In El Bierzo, art is literally camouflaged in nature.
Every tree has a hidden story , legendary and magical to tell and the region of El Bierzo is full of these majestic specimens throughout its more than 3,170 kilometers of surface. What we did not imagine is to meet a route through different municipalities in which to discover these sixteen sculptures carved in trees that help us to understand the greatness of this area that enjoys a peculiar artistic and natural heritage.
We traveled to the region of El Bierzo, which is south of Asturias and east of Galicia and shares many elements with both communities, both in terms of landscape, gastronomy and culture. This area of the province of León is the perfect place to walk through its forests, listen to the intoxicating sound of nature and discover new experiences at each stop.
It is the case of the 16 wooden sculptures that recall life, tradition and history of generations of settlers who inhabited these lands and who are found in different localities such as Páramo del Sil, Vega de Valcarce, Carracedelo, Borrenes, Molinaseca, Ponferrada or Priaranza del Bierzo among many.
It all started in 1992 when the artist Domingo González carved for the first time one of the many elm trees who died of graphiosis disease and placed it in Borrenes, from then on other artists such as Víctor Lobato, known as Rixo, followed his example and have materialized half of the sixteen sculptures. Most of these carved specimens reflect scenes related to the past of the towns while others point to the Templar past of the area or serve to denounce the damage caused by forest fires.
We start that route in the capital of El Bierzo, the city of Ponferrada. Here is the Jacobean column , a chestnut wood mast about six meters high and one meter in diameter at the Albergue de Ponferrada. Nearby is the Castle of the Templars , which is also worth a visit.
We continue with the tour and we arrived at the town of San Pedro de Castañero where there is a sculpture in honor of the chestnut, under the title Harvesting and vareado of the chestnut fruit , a carving in an imposing chestnut tree that pays homage to the relationship between man and this type of specimen in this chestnut-producing region.
'La Talla del Kannon' is located in Molinaseca, one of the most beautiful villages in Spain.
We make a stop in Molinaseca , considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, and we were surprised to discover The carving of the Kannon a representation of a female Buddha which is located in the old Hermitage of San Roque, which is currently the municipal hostel for pilgrims. In Columbrians we discover two different sculptures, the first is a tribute to the Peasant Woman and the other is a Wedding Dance , both carved in a bas-relief on bold.
This is the dream route for nature lovers in its maximum splendor because the tour of each of the towns is a true delight for the senses. We arrived at Ocero where Negrillón de Santa Ana is located. which is the second most relevant negrillo in Castilla y León after that of Boñar.
Very close to Oro is the municipality of Páramo del Sil in which we find two different sizes. A call Tribute to the Senator on a chestnut carving made by the sculptor Ovidio García, and the other Tribute to the sport the mine, the hunt and the bear.
We are pleasantly surprised to meet a Sculpture of an ape in Vega de Valcarce with a curious history . This large carving, which today stands as a protective spirit of the hórreo located behind it in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento de Vega de Valcarce, was conceived for the A-6 motorway. There it was placed, at kilometer 419, at the height of La Portela and next to an ethnographic complex that also included a hórreo. Nevertheless, the expectation it caused among drivers that passed by could compromise the safety of the road, so the Ministry of Public Works decided to withdraw it and Today it is one of the hallmarks of the town.
The carvings sometimes recreate tributes, like this one to 'La mujer campesina'.
Nearby is Villadepalos with its Sculpture to the fisherman with a rod and a trout in hand, a work by Antonio Rodríguez. Now we come to El Águila with its dam in the municipality of San Juan de Paluezas . And next to this town we discover the municipality of Borrenes and its famous Negrillo de Borrenes with a base of stones and surrounded by vegetation.
In Orellán the Roman warrior stands imposing with his sword raised . This work in chestnut, located shortly before the viewpoint, at the La Chana/Borrenes intersection, was a project of the Priaranza workshop school, directed by Rixo. In this work you can see a castle and a basket of pears, with the hook, and the inscription. If you go with time it is essential to make a stop at Las Médulas the largest open pit mine in the entire Roman Empire.
The 'Sculpture of an ape' caused so much expectation that it had to be removed from its initial location.
Under the title Knight Templar in guard position, protecting those who make a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulcher The carving is found in Priaranza de El Bierzo. And the last stop takes us to the Criticism of the forest fires in the Castle of Cornatel a protesting sculpture against forest fires.
This has been a peculiar route that takes the traveler to visit many special towns in the region of El Bierzo . Forests, countryside and municipalities in which the protagonists are these peculiar trees that died in the same place where they always lived.