Puntos de Interés
Culture
Las Montañas gold mines
In the parish of Las Montañas, nestled within the Cangas de Narcea council and comprising the villages of San Félix, San Pedro, and El Pumar, remnants of a bygone era lie concealed by nature, bearing witness to the enduring Roman imprint on these peaks and valleys. The Romans, driven by their pursuit of exploiting gold mines, left an indelible mark on the landscape, shaping it into the captivating terrain we see today.
Among the various villages, San Félix de las Montañas, officially known as San Fliz in Asturian, stands out as a focal point of this historical period, where Asturian mining, though impactful, operated in service to the flourishing Roman Empire. Positioned on the southern ledge of San Félix, "El Carcavón", a sinkhole, crafted by human hands into the mountainside, allows access to the crest of the cut from the mountain's flank. The Romans employed water-based techniques to erode the rock, channeling river masses through strategically placed holes. Employing the thermal shock technique, they heated the rock with fire before circulating cold water to fracture it. The resulting sinkholes, exemplified by "El Carcavón," bear witness to this historic mining method.
Adjacent to "El Carcavón" lies a cluster of remnants along the famed Gold Route, offering a glimpse into the region's mining past. Weathered water tanks and pipes, now covered with vegetation, coexist with the entrance gallery of the mine, excavated for previous prospecting. The entrance, known as ternagi, is readily visible from the road, standing at approximately 2 meters in height and extending about 100 meters beneath the mountain's surface.