Puente Viesgo

Beyond the angry aridity of the Castilian Plateau, marked, above all, by the harshness of the so-called Gothic Fields of Palencia and again in the fertile lands of Cantabria, I allow myself to invite you to accompany me on this walk, through another of those charming villas anchored on the banks of rivers so prolific in history and legends, such as the unique Pas River: Puente Viesgo.

Puente Viesgo, located at the beginning of the Pasiegos Valleys, in the foothills of that legendary and at the same time, black point of tragic accidents, which is Puerto del Escudo, just seven kilometers from relevant and very charming towns, as is the case of Santillana del Mar, also having a notable connection with the Cantabrian Highway, constitutes a small world to discover.

A world in which, in addition to a picturesque environment, where, for example, a good relationship between the architectures of different periods can be seen, the traveler will also be able to find curiosities of modern construction, which, based on the most relevant of that art related to the Saint James Way, the Romanesque, will pleasantly surprise you.

It goes without saying, on the other hand, that Puente Viesgo also enjoys, in its surroundings, an important part of the most impressive prehistoric habitats in Spain, with relevant underground complexes, such as the Pasiega caves, the Castle or the Chimneys, whose paintings constitute one of the great heritage and historical-cultural inheritances of Humanity.

In the surrounding area, there is also the presence of several camps of the Roman legions that participated in the bloody Cantabrian wars, which caused so much trouble to the expansionist desires of the Roman Empire and which, at the time, at the beginning of the 20th century, captured the attention of prominent researchers, such as Adolf Schulten.

Since the Early Middle Ages, Puente Viesgo was a strategic place for the surveillance of the Toranzo and Piélagos valleys and an obligatory passage, in addition, for access to the Plateau, so it should not be surprising that it constituted, by default and by its dependence on Castañeda and Santillana del Mar, on the passage and establishment of many of those anonymous medieval stonemasons' workshops, which were dispersed inland, following the vicissitudes, not only of the Saint James Way, but also of the repopulation added to the known historical period. like the Reconquista.

Also possessing a magnificent spa that takes advantage of its thermal waters, Puente Viesgo offers a good selection of tourist and rest facilities, which has seen the old mansions and palaces transformed, with all the modern comforts.

But, without a doubt, as we said at the beginning, one of the most extraordinary pieces and that, by default, attracts the most attention of travelers and tourists, is none other than the neo-Romanesque church of Saint Michael, designed in the 1950s. from the last 20th century, by the sculptor Enrique Somavilla, reusing the old church, of which he still preserves the 17th century tower and a chapel, the current church of Saint Michael, constitutes a surprising tribute, not only to the most characteristic of the Romanesque architecture of Cantabria, but also, to the most flourishing and spectacular of Compostela Romanesque art, where the author, there is no doubt, pays tribute to the outstanding sculpture of Master Mateo and his Portico of Glory.

Next to it, where the beautiful octagonal dome attracts attention, is the old Fuentes Pila palace, currently converted into the Puente Viesgo Town Hall.

In addition, green hiking routes also depart from Puente Viesgo that pass through dreamlike places and spectacular beauty and the fishing enthusiast has, in the pools of the Pas River, one of the best places to fish for that untamed enigma of Nature, which is the salmon.

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