The Fenar Valley and its surroundings

Matallana de Torío is 30 km from the capital city of Leon and is a wonderful town to visit, it crosses the river Torío where the town’s kids go to bathe in the summer. or go by bike that joins the towns of Matallana de Torio (station), (town) and Villalfeide.

In this municipal area is the Hermitage and on August 18, 19 and 20 are the festivities of San Roque.

In Matallana de Torío we find a municipality whose cultural, economic and undoubtedly leisure-adventure aspects revolve around the Torío River, the MontaÑa Brava and the narrow-gauge train (FEVE) called by the "paisanos de the zone " the train of Matallana.

El Torío is a mountain river, one hundred percent trout, with a bronze torrent that begins to be riparian from Pardavé.

The City Council is composed of 11 towns of old lineage; towns designated by Rome and remade with medieval stone.

Populations of Matallana de Torío:

Pardave

Probably one of the first Asturian settlements that occurred in these places, confirmed by the later Roman colonization that traces one of its roads-causeway to Asturias. Right up to here came in the Middle Ages, the infantado del Torío who held the Abbey of San Isidoro for several centuries. By then from here to Leon, the Torío was called the La Mediana river. Pardavé had a hospital and a chapel dedicated to San Roque.

Robles de la Valcueva

At the crossroads of the roads that lead to La Robla and La Vecilla. It was called Bailongo the great mountain planted south of the town, sample of the great forest born here. It belonged in the low average age to the council of Cervera. Almost 50% of the men were dedicated to the felling and carrying of wood from these mountains to Leon. A little away from the town is the hermitage of Nuestra Sra. De Boinas where there is pilgrimage and good food on the day of the Virgin of August.

La Valcueva

Today is the sum of two locations because the old helmet of Palazuelo de la Valcueva is integrated into it. It was called the valley of La Cueva because these rocks are, since Roman times, full of primitive perforations. Coal mining is still one of its main economic resources. Two branches of the railway were built to transport coal from the La Carmonda mine and the La Arbea valley operations.

Neighborhood of the Station

In 1894 the railroad between La Robla and Valmaseda (Vizcaya) was finished, then the Matallana station was born, away from the town about 3 kms joined with branches approaching the mines of this main valley. Later, the Matallana branch? Leon. Thus the neighborhood was developed and became headquarters of the Municipal administration.

Naredo de Fenar

Settled next to the old Camino Real and Cordel de Merinas. It could have been called Heranedo or Fenaredo conforming the cattle destiny that these places must have had during their Roman colonization. In the upper area of ??the town there are vestiges of an old castro or pre-Roman town, possibly settlement of some Cantabrian tribe.

Fenar oak

The oak gives name to the towns. It belonged to the Council of Fenar that had condition of realengo. This council was granted a special charter by King Ferdinand I in 1042. It is known that it was a settlement of some Mozarabic community.

Matallana de Torío (Mata Plana)

In 1002 a donation of houses and lands of a convent of nuns is cited. It was always realengo. Today it is defined by its mining activity initiated at the beginning of the 19th century, with more than 80 hard coal deposits in this basin.

Orzonaga

Possibly founded by the Cantabrian tribe of the orgenomescos. Next to the town, in the place called " castro ", are the ruins of a hermitage dedicated to San Juan Bautista. It belonged to the Council of Cervera and was subject to the tributes of the abbot of San Isidoro.

Serrilla

It owes its development to the Real Cordel de Merinas. Here the wardrobe friars opened to assist the large herds and herdsmen who came from the south. Later the monopoly of the flocks passed to the nobles of the Council of the Mesta and the Duke of the Infantado settled here. Next to the bridge is the Ropería Mill, now converted into a rural tourism center.

Villalfeide (Villa of Al-Faid, Villa del Torrente)

The Mozarabic communities of the area made fashionable the pilgrimage to the hermitage of San Froilán in Valdorria with obligatory passage through Villalfeide. Its history is evident in a medieval bridge, as well as in its Romanesque church with a summary of stones that must have belonged to old hermitage installations.

The most important of them all, just 7 kilometers away, will be the reference to easily reach our center.

The municipality of La Robla is made up of nine towns that, together with La Robla, make up a total of 10 population centers. Located in the Central Mountain, it has a privileged situation, dominating the communications of the north of the province of Leon.

Inexcusable crossing of roads and railways, is an excellent starting point to access the wide variety of tourist resources offered by this area of ??Leon.

The municipality of La Robla, mainly includes the Valle de Alba and Fenar. The district of Alba contributes to the Municipality of La Robla: Alcedo, Llanos, Olleros, Puente and Sorribos. Also the District of Fenar contributes: Solana, Candanedo, Rabanal and Brugos.

La Robla is the main communication hub of the northern province of Leon. The passage by her is almost obligatory as much for the travelers with destination to Leon as those that go to Asturias. A La Robla can be accessed mainly through the following communication channels.

Through the N-630, which connects the port of Pajares that gives access to Asturias and vice versa.

Through the county road C-626 (La Magdalena-Cervera del Pisuerga), which is also the access to the A-66 motorway, which links Leon and Asturias. This district also allows to go or come from La Robla to important towns such as La Vecilla, BoÑar and other points from which you can get to Vegacervera, Valdeteja, San Isidro winter station, etc.

A la Robla can also be accessed by Alsa Railway or Bus Lines.

The third important nucleus of the area is Vegacervera.

The best preserved history, in addition to its rich parish archives, survives today in the drawing of the traditional architecture of all these towns that make up today the municipality of Vegacervera: Coladilla, Valporquero, Vegacervera Valley and Villar del Puerto. They are solid houses, almost hermetic, of carved stone or boulder, almost always with interior and solar corral, also integrating the spaces destined to the cattle (blocks for the cows and cuts for the sheep). The urban ensembles of these villages largely preserve their old styles and building techniques.

Other important municipalities around the camp include Villamanín, Cármenes, Valdepielago, and La Pola de Gordón.