The rural setting of the village recreates its own past and, in the abstract, tries to summarize the compendium of Asturias. Near a hundred artisans (fabrics, espadrille, gastronomy, wood carvings, goldsmithing, bagpipe construction...) and about 300 extras animate a market that Porrúa invented a decade ago for the rest of Asturias.
During this historic weekend, the expectation is growing. The "spectators" of this unique work take advantage of the breaks in the show to eat some ribs, Creole sausages, cheese and, incidentally, buy a souvenir to hang on their lapel or on the walls of their house. The aromatic herbs fill the air, and the animation follows its own development of the creative hand and the good professional work of actors of the region who walk openly among us, the extras. "How nice that we're here again!", greets a hypothetical Asturian family lost in a most incredible adventurous exile. The countryman, the first student, the picarón, the uncle and the girl, say that they left the Pyrenees years ago, crossed Europe, reached Siberia, descended to Arabia, embarked and reached African coasts, from there to America in another boat, almost nothing. And from each place they brought a million anecdotes and some captive aboriginal to show what a weirdo. Porrúa arrives full of joy despite such a long journey, and in all cases they are experts in diabolo and contortionism.
The "boss" of the family, Rafa González, the "countryman", 2 and a half meters tall, wedged on his stilts, explains why Porrúa is the end of the trip: "we come to ask because there are more fame that here, yes, some exceptional day we put on the boats to fish on the high seas», he recalled.
Y between function and function, cheeses and donuts, the cider also runs as the town crier had warned at the beginning of the Folixa: «and in Porrúa they have very fresh cider and there are lots of cosuques to fill the güellu and the batiellu». What's more: "whoever doesn't find the market, is either blind or an idiot, because there are youngsters like roses and youngsters the flower of them, and you win from folixa caricoses are encesos (lit embers)".
Late night arrives in the magic and sly village, while the frixuelos, sausages and the liquid element continue to flow, and some posh musician jumps into the street theater to delight those present with a concert, half music and half mythological narration, in which xanas, goblins, goblins and other strange beings They parade in the middle of the show. Fire, as tradition dictates, adorns the corners of the Porrúa square, and the village dates back to legend.
They do not usually miss in these days the performances of the folkloric groups of the council that usually conclude their dances with the popular cousin dance, the most autochthonous of dances, as a finishing touch.
La cultural association the «llacin», formed by residents of Porrúa, is the promoter of the event. She never hides her satisfaction with the popular sentiment of the Mercáu, and she never ceases to be surprised by the expectation generated by her initiative. They don't hide the secrets of success either: many people work for most of the year so that everything goes well. In the town every year that passes more people are involved in organizational aspects. This neighborhood association, which does not stop, was also the one that promotes and manages another traditional jewel of the region: The Ethnographic Museum of Porrúa, which should not be missed if you visit this Asturian village like no other.
Ethnographic Museum of Porrúa
In the beautiful village of Porrúa, in the municipality of Llanes, famous for preserving the hallmarks of…
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
