Puntos de Interés
Municipality
The Nalón River
The capital of the parish of Aller is the village of Cabañaquinta, located on the banks of the river Aller in the north. It is located in a highly urbanised area in the lower part of the valley, where the importance of the landscape, civil architecture, traditional activities and tourism all come together.
It is accessible and modern, with public transport services including a railway station. After its appointment as capital in 1869, it developed economically due to the change from agricultural activity to the timber, mining and steel industries. Today Cabañaquinta maintains some traditional trades such as those related to stained glass craftsmanship and food production from agriculture and livestock farming, which are in line with the Town Council's motto "Aller, today and always".
The town hall, where the Town Council is based, stands out in the centre of the town. It is a historicist style building designed by the architect Juan Miguel de la Guardia and built between 1905 and 1907. There are also some civil architectural works such as the Casa de los Quijano, whose owners used to feed twelve poor people and wash their feet every Maundy Thursday. Also of note are the Casa del Canónigo, the Caserío, the public washing place, and the village fountains.
Cabañaquinta features the Church of San Salvador de Cabañaquinta. Although built in 1902, the church has a history that goes back to the Libro Becerro of the Cathedral of Oviedo where it is mentioned as a village in the parish of San Martín de la Vega until just shy of 1892. It is built in a neo-Romanesque style with a Latin cross floor plan. The beautiful stained-glass windows of the archangels Gabriel, Raphael and Michael are striking, as well as the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that crowns the building. The interior of the church contains a carving of a crucifix from the second half of the 16th century. Running past the church there is a branch of the Camino de Santiago Allerano which forms part of the Camino Jacobeo (Pilgrims' Way to Santiago).
It is worth mentioning a former mayor of the town, Xuanón de Cabañaquinta or Juan Díaz-Faes. He was a local resident of enormous corpulence, approximately two metres tall, and became famous for killing bears with his bare fists and a dagger. It is believed that as many as 92 bears fell under his fists, which at that time was remarkable and admirable, thus giving him the opportunity to meet the Asturian aristocracy and being invited to join them hunt. He was even invited by the Marquis of Camposagrado and attended a hunt with King Alfonso XII. The king gave him a shotgun as a gift during, thereby converting him in a Royal Armourer.
Cabañaquinta is also a place of celebration and veneration, with popular festivals such as the Festivities of Our Lady of the Rosary, which are held on the first weekend of October with masses, processions, children's games, orchestras, open-air dances and much fun to be had by all.