Santa Colomba de Somoza: Muleteer Houses, the Camino de Santiago and Gold Mining

In Santa Colomba de Somoza, visitors can learn about the architectural form and development of the traditional muleteer houses.

Culture and History

If you enjoy reading local history through specific figures, two years provide a clear basis for comparison. In 1561, 32 inhabitants lived in Santa Colomba de Somoza, including six muleteers who used 34 mules or horses. In 1752, 34 inhabitants lived there, 17 of whom worked as muleteers and owned more than 105 mules.

The Archivo Gráfico de la Era Pop is located in the restored La Casa de las Maestras building in Santa Colomba de Somoza. It comprises a documentation centre, several exhibition rooms and a multipurpose hall for concerts, presentations, conferences and film screenings. The Archivo Gráfico de la Era Pop is located directly on the Camino de Santiago.

The Torreón de los Osorio has a square floor plan, is 22 metres high and comprises four floors and a dungeon. It is the only surviving civil monument from the 14th century in the Maragatería. In Rabanal del Camino, the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción was built in the Romanesque style at the end of the 12th century. A Roman villa was discovered at Pago del Soldán, an area shared with Turienzo near Laguna Cernea.

Cuisine

Cocido maragato consists of nine types of meat, chickpeas with cabbage and noodle soup. These components are served in this order, followed by pudding and roscón.

Routes

According to the Codex Calixtinus, Rabanal del Camino is both the endpoint and the starting point of a stage of the Camino de Santiago. At the entrance to Foncebadón, the present-day Camino de Santiago arrives from Rabanal. The Camino de la Recua was a historic shortcut from the Turienzo valley towards Puerto de Foncebadón.

Landscape

The El Carballal del Oro route includes the Mirador de Laguna Cernea in Santa Colomba de Somoza. As a cultural route, El Carballal del Oro conveys the history of Roman gold mining and its lasting influence on the landscape in the municipality of Santa Colomba de Somoza. The hills north of Santa Colomba de Somoza feature interesting pits and washing sites from historical mining.

The route to the Mirador Laguna Cernea begins north of the centre of Santa Colomba de Somoza. The circular route to the Mirador Laguna Cernea is 2 kilometres long in total. The Mirador Laguna Cernea is located next to a large artificial lagoon that is almost 2,000 years old. When planning your day, you can compare the length of the circular route and the cultural route’s historical theme as two different focal points.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Santa Colomba de Somoza, you can compare travel dates, room category and cancellation policies on the respective offer page and tailor your choice to your planned stay and desired length of stay.

Other destinations in the local overview include Onzonilla, Revilla, Las Herrerías, Orallo, Castropodame, Espinoso De Compludo, Villanueva del Condado and Las Médulas.

On one weekend in August, Santa Colomba de Somoza opens its Maragato courtyards to visitors so that they can discover Maragato architecture in detail.

To the overarching travel overview: León.