Palacio de Cutre

Javier Alvarez Garzo looks forward to welcome you to Palacio de Cutre boutique hotel in Picos de Europa National Park.

Palacio de Cutre is a 16th century Asturian Palace with wall, tower and chapel of the same era. The hotel is located in one of the most beatiful areas of Asturias on the southern slope of the Sierra del Sueve Mountain Range, offering magnificent views to the Picos de Europa National Park.

Only few noble houses of this period are, like this one, located in the middle of a valley on a 18,000 square meters property and away from any other building nearby.

It enjoys a privileged situation in this valley midway between the sea and the mountains. Unlike most of the mansions of this era, Cutre Palace is isolated in a rural setting of spectacular beauty, so the quiet is assured.

The hotel itself is an outstanding combination of a unique historical place with time beating quietly to the sound of the countryside, to the rhythm of nature. Inside, the guests are surprised by the comfort enhanced by the Provencal style decoration, with every detail been taken care of. So do not be surprised to find an 18th century cot in the corner, used at the time by the daughter of the owner, or a large Lousi XV closet full of porcelain dolls from the Victorian era.

Contact

+34 985 708 072 +34 985 708 019 Email Website available in: Spanish, English, German, French

Palacio de Cutre on social networks:

Services

Palacio de Cutre has 18 guest rooms with prices from €.65.00 and the following amenities:

Hotel Services

Restaurant. A la carta ó Menú Degustación
Internet connection. Wifi gratuito
Accessible. En todo el Hotel y en el Jardin
Parking. Sin costo
Non-smoking hotel.
Bicycle rental. Previa Petición
Bar. En el Salón de la Chimenea
Book collection.
Safe. En todas las habitaciones
Fireplace in common areas. En el Salón Verde
Horse riding. Centro Equestre a 10 minutos del Hotel
Jacuzzi. En Suites
Conference room.
Pets allowed. Contactar con el Hotel
Other. Servicio de Picnic, Rutas Personalizadas a pie y en coche

Room Services

Baby cot. Bajo disponibilidad
Air conditioning. En Suite Familiar (4 personas)
Internet connection. Sin cargo
Safe.
Minibar. En Superiores y Suites
Wake-up calls.
Room service.
Laundry service.
Telephone.
TV.
Other. Carta de Almohadas, Servicio exclusivo restaurante en habitacion con cocinero y camarero (solo en suite familiar)

Awards

Spanish Q-Mark for Tourist Quality
Quality Club Asturian Mansions
Quality Club Asturian Cuisine, Gastronomic Excellence
Michelin recommended
Recommendations in Gourmetour Guide, Repsol Guide and Caractere Guide.

Restaurant

Palacio de Cutre Restaurant

Our restaurant is located in what was once the palace’s “llagar”, i.e. the place where the inhabitants mashed apples and made cider (which is the traditional drink in Asturias). After having been carefully restored, the place now offers a cosy Provencal style atmosphere.

Our cuisine respects the traditional Asturian gastronomy while contributing to new creations. Our starters are made of seasonal market products. This way we have recovered already forgotten recipes, such as “Tortos con huevos y picadillo” (a sort of unleavened flat bread with eggs and chopped-fried vegetables) or “Salmón marinado con mandarina al Jengibre y sus huevas” (Marinated salmon with its roe and ginger mandarin).

As regards the main dishes, we’d like to mention traditional flavours such as “Cabrito del Sueve con Palatinos” (Sueve-style kid) or “Manos de cerdo confitadas” (candied knuckles of pork) as well as our fish dishes, always elaborated with fresh fish – especially hake and monkfish – coming directly from the ports of Lastres and Llanes.

Our homemade desserts also deserve a special mention: they are based on either traditional recipes, such as our “Arroz con leche” (rice pudding) or on innovative recipes as our “Delicias de chocolate en texturas” (chocolate delights).

Restaurant Services

Restaurant. A la Carta ó Menu Degustación
Dinner to go. Previa peticion
Accessible Restaurant.
Other. Comidas campestres para llevar de excursion (Previa peticion)

Quality Certification

Palacio de Cutre quality cerfitications

Quality Club Asturian Table

Asturias is a land of mountains and green meadows, woods and rivers of great beauty, the sea pounding against cliffs and fertile river basins. All these features make our region a natural provider of fish, sea-food, meat, vegetables, fruit and cheese, all of excellent quality.

Therefore, the gastronomy of Asturias is one of the basic pillars of our tourist offer and should be highlighted.

In order to achieve this aim, the Principality of Asturias has introduced a new quality certification for restaurants. “Mesas de Asturias”, Gastronomic Excellence, wishes to promote all those Asturian establishments that, with effort and hard work, distinguish themselves by offering excellent food prepared in different ways, author cuisine, traditional cuisine, etc. and that can be enjoyed in warm and friendly establishments.

