An exploration of the Bunkers of Ranón and the Moorish Cemetery of Barcia, in Asturias

@ElentirENG ES 12·12·2023 · 23:06 0

During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the Principality of Asturias was the scene of important combats between the two contenders.

A tour of the old military positions on Mount Naranco, in Asturias
The hidden and magical beauty of Asturias in a ruined resort and an abandoned town

The town of Soto del Barco, located next to the mouth of the Nalón River and 23 kilometers northwest of Oviedo, had the misfortune that the front line was located there for a year strong>. Due to this, between 1936 and 1937 trenches and dozens of fortifications were built there. The columns of the national side from Galicia were entrenched on the western bank of the river, while the republicans were situated on the eastern bank, until the national offensive in the summer of 1937.

Likewise, in 1936, 20 kilometers west of that front line of the Nalón River, the national side built a Muslim cemetery in Barcia, in the municipality of Valdés, on the western side of the Negro River . This place, commonly known as the Moorish Cemetery of Barcia, served to bury more than 400 Muslim soldiers from that side, who were part of the troops that had been transferred from North Africa to Galicia at the beginning. from the war. The tombs are indicated in a very austere way, with sheets of slate, and sadly today the site is in a state of abandonment.

The excellent YouTube channel Aventuras Entresierras, to which I recommend you subscribe, has published today an interesting video in which he tours the Ranón Fortsin Soto del Barco (part of the republican defenses on the eastern bank of the Nalón River), and the Moro Cemetery in Barcia (the video is in Spanish, you can activate the automatic English subtitles in the bottom bar of the player):

Let's see some screenshots from the video here. This first fort is a gallery for rifle shooting, with loopholes curiously oriented downwards (you can see them in the video), surely to prevent ascent to this position from the river or the sea.

Another of Ranón's forts, this one with a small entrance.

A machine gun position, with loopholes wider than those of rifle pillboxes. In the video you can see what it looks like inside.

The entrance to the Moorish Cemetery of Barcia, with a beautiful Mudejar style arch, typical of Spanish Muslim architecture of the Middle Ages.