"El Camín Real de la Mesa"

Guillermo Mañana Vázquez

The mountains of Asturias are once again the main characters in this new book by Guillermo Mañana Vázquez: “El Camín Real de la Mesa”. He has authored many publications in his quest to document the remains of a route or a summer pasture, so that in the future we can learn more about how it once was and what still is.

He documents every detail that is uncovered when he walks along El Camín Real or El Camín Francés, a singular route that does not descend towards the valley. The trail lacks bridges and sustains a firm structure of routes, which are the link between the territories of León and Oviedo, witness to more than five thousand years of history.

“El Camín Real de La Mesa” consists of three volumes that capture the present moment, the light and the changing color of the landscape, while it unveils the rich and abundant ethnographic legacy guarded by the mountains. It ends with an extensive chapter evoking the historical events that were staged on El Camín Real, together with the persons and protagonists.