Fuentesnuevas (León) (0)

Did you know that... Fuentesnuevas

It is located in the northwest of the province of León, about 5 km from the center of Ponferrada. To the north of the territory between Ponferrada and Carracedelo, once known as the meadow of Fabero and was the cause of disputes for centuries between the Monastery of Carracedo and the council of Ponferrada. Fuentesnuevas was formed as a small nucleus with a chapel, on the edge of the French Way, in the early years of the Middle Ages. It is mentioned in the jurisdiction of Ponferrada as early as 1591. In Fuentesnuevas two well differentiated villages are distinguished, the new one towards the middle of the XX century joined the village that already existed and together they formed a local entity that, belonging to the council of Ponferrada, has pedáneo mayor and neighborhood meeting.

To discover What to see in Fuentesnuevas?

The old area of Fuentesnuevas shows mansions of noble families such as those of the Villarino and the Cartujo, in which typical popular building materials are combined with masonry stone and large wrought iron balconies; the remains of an old convent can also be seen. In the new part however, what it offers is the modernity in services and constructions. Its religious buildings also show the differences, while the new town shows its church of Santa María de Fuentesnuevas, which is a building of great proportions, in the oldest part of the town you can see the beautiful parish church dedicated to La Asunción, rectangular plan with dome encamonada ochavada on horns. The square of La ermita, the transept and the hermitage of Divino Cristo, built by popular initiative in the same place where before was the hermitage of Vera Cruz that had to be demolished for its bad condition, are other attractions that Fuentesnuevas offers to the visitor.

Festivities

Fuentesnuevas celebrates Corpus Christi, a solemn mass is officiated in the hermitage of Christ. The 15th of August are the great festivities of the village in honour of Our Lady and San Roque and among the acts is the now traditional sardine festival, in which a good tapa of sardines is tasted accompanied by good wine and where music is not lacking.

Traditions

In Fuentesnuevas a small and endearing Magosto is celebrated. At the festival, which is held in memory of the chestnut groves that once surrounded the slopes of La Cogolla, accompanied by music, roasted chestnuts are eaten.

Curiosities

In the festivities of Fuentesnuevas, the Procession of Light, which takes place in the middle of the night and under the glare of candles, has become a true protagonist along with the round of wineries, where neighbors take their wineries to the street offering free wine and food to all attendees.

The Legend

There are places in the locality, with their own name and history, that are in the affectionate memory of the villagers, such as "La Cogolla", a mountain of oaks that was cut in turns; "El Cachapón", "La cuesta de la iglesia" which was the old location of the village; "La fuente de los perales" which served as a public washing place; "El Coquin" which was a large meadow where cattle grazed in common; "Valdemolin" which was a place where a stream of water arrived to use the mill; or "El Poblado" which was built so that the settlers who arrived from the villages flooded by the Barcena reservoir could live there.