Yernes y Tameza is a municipality in the

Autonomous Community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

of the

Principality of Asturias Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...

, Spain. It is situated in the east-central zone of the principality, between mountains high along the Cubia River. It is bordered on the west, north, and northeast by

Grado Grado may refer to: People * Cristina Grado (1939–2016), Italian film actress * Jonathan Grado (born 1991), American entrepreneur and photographer * Francesco De Grado (fl. 1694–1730), Italian engraver * Gaetano Grado, Italian mafioso * Grad ...

, on the southeast by

Proaza Proaza is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is bordered on the north by Santo Adriano and Grado, on the south by Teverga and Quirós, on the west by Yernes y Tameza and Teverga, and on the ea ...

, and on the south by

Teverga Teverga ( Asturian: Teberga) is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is bordered on the north by Belmonte de Miranda, Grado, Yernes y Tameza, and Proaza; to the south by León province, to t ...

. The municipality has an abrupt topography, most notable in the peak Caldoveiru (1,357 m) and the

Tameza River Tameza is one of two parishes (administrative divisions) in Yernes y Tameza, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain. Situated at above sea level, the ''parroquia (, , pl. ; , pl. ''parro ...

, which crosses the municipality from south to north. With 133 inhabitants according to the 2023 National Census, it is the least populated municipality in Asturias. The province is named after its two

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

Yernes Yernes is one of two parishes (administrative divisions) in Yernes y Tameza, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain. Situated at above sea level, the ''parroquia (, , pl. ; , pl. ''parro ...

and

Tameza Tameza is one of two parishes (administrative divisions) in Yernes y Tameza, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain. Situated at above sea level, the ''parroquia (, , pl. ; , pl. ''parro ...

("y" is Spanish for "and"). The capital is Villabre; other villages include: Fuxóu, Vindías, Villuarrí, and Yernes. The people practice high mountain ranching and

subsistence agriculture Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow crops on smallholdings to meet the needs of themselves and their families. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements. Planting decisions occu ...

. In livestock,

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

and

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

s are the most important, in particular the Asturian mountain breeds, such as the Asturcon. The most frequently cultivated crops are the

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

cereal A cereal is a grass cultivated for its edible grain. Cereals are the world's largest crops, and are therefore staple foods. They include rice, wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, and maize ( Corn). Edible grains from other plant families, ...

vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

s, and

hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticate ...

Geography

The municipality encompasses the majority of the Villalibre River basin, which is a tributary of the Cubia River and exerts an influence upon it in the neighbouring municipality of Grado. The river has its source in the Marabiu mountains and flows down to the valley that separates the Yernes y Tameza into two distinct sections, each exhibiting a unique set of terrestrial characteristics. The western bank is characterised by an undulating topography, comprising a series of hills and ridges. Conversely, the terrain on the eastern bank is relatively flat and extensive. The municipal term is situated at an altitude ranging from 400 to 1,200 meters, with slopes exceeding 21% in more than half of the surface area. The landscape is characterised by mountain ranges. In the northern part of Yernes y Tamanza, mountains such as Güey Morto and La Lloural, which are composed of siliceous rock, are prevalent. In contrast, limestone rock is the most common geological feature in the southern part of the municipality. This is exemplified by mountains such as Caldoveiro Peak, which are surrounded by ponds, chasms and caves such as Cuallagar.

History

The area was inhabited during the prehistoric and Roman periods, as evidenced by the discovery of lithic remains in numerous caves within the municipality. Additionally, during the initial decades of the 20th century, gold medals from the Roman Empire were unearthed in the village of Fuxóu. The first documented mention of Tameza is found in a document in which King Ordoño I of Asturias made a donation to the Cathedral of San Salvador in Oviedo in 857. In 1086, a number of noblemen bequeathed half of their territory to the cathedral. In 1174, Ferdinand II of León transferred his rights over the remaining half of the territory to the Church of Oviedo, which was subsequently established as an episcopal municipality, as evidenced by the municipal coat of arms. In 1579, a papal bull from Pope Gregory XIII allowed Philip II of Spain to confiscate the territory and return it to the Spanish Crown. Two years later, the 130 inhabitants purchased the territory from the king for 12,691,922 maravedíes, thereby establishing their own municipality or conceyu. Juan de Grijalva, the king's representative, appointed the inaugural town councillors and tasked them with formulating the municipality's ordinances. These responsibilities were subsequently undertaken by two magistrates, two councillors, a mayor of the Hermandad, and an agent for the nobility, as well as a judge, a councillor, and another mayor of the Hermandad for the general public. The municipality's capital was established in Villabre in 1584. In recent years, Yernes y Tameza has been in the spotlight of the Spanish media because, due to depopulation, there is not enough population to fill the vacant posts in the municipal administration when workers take sick leaves, forcing the mayor and the local population to take in their roles.

Demography

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Art

The municipality is not especially noted for its architecture. It has two chapels dedicated to

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

and

Santa Cristina de Lena St Christine of Lena () is a Roman Catholic Asturian pre-Romanesque church located in the Lena municipality, about 25 km south of Oviedo, Spain, on an old Roman road that joined the lands of the plateau with Asturias. Description The ...

, and there are parish churches of Santa María de Tameza and Santa Cruz de Yernes. Among its vernacular architecture, the most notable is an ancient palace with a chapel that belonged to the family López del Vallado. There are also the remains of a tower near the capital.

Transport

Road

The municipality is traversed by a provincial road, several minor roads and unpaved mountain roads.

References

External links

City hall website

Aula Vital, La Collada del Puerto - Yernes, Aula de Energías Renovables en plena Naturaleza
* {{authority control Municipalities in Asturias *