The Principality of Asturias manages the quality of this certification by means of strict controls that are inspected by an external agency, which performs audits on equipment, installations and management as well as on the service.

Special mention granted by Dña. Mercedes Alvarez Gonzalez, Adviser of Culture and Tourism On May 24, 2010, for the excellent punctuation obtained in the Audit of Quality control and the high level of fulfillment of the commitments of the brand ” Tables of Asturias ” – Gastronomic Excellence-, demonstrated across his work and dedication.

Quality Club Asturian Casonas

Visitors can find comfortable accommodation in the country, where unique experiences can be enjoyed based on a concept that includes global quality in infrastructure, installations and services.

Good examples of this idea are the Club de Calidad Casonas de Asturias (Asturian Country House Quality Club), an association of charming hotels with a strict quality system, “that undergo quality audits, as the hotels of the Paradores chain (state-owned hotels), and hotels that have a Q for Touristic Quality certification .

Special mention granted On March 30, 2011 by Dña. Mercedes Alvarez Gonzalez, Adviser of Culture and Tourism for the excellent punctuation obtained in the audits of Quality control and in the fulfillment of the commitments of the brand Qualit club Casonas Asturianas demonstrated across his work and dedication.

Rooms

Guest rooms description

It has 18 rooms, each one different from the other: 6 double standart, 5 double superior, 2 junior suites (1 of them with a living room and a chimney), 3 triple, 1 for families of 4 people and our new suite (with 2 rooms, 2 bathrooms and a living room with a chimeney). All of them with a bathroom, hairdryer, welcome products, heating, telephone, TV via satellite and safe, as well as “Pillow´s” a la carte” and a magnifying mirror.

Superior Rooms and Suites have minibar.

Suites also have air and water hydro-massage as well as velvet bathrobe.

All of them have direct free connection to internet.

The History of the Place

The Cutre Palace or Houses

Thanks to the extensive research work carried out by Mr. Eduardo Martinez Hombre, who, having found, amongst other documents, some notes written by Captain Santirso entitled “News about a pilgrim travelling from Oviedo to Covadonga in 1759”, we have been able to uncover details of the history of Cutre. The pilgrimage was undertaken by the above-mentioned Captain, Mr. Cipriano Gonzalez Santirso or Cipriano Santirso.

Eduardo set himself the task, which he completed, of editing those documents, adding  footnotes to the end of each chapter and accompanying them with photographs, maps and drawings, besides the research notes on the important people whose names appear in the Captain’s memoirs.

Having gathered all the information, he goes into meticulous detail about the history of the Piloña council, its palaces, large houses, inhabitants and customs, while not forgetting descriptions of its mountains.

Material relating to the Palace and Houses of Cutre has been selected from this research work since this Palace is deserving of mention and because the researcher was particularly fascinated by its history and inhabitants.

The names of Cutre and other large houses and palaces of the same period are taken from the place where they are located. Cutre is a specific area or district, belonging to the Sorribas Parish of San Pablo. It is an enclave at the junction where the roads leading from Villamayor (Piloña) to Villaviciosa, Colunga and Ribadesella meet, skirting the Sueve mountain range.

The word Cutre had already appeared in the chronicle written by King Alfonso III, in respect of the flight of Don Pelayo to Covadonga, which states “the Munuza emissaries, perhaps persuaded by information from Don Pelayo’s sister, went forth to the land known as Cutre, to the north of Brece, ahead of the knight who, armed with good intentions, rode in the direction of the mouth of the River Cúa, where it was necessary to ford the Piloña and take the mountains on the other bank”.

There is no specific evidence of the year in which the houses were built. It is estimated that at least the first two of them were built between 850 and 1000 AD.

After a great many changes, they came to belong to the Villamayor nuns. Around 1377, Bishop Gutierrez de Toledo launched an accusing, thundering document, claiming alleged neglect, against the nuns of San Martin de Soto and Santa Maria de Villamayor (both Benedictine), who either decided or were forced to give in.

In 1385, these nuns donated their possessions to the Benedictine monks at the Valdedios monastery.

In 1441 they were returned to the Benedictine nuns.

In 1530, the general order for reform brought the nun’s possessions under the control of the Abbess of San Pelayo in Oviedo.

In chapter V of his account, Captain Santirso says … “When we said goodbye and went out to that courtyard, two knights who looked as if they had attended the divine Office, were preparing to mount the saddles of their impatient horses: My cousins Isabel and Bentura waved goodbye, a cordial gesture that also seemed to ask the reason for such impatience. I have noted down that the names of these noblemen were Antonio de Oviedo (tex.) Portal Valdes, (41) and the younger”…

(41)… (Note written by Eduardo). In the extended parish of San Pablo de Sorribas, towards the NW, there are three houses from north to south situated on a nerve of the mountains that on their southern part define the Sueve Massif, so that on the east waters flow into the Sardeda stream and on the west into the Borines river.

The place-name Cutre mentioned in the 1637 census, is a very windy place and resists mutual vigilance between these houses and the Rubianes house, since it is on that line of minimum slope.

The two northern-most houses, which have a raised granary in front of the façades, seem to be the most simple and early. To the south of these two stands a semi-detached ; it is a three-storey construction with a great deal of ashlar work and stone eaves, reflecting the oriental influence in the province, which having less art for using wood, sought architectural taste in stone. At the height of the third storey and almost at its corner, there is an Oviedo Portal coat of arms, with four quarters distributed thus: on the right-hand major quarter, a sun; on the left-hand major quarter, a fleur-de-lys; on the right-hand side of the top, a fleur-de-lys; on the left-hand side of the top, a castle.

Facing the coat of arms there is a very large chapel, where I saw a baptismal font and a tomb or stone box with a completely smooth lid. The whole of its interior is full of agricultural implements and products of the earth: apart from what has already been mentioned, nothing is left of the altar of Our Lady of the Incarnation and other signs of worship. The belfry is airy and, when I visited it in 1953, it still bore the cross that crowns it.

The nobles of Cutre, who, with such powerful rivals as the noblemen of Rubianes and Sorribas, seem to have lost their energy and with the passage of time abandoned these lands that are full of chestnut and oak trees.

Between the houses of Cutre and Brez, almost at the end of this nerve that from north to south reaches down to the River Piloña, we can see a comfortable roadway that led to Miyares, which the Moslems must have slipped along in order to overtake Don Pelayo, the escapee, hoping to surprise him before he crossed the River Piloña.

Recorded in 1692 as resident and owner of these houses of Cutre, is Captain Rodrigo de Oviedo Portal y Valdes, alderman of the Piloña and Colunga councils and, according to the census of that year, was married to Antonia Maria Arguelles Meres, but according to the 1698 census, was married to Antonia Maria Arguelles de Vega de Foxa and in those of 1704 and 1710, it was Antonia Maria Arguelles Posada, although this must have been one and the same person. They had the following children: Joseph Lorenzo Francisco, who by 1751 had died. Maria Josefa Blassa and Juan, who went to live in Oviedo where he had children, leaving behind in Cutre one illegitimate child born while he was still single. And Pedro Cosme Damian who, being married to Gregoria de la Buelga, had, as far as we know, five children: Rodrigo, Eugenio, Maria, Gregoria and Antonio, the first-born, who followed the line and, married to Antonia de la Buelga Arguelles, appears to have had two daughters: Agueda and Antonia.

We do not know which of these two was the first-born, but whoever she was, she married Nicolas de Llano Ponte Oviedo del Portal, knight of the Order of Santiago, colonel of the royal armies, commandant-in-Chief of the provincial regiment who, in 1816, had already become Lieutenant-General. With the marriage of the first-born, it seems that their husbands did not generally have any affection for the land and, looking for other less restrictive lands and more attractive opportunities offered by life in the town, detached themselves from their ancestral homes to the detriment of the neighbouring peasants. And although they would have to put up with any order or decision made by the lord of the manor, they definitely had the help and support of the house if necessary. In the early 1800’s, it seems that they no longer visited Cutre and had appointed a steward called Felipe Molleda.

All this land in the Parishes of Cereceda and Sorribas, located in the southern park of the Suebe Massif, almost faces southwards, attempting to listen to the gentle gurgling of the River Piloña, while they enjoy the fecundity given by the mid-day sun, over extensive meadows and abundant coppices full of chestnut and oak trees. Protected from the chilling north wind, they are a blessing from God; we can see that in just one glance.

After many years of neglect and dereliction, this beautiful Palace of Cutre has been rescued and refurbished by Javier and Sandra; they have completely respected its surroundings and architecture and have converted it into a luxury hotel well worth visiting. This is how it looks today, proud of its grandeur and its participation in the history of the principality.

Offers

Palacio de Cutre offers you currently the following exclusive deals. Remember that booking at Boutique Hotels in Spain means booking directly at Palacio de Cutre ), so you will always get the best available rate.

How to get there

This Palace is in Piloña’s Council near The Picos de Europa. To find the hotel it will have to follow those indications:

The N-634 takes up to the kilometric point 356 exit Borines, Colunga.

Turn aside crossing the routes of the train.

They will cross the river Piloña, meeting to 400 meters a shift to the right direction to Cereceda.

Follow this road approximately 2 Kms up to coming to a high place called La Trapa, where they will find an indication of the Palace that it they turns aside towards the left side, coming to the Hotel few hundreds of meters later.

Local area

Discover Picos de Europa National Park with the aid of Javier Alvarez Garzo

It took 300 million years to create the steep landscapes of the Picos de Europa National Park. The park is part of the UNESCO Network of Biosphere Reserves and one of the truly unspoiled areas of Spain.

Discover Picos de Europa National Park.

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