Medieval wall and Casa de Coaña

Chapter 8/11 · Navia

This street used to be called Tras la Cerca, «Behind the Wall», and today it bears the name of Mariano Luiña, the engineer from Navia who founded the Electra de Occidente power company. Here survives the only piece of the medieval wall still standing: a stretch of slate masonry about 15 metres long.

The town charter allowed the residents to enclose the new town. The walled area was barely more than 500 metres in perimeter and ran from Calle de las Armas to Calle San Francisco. According to the chronicler Tirso de Avilés, the work was begun by a certain N. de Oviedo, but it dragged on, or was never finished, until the 16th century. It was more a privilege of the town than a great defence, and over time it was pulled down so that Navia could grow.

Resting on the wall is the Casa de Coaña, built by Antonio García de Coaña in 1692 beside the path that ran around the wall: two round arches on top of the wall and two more on each side formed its arcade. Very close stood the Town Gate, which served as a lookout and as the meeting place of the open councils, the assemblies of all the residents; the little square next to it is called Placina de los Concejos today.

We cross the Placina de los Concejos and head to the Church of Our Lady of La Barca.

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