It is wonderful news that the granaries of Asturias have been recognized with such an acknowledgment. Intangible Cultural Heritage, In addition to being an ingenious solution of popular architecture for storing the harvest, they are a living expression of the memory, trades, knowledge and identity of entire communities, especially in Asturias, where they are part of the landscape and the rural soul. Protect them It does not only mean preserving wood, stone or roofs, but defending a way of understanding life, the link between generations and a symbolic legacy that must remain standing, clearly visible and respected, in the face of the oblivion and uniformity of our time.
Beyond the existing typologies in the Iberian Peninsula, aerial granaries are found all over the world about feet that are morphologically related to the granary, such as Norwegian stabur, Swedish Hebrew, Polish sol'ek, or Serbian kukuruzniak… In Asturias there are two types of constructions. The most numerous of them, the hórreo: a square-shaped building that is made up of a wooden chamber, often with a corridor, which is usually supported on four feet, or stone pillars. Breadbasket There are usually six. In any case, there is a false belief, very widespread, which tends to differentiate a hórreo from a panera counting only the pegollos. The hórreos were the first to appear, that is true; there are documented references from the thirteenth century.
With the arrival of new crops in the 17th century, mainly corn and potatoes, more storage space became necessary. It was then that the hórreos evolved into a rectangular structure, give place to the first bread baskets, known as "Malayo type" in reference to VillaviciosaDue to their more elongated shape, the granaries required a ridge beam to support the roof, which led to a modification of their roofing: instead of four equal slopes, they now had two large slopes, two small slopes, and two separate gables. In short, the simplest visual difference is this: The granary has a single bow at its top, while the bread basket has two..
To build these granaries, the master granary builder selected two chestnut trees of similar size and thickness, cut them lengthwise, and used them as beams, placing one half opposite the other. Since both trunks were of similar dimensions, the granary's floor plan was square, and its roof, with four equal slopes, ended in a single central gable, known as a monkey, cantapaxarín, bishop or peak, depending on the area. The number of buds is not a distinguishing criterion, as it may vary depending on size, use or even subsequent renovations.
In Asturian granaries one can distinguish three major decorative styleseach with its own atmosphere and territory. The oldest is the Villaviciosa styleTypical of the 15th and 16th centuries, where beams and planks are enriched with carvings and paintings of very ancient origin: geometric motifs, rosettes, triangles, and semicircles. Later, in the 18th century, the Carreño stylevisible in the large, much more ornate granaries of the central coast, with facades covered in rosettes, jugs, and geometric shapes painted in vibrant colors. And in the west appears the Allande style, also from the 18th century, more sober in appearance, but no less expressive, with large carved discs, crosses, rosettes, tetraskeles and interlacing patterns.
It can be said that the definitive establishment of the hórreo as a typology coincided with the changes introduced by the corn cultivationespecially in Asturias and Galicia. Today, however, many granaries have lost their original function or they retain it only residually: in the corridor Garlic, onions, beans or corn are still dried outdoors, but modern refrigerators and freezers have taken away their old role as custodians of food against the weather and vermin.
We went on to quote the most important parts of the hórreo -which has many-:
· The pegollos. Columns usually of limestone, carved by hand, although there are some of wood. They raise the granary off the ground to isolate it. They are normally 120 cms. Tall.
· The molars or pegolleras. They are flat limestones, of some 80 cms., That avoid the passage of the rodents to the hórreo.
· The trabes. They are the four chestnut wood beams that form the base of the granary.
· The colondresThese are the walls of the granary, which are generally made up of wooden boards crisscrossed with each other and with beams.
· The tiles They are made of clay.
Asturias has a specific regime of protection of hórreos, paneras and cabazos included in the Law of the Principality of Asturias 1 / 2001, of 6 of March, of Cultural Heritage, in which the construction of granaries detached from the dwelling is forbidden, that those of new invoice must adapt to the materials and traditional constructive and morphological characteristics of these buildings, and establishes various regulations regarding granaries built before 1900, including those that have not been declared of Cultural Interest or included in the Inventory of Cultural Heritage of Asturias.
If you want to enjoy the granaries, there are several towns scattered throughout the region where they are numerous, such as barcia in Valdés, which is home to almost a hundred of these "pantries," with the typical style of western Asturias. The population of Sevens In Villaviciosa it is another landmark, as is the village of Pen in Amieva, which can be accessed via one of the most beautiful routes in Asturias: The Beyu Pen Route. Especially famous for their granaries are Espinaréu in Piloña or Gueñu/Bueño in Ribera de Arriba.
Route of the Beyu Pen
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Bueño: a walk through the granaries
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Currently, from the Asturian Granary Association , Based in the town of Candás, the company carries out invaluable work to promote this great Asturian heritage of granaries, bread baskets and cabazos. Collecting exhaustive information, documenting the oral tradition of the Asturian peoples and being a founding member of the RED HORREA, made up of several countries.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
