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Wise Pilgrim APPAlmost everything worth seeing in Salas centers on the Colegiata de Santa Maria la Mayor, a 16th-century church built at the order of Fernando de Valdes-Salas, one of the most powerful and feared men in Spanish history. The Colegiata houses his tomb, an elaborate alabaster work. Adjacent to it stands the Palacio de Valdes-Salas, whose medieval tower -- the oldest structure in town, dating to the 14th century -- now serves as a museum for pre-Romanesque pieces.
The town sits in a narrow valley and has a compact, walkable center. If you've been counting the days since a proper restaurant meal, Salas will oblige.
The Romeria del Viso is held on the 15th of August.
Fernando de Valdes-Salas (1483-1568) was born here and rose to become Archbishop of Seville and, more consequentially, Inquisitor General of Spain. In that role he oversaw the Spanish Inquisition at the height of its power, personally directing the prosecution of suspected heretics. His legacy is complex: the same man who funded the Colegiata and the University of Oviedo also maintained one of history's most efficient persecution machines.
In 1586, an Italian pilgrim named Bartholomeus Cassanu was caught stealing from the Colegiata. He had a history -- he'd already robbed a church in Zarautz on the Camino del Norte. The judge in Salas showed no leniency. Bartholomeus was hanged, quartered, and his remains displayed along the camino as a warning. Pilgrim crime has declined since.
To exit town, carry on under the archway and up the road. There is a fair amount of climbing ahead of you. The climb meets the road at El Llanón, which is easy to miss as its infrastructure counts for little more than an abandoned factory along the road.
