TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE

Traditional architecture: livestock crush and pigsty

The traditional architecture is related to the popular activities and the customs of the inhabitants of a place. It is simple but practical and well-elaborated. In the zone of Santa Marta it is possible to find a multitude of vestiges of this ancient know-how that has lasted for centuries.

As samples of the multiple remains that have stood the test of time, we can see a former livestock crush, where horses, mules, donkeys and oxen were shoed; these animals were necessary for the agricultural labours and the transport. We can still see its four vertical granite pillars, in the shape of a quadrangular prism, formed a quadrilateral where the animal was held. The hollows served to fit the lumbers that completed the structure and with several irons that fixed them to the pillars. The livestock crush was developed in the 19th century and ceased to be used in the decade of the sixties of the 20th century, due to the mechanization of the field.

In the same area of the village, there are several pigsties where until a few years ago pigs were bred for the traditional "slaughter", which provided of cold meat for all the year round to every house. They were made of dry masonry of slate following the traditional construction techniques. It consisted of one o more resting places for the pigs whose living spaces were closed with a vault by the approximation of courses and covered with land that isolated and gave them consistency. The bay to access formed a few small doorjambs and a slate lintel. The pigsty remains closed by a small stone wall and has feeding-places and drinking-troughs, in many cases directly excavated in the rock. In the first half of the 20th century, it took place a great development of the pig breeding in Santa Marta; for this reason, dozens of pigsties were built along the municipality. This also meant the arrival of numerous neighbours of the region who settled themselves down in the locality.