A walk through Santiurde de Toranzo

Molledo is still one of those unique councils of Cantabria where those who are passionate about architecture in general and, above all, the very ancient one, called pre-Romanesque or repopulation, will find some interesting fragments, the tracing of which will make them think of that dark period, precursor of an architecture that began to be more sophisticated, coming to be considered, based on its proliferation, as the most representative architectural style of Christianity: the Romanesque.

Just 3 kilometers from Helguera and its fascinating pre-Romanesque hermitage dedicated to the figure of a curious saint, named Leocadia and settled in a fertile and peaceful valley, the small town of Santiurde de Toranzo, invites us to speculate on that past time, where , despite the difficult historical period that the Iberian Peninsula was going through after the collapse of the Visigoth world, led by its last king, Don Rodrigo, the inhabitants of the north began to lay the foundations for a repopulation, which, with the passing of the over time it would extend towards the Gothic Fields of Palencia and the infinite expanses of the Castilian Plateau.

Its ancient church, occupying one of the most remote places in the town and elevated on a small promontory, has its roots precisely in that period, when Visigothic architecture, which was characterized, above all, by the basilica plan of its buildings, It was beginning to evolve towards other models, more humble, perhaps, in terms of complexity, but, at the same time, possibly more popular.

Unlike the church of Helguera, the small church of Santiurde, dedicated to a saint of dubious existence and name, Cecilia, has, unfortunately, seen its original plan greatly modified, although, fortunately, there are still some remains, as part of its apse, some windows and the belfry, a classic within the sacred architecture of Cantabria and a good part, also, of Burgos and Palencia.

Apart from this historical-architectural tracing, which may be of interest to keep a heritage accounting little or nothing known to tourism in general, Santiurde de Toranzo also has, at the traveler's disposal, evident traces of that architecture, eminently rural, It is also worthy of admiration and where, in some of the worst preserved buildings, that ineffable passage of time is denoted, which marks the guidelines of an evolution, which, despite everything, seems less impressive in places as quiet as this one.

This town of Santiurde is also an excellent place, not only to enjoy surprising nature, but also as a starting point for numerous hiking and cultural routes, as it is located near relevant places, such as Puente Viesgo. or Cayón, with its fascinating church of Saint Mary, as well as approximately half an hour from an eminently legendary coast: the Cantabrian Sea.

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