Every June 29th , this celebration takes place in Cudillero, one of the most curious and original in the Principality, declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest. The image of Saint Peter is brought down to La Ribera , next to Plaza del Sable, in the oldest part of the port. The reciter , well-trained and heir to a prestigious line of historical declaimers, climbs onto the decorated boat and, standing tall, growing more impassioned with each passing moment, embodies the voice of the people, saying what everyone knows and expects to hear in the most authentic language: the local dialect.
The seaside town, an amphitheater in itself, serves as both audience and jury. Aware of the importance of this ritual in continuing to make history, the townspeople will judge the orator's skill, what he truly needed to say, and what he should not have omitted.
Saint Peter, patron saint of Cudillero
L'Amuravela is a "sermon" that is half religious and half secular, recited in verse , which informs the local patron saint (Saint Peter, the fisherman apostle and first Pope) of what has happened during the year; from the small affairs of the port to the great events of the world.
The tradition of this oral tale dates back at least to the 16th century , linked to the construction of the Church of San Pedro around 1569 and the return of sailors from Cudillero who had participated in the conquest of Florida aboard the ship El Espíritu Santo (built in Cudillero). These men brought with them from overseas the custom of saluting the Admiral, and they incorporated it into their devotion to the patron saint of fishermen.
The rhyming chronicle, ironic and bordering on satire, always stirred up controversy. A popular form of freedom that led to clashes with parish priests and lengthy suspensions. History particularly remembers the episode of Xuan de la Cuca at the end of the 19th century, when, confronting the image of the saint, he drew his sword and recited:
If there is a shortage of fish or bread
With one blow you'll fall to the ground;
I take the keys to Heaven,
and I give them to Saint John.
That irreverent tone brought the proclamation to a halt until 1946. The tradition was revived through an agreement with the clergy, which allowed it to be recited but without the presence of the saint's image. It was in 2005 , after more than a century of longing, that Saint Peter once again heard L'Amuravela directly in La Ribera.
A secular sermon in the Pixueta language
Between these two milestones rises a genealogy of guardians of the word: Elvira Bravo , author of the sermon from 1947 to 1986, never went down to San Pedro in the morning to listen to L'Amuravela because, as she clarified, "I don't like them saying that I made it... San Pedro and the people make it."
His son, Juan Luis Álvarez Bravo “Totó,” a great performer for several decades, and Cesáreo Marqués Valle for just as many (after taking over in 1985 and also assuming the writing of the opening address from 1995), are two of the key figures of this festival. Cesáreo defined the essence of this monologue like no other: “L'Amuravela must always reflect what the people say, nothing more and nothing less. It is the true expression of freedom for the fishing community of Cudillero.”
Juan Luis Fernández , a local hotelier and history graduate, took up the mantle in 2025 and felt firsthand that sensation of speaking on behalf of everyone: "from up there you can see it clearly from the faces the neighbors are making, you know if the text is being well received, if it's necessary to raise your voice more..."
This central event, called L'Amuravela, is also the festive highlight of the popular San Pedro, San Pablo, and San Pablín celebrations . But... who was San Pablín? Well, he's simply an ingenious invention that the people of Pixueto came up with to extend their festivities by one more day without having to give too many explanations.
Cudillero, the mirror of the sea
Few seaside towns are reflected in the water like Cudillero . A town that gives its name to an entire region… Read more
The town of Cudillero has been called Norman and imagined as a Viking enclave, but historical sources are cautious: there were Viking raids along the Asturian-Leonese coast between the 9th and 12th centuries, but there is no documentary or archaeological evidence to prove a Norman settlement in Cudillero. That's perfectly fine. The essence of Cudillero doesn't need this to be unique. It stems from the trades, the port, the fish, a seafaring community with its own vocabulary, and a clear boundary between those who lived off the sea and those who belonged to other trades, the so-called "caízos."
Nun seremus lus primeirus,
from Cantabrian as of old
peru lus mijoris, piansu,
siguru siguimus siandu,
¡po lu menus en el “pinchu”!
The people of Pixuetos call Saint Peter today.
L'Amuravela es Cuideiru , the lower part, the fishing and maritime area of this town. One of the oldest ports in Asturias and the entire Cantabrian coast , until a few decades ago, before having a large and modern dock, it was barely a landing so small that the boats didn't fit in it: they were brought ashore, parked in the streets and in front of the houses.
There aren't as many sailors as there used to be, and the port no longer holds the economic importance it once did when life depended more directly on fishing. Today, less fishing is done to support the town and more to satisfy the tastes of that other tide: tourism.
Comu cambearun las cousas
in Cuideiru with the tiampu,
anantis todu eran peixis
desdi la Rula p' abaxu,
agora todu son mesas
tourists already enjoying themselves!
But in L'Amuravela, besides coastal events and fish prices, there's room for fires, local politics, war, popes, power outages, the newly renovated town square, irony aimed at the powerful, and applause for those who work for the people. It's a salt-infused archive, a people's parliament perched atop a boat. And cultural accolades have also grown up around it, such as the Amuravelas de Oro , awarded by the Friends of Cudillero Association since 1980. Receiving this award is an indescribable honor.
And the reciter ends like this:
As long as Cudillero lives!
and last La Fuenti'l Cantu,
San Pedro goes to La Ribera
with all the other saints!
Amura vela! Isa vela!
Fire to port! Fire to starboard!
Long live Pedro!!!
If you want to be amazed by the ingenuity of each and every one of the Amuravelas, you can do so at this link: https://amuravela.com/amuravelas/
Information:
To visit Cudillero and L'Amuravela, it is advisable to plan your parking, as the historic center is pedestrianized and does not allow parking.
The best options are the Port parking lot, about 500 meters from the center, regulated between June and October, with daily payment; and the upper area of El Pito or the cemetery, free and with more spaces, although it requires going up and down many stairs.
More info: turismocudillero.com
Photographs: © Cudillero Town Hall
