The Cimadevilla neighborhood in Gijón is a unique environment that is not easy to find in other historic centers on the peninsula, no matter how facing the sea they have been built. Cimadevilla has not placed restrictions on its development, it boasts tradition but is also pure avant-garde. A work by Chillida: the Praise of the Horizon, the symbol of the city is already on its own merits. You can see where you look, the huge sculpture has a lot of horizon, it is different in each perspective and proposes to each look the cosmopolitanism of Gijón.
Praise of the Chillida Horizon
It is a work of great proportions erected in 1990 on the Cerro de Santa Catalina in… Read more
The Cantabrian and the urban hustle they have left indelible marks alike. But above all there are the traces of its inhabitants: fishermen, cigar makers, artisans ... shallow men and women, which is how those born in this neighborhood are known. Its streets are apparently quiet during the day, but at night the transformation takes place and it becomes a meeting place and meeting, restaurants and cider houses on every corner, and a large number of cocktail bars to arrive at dawn. You can start with some crabs or bocartes, cheer yourself up with cider, and if you choose, finish very late or very early, depending on how you look at it, with a good breakfast near the marina.
After knowing years of certain abandonment in their buildings, nowadays it is a pleasure to walk through its secluded streets and squares. The buildings have renovated their facades, they have washed their faces. More than two hundred buildings are specially protected and at least a dozen are part of the cultural and historical heritage of Gijón.
Route through Cimadevilla
We can make a planned tour of about two hours to soak up their typical seamanship and flavor. We will start in the beautiful Plaza Mayor presided over by the City Council, the setting for festive events and popular celebrations such as the Semana Grande or the Antroxu (Carnival). We crossed the arc of the western area and we headed to the marina, we came across the Monument to Don Pelayo (homage to the first king of the Asturian Monarchy who appears on the city's coat of arms), is in the center of the Plaza del Marqués.
here is located the Palace of Revillagigedo, from the XNUMXth century, which surprises with its baroque beauty. He has attached to him the Collegiate Church of San Juan Bautista which serves as a stage for classical music concerts throughout the year. If we focus our steps towards the sea, we will be surprised by the monumental sculpture made with cider bottles, a visual metaphor that invites us to think about recycling.
The Cider Tree
It was raised in 2013 at the annual celebration of the Gijón Natural Cider Festival. It took… Read more
What to see in Cimadevilla?
If we go along the promenade of the Leisure port, sports port, with enviable and well-cared facilities and a very beautiful environment that have made it a stopover for numerous regattas, and we reach the end, the breakwater closes the port, when the sea beats strongly it is a spectacle that should not be missed as the waves exceed the retaining wall. We went up the well-known Hill of Cholo (This term was brought by emigrants who came from America) and thus we approach the alleys that the people of Gijón fill when the good weather arrives.
A few meters further on we can admire the Chapel of Solitude of the 17th century, spiritual headquarters of the Mareantes Guild, whose festival takes place in September. Dates in which the entire neighborhood bustles at parties and celebrations.
The avant-garde is located at the end of Artillería Street Northeast sculpture, made in cortén iron by Joaquín Vaquero Turcios. It symbolizes the most anticipated wind in Gijon summers, it is the one that pushes and sweeps the clouds and ensures a sunny day. Going up towards the Santa Catalina Hill, we went through what was once a military artillery complex and has now been recovered for the enjoyment of Gijons and visitors who are encouraged by a unique walk.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
