Puntos de Interés
Culture
Zureda
The village of Zureda (Zurea in Asturian) is located in the municipality of Lena, 7.10 km from the parish capital Pola de Lena, at an average altitude of 55 m above sea level. The village is bordered to the east by the parishes of Campomanes and Sotiello, to the west by the parish of Quirós, and to the north by Pola de Lena.
The village comprises the village of Zureda and the hamlet of Valle Zureda, which was founded in pre-Roman times with the arrival of gold mining in Cocheu'l Oro. The hill is named after the extraction of this valuable metal and some archaeological remains remain there.
The site is located on a very steep gradient, and the land has slipped over time, causing significant damage to some of the buildings in the area.
A story among the villagers tells that in ancient times there was a landslide that devastated San Julián de Valle, another village in the parish and whose church was known as Capilla’l Breu. It is not known for certain whether it was a landslide that caused such a disaster in San Julián de Valle, but what is known for sure is that it must have taken place before the 17th century. The building was later reconstructed but never again considered a parish church, and its ruined chapel was sold in 1831 and its artwork was transferred to the village of Zureda.
This led to the construction of a church in Zureda itself, dedicated to the archangel Saint Michael, which is located in the upper part of the village and faces the hillside. It seems that its original style pertained to the Baroque style, but there are several alterations that have taken place over the last few centuries that make its original style unclear. It has a single nave, divided into three areas by arches and illuminated by three lateral windows. The images of Saints Julian and Lucía are housed inside the church.
It is also worth mentioning that Zureda has always been renown as one of the most populated and productive areas in the parish of Lena. This is reflected in the multitude of hórreos (granaries on stilts) that have been preserved in the village. The traditional activity to which the village of Zureda has been mainly dedicated over the years is livestock farming, as its geographical location and the complex terrain did not facilitate arable farming activities.
La Fiestona is the name given to the festivities held in Zureda in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary at the end of September, which usually last four days and include various performances, horse races, parades with bagpipes and children's games.