Soto de Valdeón brings together a collection of traditional hórreos, a 12th-century church and a history of communal and private mills. The village lies beneath the high peaks of the Picos de Europa. If you are looking for accommodation for a stay, you can choose Soto de Valdeón based on a clear focus: architecture, local history and mountain scenery sit side by side here. The various buildings belong to different periods and offer a tangible way to explore the village’s history.
Hórreos and Church Architecture
The village is home to a collection of 17 hórreos, traditional granaries. Two of the five archaic hórreos still preserved in the province of León are in Soto de Valdeón; both are more than 500 years old. The figures describe two different scales: 17 refers to the collection in the village, while two indicates its share of the province’s archaic hórreos. If you are interested in architectural history, you can distinguish the collection as a whole from its particularly old examples.
The Church of San Pedro Advíncula dates from the 12th century. It has a Renaissance altarpiece and a portal with polychrome capitals. This brings together several specific points of interest in one building: the church’s date, its interior furnishings and the colourful capitals on the portal. The Renaissance furnishings add a later period to the church’s earlier construction date. If you are interested in church architecture, you can therefore look at both the building’s history and details of the portal.
Mills and Names from Local History
In the 19th century, Soto de Valdeón had six mills operating at the same time: four communal and two private. One mill remains in good condition today. This comparison separates two questions that can easily be conflated: how many mills existed at the same time in the 19th century, and which mill survives today? This makes it possible to compare the former milling economy with today’s description of the surviving buildings, without mistaking the historical figure for the current number.
The hermitage of Virgen Blanca is also part of the local architectural history. It dates from the 16th century, is now called Virgen del Carmen and is known in the valley as “La Capilla.” These names refer to the same building: Virgen Blanca is the historical name, Virgen del Carmen the current name, and “La Capilla” the name by which it is known in the valley. Together with the Church of San Pedro Advíncula, the hermitage shows that the village’s architectural history is not limited to a single century.
Location, Getting There and Recreation Area
Soto de Valdeón lies beneath the high peaks of the Picos de Europa. When planning your journey, take the mountain-road route into account: Soto is one of the settlements in the Valdeón Valley reached from Riaño via the N-625 towards Cangas de Onís and the turn-off to Puerto de Panderruedas, before Puerto del Pontón. As conditions on mountain roads and traffic regulations can change, it is advisable to check them before setting out.
The recreation area is in the municipality of Posada de Valdeón, on the path between Soto de Valdeón and Caldevilla. It has tables and a children’s playground. If you are planning a visit with children, the playground is a useful point of reference; facilities can change, so you should check them before visiting.
Discover More Destinations
Piedrafita De Babia, Valdelaloba, Borrenes, Espinoso De Compludo, Cacabelos, Beberino, San Adrián, Valderrueda
For the main travel overview: León.
