Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Church of San Vicente
In the parish of Aller, in the Principality of Asturias, is the town of Santibáñez de Murias (Santibanes de Murias in Asturian), which belongs to the parish of Murias. It is a small village divided into two neighbourhoods, El Confurcu and El Cotxeu, which contain well-preserved 18th century houses whose year of construction feature on their façades.
Another example of its heritage is the architectural ensemble consisting of the Cu mill and lime kiln. The mill harnessed the energy from the river Negro to make flour, whilst the kiln was used to produce quicklime.
However, perhaps the most eye-catching architectural work is the Church of San Juan Bautista, a building dating from the 19th century and later modified with the addition of the western portico. The main entrance is crowned with a belfry of two bells atop which stands a stone cross. Access to the interior is via a semicircular arch. Inside, the main altarpiece dates from 1750, and there is a small chapel with images of Saints Rita, Barbara and Magdalena.
This town is the start of one of the best-known short routes in the area, the Ruta de les Fuentes (the Fountains Route), named after the numerous springs found along the way. With a length of 12 km through the valley of the Negro River and ending in the town of Moreda, this route allows walkers to discover various villages in the area, as well as their traditions and customs – all the while enjoying the natural landscape of the valley, habitat of a multitude of species such as the gold-striped salamander (Chioglossa lusitánica), the Iberian painted frog (Discoglossus galganoi) and the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra).
One of the most representative species present in the parish of Aller is the Western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), a bird included in the Regional Catalogue of Endangered Species of the Vertebrate Fauna of the Principality of Asturias. Given its importance as an indigenous species and its conservation status, on 6th May 2005, the "El nido del urogallo" educational classroom was inaugurated in Santibáñez de Murias. Housed in the old school, entrance is free of charge. Thanks to the permanent exhibition of informative panels, as well as other resources, visitors can learn about this iconic species.
Between the 22nd and 26th May the village festivities in honour of Saint Rita take place. During these celebrations, there is a pilgrimage, games for children, and a big paellada (an open-air paella meal) for all the residents.