The Shepherd's Festival is one of the most emblematic gatherings of an entire way of life. The celebration is an act of tribute to that united community that has broken the barriers of time.
Close to the sky, at more than a thousand meters of altitude, and in the inimitable setting of the well-known Lakes of Covadonga, tests follow one another, such as the already classic alpine race «The climb to the Porra de Enol», in which the serene trajín of other days of work is abandoned by the rush of a cross with uneven levels and against the clock. During the day also the horses are riding "bareback", without artificial frames, the forces are measured by pulling the rope by teams and another good number of manly skills in which muscle or technique wins. Parallel, groups of choirs and dances brighten up the event, and at the same time compete in unparalleled pieces of pastoral crafts.
Lakes of Covadonga
Climbing the Lagos de Covadonga has merit, especially if you do it by bicycle. They are 12 kilometers ...
The acts start already in the morning. After mass in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd the Corporation and the Council of Pastors with the purpose of sharing the pastures of the mountain of Covadonga in an equitable way. Also elected by popular vote will be the new Pastor, in charge of ensuring that their traditional ordinances are complied with. Not everything is a celebration, because the pastors usually take advantage of the occasion to demand from the local or regional administration, as well as those responsible for the Park, greater attention to their problems. In this sense the last years the dominant preoccupation is the wolf, and the necessity to control his litters to protect the cattle cabins.
The celebrations and their annexed acts have been developing since 1939 and it has already been declared National Interest Festival. Apart from the festive appeal, we discovered in the quote that this human group has inherited an order of functioning, its own governing bodies and social uses for the benefit of the community, which always take precedence over individual interests.
In 1994, the shepherds of the Picos de Europa received the award of the Prince of Asturias Award for the Exemplary People. His Highness highlighted on that occasion the sacrifice of men and women in which the preservation of historical, cultural and environmental heritage prevails. And it is that grazing is one of the architects of the beauty of the Asturian plains, since no one like them since ancient times has had greater knowledge or greater measure in the care of these highlands. At the same time they carry out their activity, they respect the environment and keep it clean, in optimal natural conditions so that it perpetuates itself, as its ancestors already knew it. Today there are many who continue to live on livestock, that during the winter it grazes in the valleys for between April and October to raise it to the ports. From past times pastors are organized by majadas, of public ownership, which normally correspond to the villages of origin of the shepherds in the low and middle mountain.
Exemplary towns of Asturias
The Princess of Asturias Foundation grants this award to the town, village, population center, space...
The Pastor's Party is unparalleled in Asturias, and certainly it is the best showcase to know a way of life in which the environment is above all, as an unquestionable totem and with the taboos themselves that requires careful attention and affectionate towards nature.
Access to the Pastor's Party
On July 25, the day of the Shepherd's Feast, access will be free For all private vehicles, there will be no type of restriction for both the ascent and the descent.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
