Colombres

The Indianos. The Museo de la Emigración in Colombres is an excellent collection in an incredible building. It captures the life of the Indianos, everyday Gallegos, Asturianos, Cantabrians, and Basques who because of their proximity to the sea were most able to emigrate from Spain to the Americas (central and south) during a period of great poverty in the late 19th century. A great many left but only a few struck it rich, and when they returned they turned their fortunes to building large manors and to securing titles. Many of the houses still remain and those in Asturias are the finest examples. They are sometimes colonial in style, and always eclectic with palm trees as a tribute to their tropical lives.

The Indianos also repaid their fortune by financing public works projects, and in Colombres the primary benefactors were responsible for bringing the village to a level or modernization seen only in the Asturian capital.