Culture
Heritage
Of the archaeological heritage of Murias de Paredes we can mention the remains of forts and ancient settlements, several without cataloging or properly studied, the Roman remains of gold mining in Barrio de la Puente and the canals of Valle Gordo and the medieval necropolis of Murias. The municipality also has an important architectural and artistic heritage, in various states of conservation.[72].
Notable are the bridges of La Lechería de Murias and that of Barrio de la Puente and the emblazoned mansion of the Quiñones in Murias, restored in 2012. Also worth mentioning are the hermitage of Barrio de la Puente, which dates back to 1756 and displays a coat of arms on the façade, and those of the Xeita in Rodicol, del Carmen in Murias, Santiago in Fasgar, del Rosario in Senra and the port of the Magdalena "Puerto de la Magdalena (León)"), from the pre-Romanesque period, in which remains of decorative frescoes can still be distinguished. Among the churches, the one in Barrio de la Puente stands out, dated 1773, with elaborate balconies in its belfry "Espadaña (architecture)"), as well as those in Rodicol and Posada de Omaña.[72][73].
Many churches have richly decorated altarpieces, such as that of Villabandín, which due to its style is classified as dating from the late Renaissance period and to which Churrigueresque columns were later added. Others date from the Baroque, such as that of Murias de Paredes, composed of two bodies and three streets separated between them by Solomonic columns with shafts decorated with bunches of grapes.[73].
Both the churches and the hermitages contain notable pieces and carvings; Although it is not always possible to date them precisely, their age can be estimated based on their style. Several of them correspond to the Romanesque period, such as the Virgin with Child on the altarpiece of the Murias de Paredes church. In Torrecillo there is the image of a Christ in polychrome wood, considered of particular value for having Byzantine influences atypical of the province of León. The *Virgen de la The carvings of San Juan Bautista, Santa Catalina and San Lorenzo, and the Christ of Veracruz in the Murias de Paredes church, are from the Baroque, as well as the statue of the Nazarene, of notable artistic interest, in Barrio de la Puente. As in other areas of the León Mountain, many valuable objects have disappeared during the century, possibly sold illegally.[73][74].
Language
Leonese is the language traditionally spoken in Murias de Paredes, although for centuries it has been in a situation of diglossia compared to Spanish, this being the language used to write the ordinances of the towns and other written documents. Since the century, the use of Leonese as an oral language has been declining.[75].
Architecture
Stone and wood are the main materials used for constructions. Buildings predominate
square plan, in coexistence with those with a circular plan, characteristic of the regions of El Bierzo and Laciana, as corresponds to the situation of Murias de Paredes as a transition area between the northwest of the peninsula and the plateau. The roofs of the buildings are inclined to prevent the accumulation of snow. In the past they were made of teito, made with "coelmos" or bundles of rye, but the risk of fire has relegated their use since the beginning of the century to auxiliary buildings, such as barns, in which the roof is usually very deteriorated or absent, except in those that have been protected with uralite. The roof of the houses is normally made of slate slab "Slate (rock)").[24][76].
The one- or two-story houses and attached buildings for housing livestock and other purposes are built around an interior corral. The style is functional and rustic, although not devoid of decorative elements, such as the carved or semi-carved stone moldings to frame doors and windows and the whitewashing of the walls. An architectural element to highlight are the corridors or corridors, either open or closed by glass, the latter being rarer.[73][76].
Festivities
Many of the festivities celebrated in Murias de Paredes are religious in nature. Among these are the festivities with roots throughout Spain, such as Christmas, Three Kings' Day, Holy Week and Corpus Christi, as well as the festivals of the patron saints and virgins of each town. Some celebrations of a secular nature also endure, although others have been lost over the years. In February or March, before Lent, the carnival festival known as zafarronada still takes place. This has a main character, the zafarrón, disguised with a sheepskin, cowbells and a sheep's mask; The zafarrón tours the towns accompanied by other characters such as "the blind man", "the blind woman", "the gypsies", "the bullfighter" and "the bull" asking for food in the houses to celebrate a celebration at the end of the parade.[77][78] In the past, another profane festival took place on April 30, known as the burning of the old woman or queima de la viya. In it, the children formed a pile with urces, brooms and straw, incorporating some women's clothing to represent the oldest woman in the town, who was set on fire at dusk.[79] The Murias de Paredes town council, together with other associations, is trying to rescue this tradition, which has already disappeared in many towns for years.[80].
Traditions
The typical customs of the populations of the municipality of Murias de Paredes are often shared with other municipalities in the Leonese mountains. Leonese bowling is the most played traditional game. Among the most renowned customs are the filandón and the calecho, neighborhood gatherings to pass the time telling stories or playing cards. The filandones took place during the long winter afternoons and the attendees carried out domestic tasks such as spinning during these meetings, from which they received their name. The calechos usually took place outdoors.[77] The Samartino or Sanmartino, the day on which the pig was slaughtered, and the harvest of the cereal harvest was carried out, were events of great importance within the framework of the subsistence economy that existed in the past. Some of them are being lost due to depopulation and the abandonment of old ways of life.
Gastronomy
The gastronomy of Murias de Paredes is fundamentally the same as in the rest of Omaña and Tierra de Ordás. It is based on products that were once mostly grown or produced locally. Among foods of animal origin, dairy products stand out, mainly milk and butter, eggs "Egg (food)") and meat, mainly pork, which were fattened for this purpose. In the Samartino blood sausages, chorizos and lloscos were made, cured in the smoke stoves and stored in the pantry known as "gabitera" for consumption throughout the following year.[81] These sausages were a fundamental element of the diet. Meat from hunting species typical of the area, such as wild boar, hares, partridges, and fishing, such as trout, was also used.
Among foods of plant origin, the most important was bread, almost always rye, legumes and vegetables, such as potatoes, used in numerous dishes, cabbage, beans, broad beans, chickpeas, peas, etc. and fruits, cultivated or wild: apples, cherries, pears, nisos - a variety of plum -, chestnuts, blackberries "Mora (fruit)"), blueberries and miruéndanos.[81].
Typical dishes include, among others, cocido omañés, migas, garlic soups, trout soup, gypsy arm, fisuelos —also called frisuelos— and miajotes, consisting of a pasta made with blackberries and bread. The tradition of transhumance in the mountains of the area has left its mark on pastoral dishes such as caldereta, chanfaina and fritada.[81] Homemade pomace liqueurs made from cherries, blueberries and other fruits are common.[81][82].