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Muretes de Arte, an international environmental art trail which showcases the technique of dry stone walls, art in nature and the pleasure of walking.
Text: Carmen Bautista
Dry stone walls: a living heritage in the Sierra de Guara
You love Guara and its endless possibilities. Walking through the mountains offers incredible views as you take in the landscape. Lovers of the landscape, of ethnology, the environment, geology…
We invite you to discover an element that accompanies you along the way, blending into its surroundings as it becomes covered in moss, lichen and ivy; an element that stands as a witness, sometimes crumbling, at other times retaining all its presence and ancestral strength; an element that has lost its traditional purpose yet remains there, guarding the fields and groves, holding the ground together and marking out the paths. THE DRYSTONE WALLS, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018.
What is Muretes de Arte?
How can we pay tribute to the collective work of several generations? How can we celebrate a craft that may disappear along with the memories of the oldest residents? How can we acknowledge a craft whose appearance varies depending on the type of soil and rock? How can we bring a record of traditional life into the present day?
We have a story to tell, and it’s coming along at a good pace in record time: three years.
The origins of the Muretes de Arte project
In 2017, the sculptor and climber Sandrine Reynaud returned to our mountain range – where she had lived in her youth – after spending a few years on Réunion Island. At her home in Val de Saoû, in the French Alps, she embarked on an ambitious and complex artistic project, for it is not a work in itself, but rather one that stirs the places where it is situated in order to transform them.
Thanks to the Murets d’Art Association, the drive and involvement of artists and local residents made it possible to turn our attention to the dry-stone walls.
And three projects have already been launched, with support from the local Leader Programme!
An artistic journey through nature and culture
Sections of these are restored, and permanent or temporary artworks are created, depending on the materials used.
This leads to the creation of walking routes that bring together Art and Nature, but which have emerged from working alongside local residents and have become a social phenomenon and, ultimately, a new attraction for both locals and visitors.
Artistic Stone Walls in the Sierra de Guara
Finally, in 2021, we will have art-adorned walls in the Mascún Canyon, specifically in Cheto and Rodellar, in the municipality of Bierge – where the launch and the first performance took place back in 2017 – and this time with the support of Leader Somontano and the Somontano region. The event, featuring a wide range of activities, will begin around June, and the programme will be available shortly.
During this period, many other projects have been carried out: Bierge, Sabayés, Apiés, Santa Eulalia de la Peña, and most recently: Biscarrués, in the Gállego river basin, and Betorz (Bárcabo), in the Vero river basin.
In the meantime, we continue to develop new projects in various villages across Upper Aragon, running alongside the Sierra de Guara, or venturing a little further into France, as the ultimate aim is to create a route linking Val de Saoû and the Sierra de Guara.
Video by the creator of the Muretes de Arte project
+ MORE INFORMATION
FBK https://www.facebook.com/muretesdearte/
Blog https://muretsdart.wordpress.com/
Activities near Muretes Art of Betorz
- Family route: Route 1 Lecina–Betorz–Molino de Almazorre–Lecina. Download map of routes in the area
- Visit the famous Carrasca de Lecina, European Tree of the Year 2021
- Viewpoints and trails that are accessible
Routes city centre Mountain biking Bguara:
