An artistic walk through Argomilla of Cayón

In the vicinity of Socobio and, of course, its monumental Collegiate Church of Holly Cross, the traveler interested in the incredible historical-artistic heritage of Cantabria, has another splendid place, whose appointment is not to be missed: Argomilla de Cayón and its monumental church, dedicated to the interesting figure of Saint Andrew.

Located, like Socobio, in the splendid Cayón Valley, also on the verge of the Caballar Mountain range, Argomilla is the typical country town, where time seems to have stopped, next to the nostalgic banks of the Pisueña river, to form a idyllic landscape of the countryside, where to immortalize those times in which livestock farming was the true gold of this land, preserving this tradition, since Neolithic times, where the first markets can be seen in the shadow of the mysterious enclosures, which served at the same time of temples and burials, which were the dolmens.

In fact, this tradition was maintained over time, with markets being held, in many cases, next to Christian temples, all of them dedicated to a very decisive figure: Our Lady of Quicksilver or Market.

Of the relevance of dedications in the past, we even have a subtle example here, because before being called Argomilla of Cayón, this place was already known by the name of Saint Andrew of Cayón, in reference to the monastery that stood here, from which Only the magnificent Romanesque church survives, which I propose to visit today.

To do this, it is necessary to leave the town behind and ascend towards the highest part along a narrow rural road, at its beginnings, which gradually widens as we ascend.

On the magnificent plain dominated by a peak, on whose leafy slopes cattle graze peacefully and located, right in front of what was once a magnificent 16th century Gothic palace, which has fallen into disrepair over time - that of Ceballos Knight - the Church of Saint Andrew, even with the additions made in later times, where the architecture seems to have surrendered more to personal taste than to the sacred parameters that had prevailed throughout the Middle Ages, is still one of the most relevant examples. of the Romanesque art of Cantabria.

Like many other temples of its style, strategically located along the innumerable pilgrimage routes, its apse or head is oriented towards the east, towards the sunrise, while its main access portal is towards the west. following the patterns of a symbolic ritual, where the files entered from the darkness of the outside world and its miseries, to the light of the spirit and faith.

Also, as in the rest of the sculptural ornaments that make up the temples of this period and class, in this temple of San Andrés, we find the characteristic references to the environment -foliaceous and animal representations- to sin -summed up in mythological motifs, which, Generally, they allude to the cults and beliefs prior to Christianity - and also to that marginal eroticism, of a crude textuality, that has caused so much talk over time and that, on many occasions, has been sharply altered by the hammer. of the most orthodox ecclesiastical censorship.

On the other hand, its situation is unbeatable, not only to be able to contemplate the town from a general perspective, but also its splendid surroundings, where there is no shortage, consequently, of opportunities to practice one of the most exciting adventures: hiking.

NOTICE: Both the text and the photographs that accompany it, as well as the video that illustrates it, are my exclusive intellectual property and, therefore, are subject to my Copyright.

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