In 1877, Celestino Solar, a wealthy man who had returned from Cuba with a considerable fortune, bought the plot of land and built twenty-four brick and wood houses for impoverished workers from Gijón . We can visit one of the houses, recreated with period furniture , the small living room with a sideboard, two bedrooms with a bed and a small table, the small coal-burning kitchen with a stone washbasin…
The Citadel of Gijon
A true history lesson, a must-see as there are very few examples left in Spain… Read more
2 Perlora resort town
It was a tourist complex located in the Asturian council of Carreño , promoted by the State in 1954 and abandoned in the 80s. The residential city acquired national renown and in summer "turns" were made to enjoy the surroundings and the four nearby beaches: Huelgues, La Isla, "Los Curas" beach and Carranques.
Some prestigious architects such as Julio Galán, Juan Manuel del Busto, Juan José Suárez Aller or Miguel Díaz Negrete designed the houses and common areas.
The complex currently is in a state of semi-abandonment, all the houses are uninhabited and the public buildings are unused, but their decay attracts many tourists.
It is possible to visit the facilities by train (Renfe Gijón-Cudillero line) or by the AS-239 road.
3 Monastery of San Antolín de Bedón
On the banks of the Bedón River, in Llanes. The first written references to the monastery date from the 12th century, although they are extracts from a lost original document. It was probably at the beginning of the 13th century that the monastery adopted the Benedictine rule and construction of the church began, as recorded in an inscription: the work was started by Abbot Juan in 1205. The church was listed as a "historical-artistic monument" and is currently a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC).
We've included this monument on this list because of the legend surrounding it . The story goes that Count Munio Rodriguez Can, son of a noble Asturian family, had a very difficult temper. One day, while hunting near Bedón, night fell. He peered out the window of a hidden cabin and saw a very beautiful young woman. She fled through the door and disappeared.
The count returned to his castle in his usual foul mood, and in the following days, he went back to that spot. Looking out the window, he saw the young woman again with a boy who had just returned from the king's campaigns. Without hesitation, he shot two arrows, the first at her and the second at the boy. After the incident, he felt terrible and decided to sell all his properties, keeping a small sum with which he built a monastery and a church on the very spot where he had killed the two young people.
4 Mengollo, the legend of a cursed town
Another town with an interesting legend. It's a village in the municipality of Quirós, nestled against a rocky ridge at an altitude of over a thousand meters. A mere 30 residents perished suddenly in 1854. The inhabitants of Mengollo lived off their farmland, cultivating corn, potatoes, and spelt.
In the mentioned year, in the month of April, after several months incommunicado due to the snow, the priest went up to give mass. Silence accompanied him in the last meters and he discovered the corpses of the neighbors. He left the place at a gallop, and returned with a retinue that would examine the strange circumstances, since there were no signs of violence. They attributed the deaths to the consumption of sweet bread, made at that time. Something poisoned the food.
The ruins of three houses, along with several outbuildings, stand as silent witnesses to an unsolved mystery. Even Iker Jiménez took an interest in this story, and a team from "Cuarto Milenio" visited the town of Quirós.
5 Mina de Arnao, a mine under the sea
Already in the time of Philip II, coal extraction began, so Arnao becomes the first documented mineral coal mine in the Iberian Peninsula.
In 1833, the foundation of the Real Compañía Asturiana de Minas de Cobón represents a momentous milestone in Spanish industrialization. The Arnao mine will have its galleries excavated under the sea, becoming the only underwater mine in Europe, and will also build the first vertical well, the "grandfather well" of Asturian mining.
Today you can visit the museum, the headframe and descend into the 19th century galleries . You can also visit the workers' village that was built to house the miners (it has schools, a company store... and is one of the largest and most interesting company villages in Asturias until the state promotions of the mid-20th century).
Arnao Mine
Arnao, a town 7 kilometers from the city of Avilés, has an unusual mine entrance that stands out against the landscape… Read more
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
