Las Fraguas: Architectural History, Festivals and Walking Routes

Las Fraguas offers a variety of reasons to visit: architectural history, the tradition of the Virgen del Carmen, and routes with clearly specified lengths and paths. For your planning, it is worth deciding on your main focus first: would you like to explore the historic buildings, visit for the festival, or take a walk? Your reason for travelling and the dates may also influence your choice of stay when looking for a hotel.

Buildings and Their History

The Casona de Las Fraguas is a Cantabrian manor house dating from the late 17th century. It was built by the Marchioness of Cilleruelo. For several generations, it was the family’s official residence. In 1900, the Dukes of Santo Mauro built the Palacio de los Hornillos on the same estate.

The palace was built between 1897 and 1904 by the English architect Ralph Selden Wornum. Designed as an English palace in the Neo-Tudor style, it draws on the medieval rural architecture of England. It also has a connection to film history: in 2001, the palace was a filming location for *The Others*, directed by Alejandro Amenábar and starring Nicole Kidman. The interior is currently not open to visitors; the palace is the private property of the Duke of Don Carlos. Check access arrangements before travelling, as they may change.

The Iglesia de San Jorge reflects a different era: in 1890, the Dukes of Santo Mauro commissioned it as a chapel-pantheon over the ruins of a medieval hermitage. Its Neoclassical design is modelled on a Greek temple. The church has 40 Corinthian columns and is popularly known as “El Partenón”. The dukes donated the building to the town for use as a parish church; its specific use may be subject to local regulations. The Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Las Fraguas dates from the 18th century.

An Annual Festival

The festival in Las Fraguas is held every year on the evening of 15 July in honour of the Virgen del Carmen, and has been celebrated for more than 200 years. It has been designated an event “of regional tourist interest”. During the festival, the public lighting is switched off. Residents place candles in the streets and in their homes, windows and balconies; the town is then lit only by candlelight. Thousands of visitors come on foot from neighbouring places, although visitor numbers may vary from year to year. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the specific arrangements in advance, as they can change each year.

Walking Routes and Directions

At 3 km, the “Paseo Palaciego” is the shorter of the two circular routes described. It is easy and suitable for the whole family. The also-easy “Rincones de Valdeiguña” route is 5.9 km long. It starts at the Las Fraguas recreation area and passes through Palacio, Palazuelos, Cohiño, San Cristóbal and Pedrero. The two circular routes therefore differ in both length and the places listed along them.

The Las Fraguas recreation area is in the town centre, next to the river and the municipal swimming pool facilities. Check local information about the facilities and access before your trip. Another route is the Camino de La Santa Cruz: it crosses the Valdeiguña stream at the crossing near the Carmen chapel and leads from Las Fraguas towards Pedredo along a footpath beside the S-201 road.

For planning purposes, the circular routes have specified lengths and stated difficulty levels; for the Camino de La Santa Cruz, the direction, stream crossing and path beside the road are the described points of reference. This lets you choose whether to focus your trip on architectural history, the festival or walking routes, without requiring you to take a particular route.

Discover more destinations: Pedredo

Return to the main travel overview: Arenas De Iguña.