Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Besullo
Besullo, officially known in Asturian as Bisuyu, stands as a parish within the municipality of Cangas de Narcea, boasting a rich and unique history. Until the 1960s, Besullo was renowned for its modest industrial activity centered around blacksmithing domestic utensils. While its peak coincided with the 18th-century industrial revolution, the tradition of blacksmiths, known as ferreiros, dates back to Roman times. They manufactured the tools for gold mining in the region with the help of four mallets and a hydraulic-powered forge alongside the Pumar River. Today, the recently restored Mazo D'Abaxu, a surviving testament to this era, welcomes visitors.
Besullo is credited with hosting one of Asturias' earliest evangelical Protestant communities, thanks to the prosperity of ferreiros who ventured to other lands, including the coast, El Bierzo, and Valladolid.
Wandering through the streets of Besullo reveals a multitude of traditional horreos and paneras (granaries on stilts), contributing to the village's recognition as the Most Beautiful Town of Asturias in 1976. Notably, a panera adorned with a carving by the esteemed 19th-century Basque craftsman Gabriel Yriarte played a role in this accolade. The village also boasts the Casona de los Llano-Flórez, an illustrious manor house that served as the local school until a fire in 2006 left only its walls standing. Remarkably, this residence was the birthplace of Generation of '27 playwright Alejandro Casona, who adopted the house's name as his surname.
Besullo is the spiritual heart of the nine villages comprising its parish, and the church of San Martín is located at its north-eastern entrance. Originally a Romanesque monastery, the church, primarily of contemporary construction, retains traces such as the baptismal font, while its altarpieces and carvings date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The religious heritage extends to the chapel of Las Veigas and the hermitage of La Magdalena on the outskirts of the village. The chapel of Las Veigas houses a Baroque altarpiece from 1750, attributed to sculptor Juan García, while the hermitage of La Magdalena sits on a cliff known as El Castiecho, near the remains of an ancient castro.
Besullo comes alive every year in August, coinciding with the Assumption of the Virgin, as the inhabitants celebrate their grand festivities in honor of Our Lady of Las Veigas on the 15th of August, extending over several days. Amidst cider, bagpipes, and street parties, religious liturgies take center stage, featuring a procession from the church of San Martín to the chapel of Las Veigas. Tradition dictates a symbolic meeting of two images— the statue from the church of San Martín and the image kept in the hermitage of La Magdalena in the valley. The festivities culminate with two spectacular fireworks displays on the 15th and 16th, the first organised exclusively by women and the second by men.