COMENIUSCOMENIUSPROJECTPROJECT

COMENIUSCOMENIUSPROJECTPROJECT

GYMKHANAGYMKHANA

To carry out this activity you will need a pen to answer some questions and a camera to take photographs in all the interesting places that you are going to discover thanks to this gymkhana.

So, pick a pencil, comb your hair, smile, pose and say “cheese”.

Are you ready....? GOOOOOO !!!

STEP ONE: IES EL BATÁN

You can see the Batán washery plant behind our high school.

In this place around 7000 coal tons from all Asturias are washed every day. The coal is treated by a closed circuit of water, with no pollutants being poured into public watercourses.

A 3 km conveyor belt transports the coal over the road from “San Nicolás” mine, to the washery plant.

Step by step, we will discover that coal has been basic in Mieres history.

TEST: Take the first picture of your walk around Mieres. The High School’s name must be seen in the background.

GO TO PARQUE JOVELLANOS

(C 2)

STEP TWO: PARQUE JOVELLANOS

Jovellanos was an important Asturian statesman in the XVIII century.The great Spanish painter Goya made him a portrait that can be seen in the Museum of Fine Arts in Oviedo.

Jovellanos was a great patriot and when Napoleon troops invaded Spain he had to flee.

While he was in Mieres, he stayed at the Camposagrado Palace.

TEST: Place yourselves in the middle of the park and observe the auditorium colours. Those are the colours of Mieres´ flag. Which are they?

GO TO THE MONUMENTO

INTERNACIONAL AL MINERO

(NUMBER 32)

STEP THREE: MONUMENTO

INTERNACIONAL AL MINERO

It represents the naked torso of a man with a mine chute inside. In it there is a permanent burning flame in honor of all the world miners who have lost their lives inside the mine.

In 2002, the Polish Pope Karol Jözef Wojtyla (John Paul II) confirmed Saint Barbara as the miners’ patron.

TEST: Look at the plaque in the monument’s base and write down the date of this important festivity for all miners.

GO TO CAMPUS UNIVERSITARIO (NUMBER 30)

STEP FOUR: CAMPUS

UNIVERSITARIO It was built in 2002. Here you can study:

Mine Technical Engineer, Forestry, Topography and a “Soft Computing and Intelligent Data Analysis” master.

TEST: Set yourselves between the university building and the black building which will be the headquarters of the future European Centre for Soft Computing.

What does the external glazing of the university building resemble to?

That is the Barredo pit, an old mine that is closed nowadays.

GO TO PLAZA DEL CARMEN (NUMBER 31)

STEP FIVE: PLAZA DEL CARMENLocated in “ la Villa”, it is one of the two

neighbourhoods in which Mieres has its origins.Opposite this square it is The Camposagrado

Palace. The Camposagrado Palace was built in the XVII century and since then it has undergone several reforms.

Do you remember the name of the great Spanish statesman and patriot who had stayed here?

The Camposagrado Palace is nowadays the Bernaldo de Quirós Secondary School.

TEST: What’s the name of the house placed in the middle of Carmen’s Square in which façade you can see a shield? It‘s a rural palace from the XVII century which is nowadays used as Arts Centre.

GO TO THE AYUNTAMIENTO (NUMBER 1)

STEP SIX: AYUNTAMIENTO

In order to avoid conflicts, the Town Hall (Ayuntamiento) was placed in the middle of the two neighbourhoods, la Villa and Requejo.

Opposite the Town Hall you can see a Covadonga´s Virgin image.

On Saint John’s magic night, every June 23rd. a big bonfire is lit in the middle of the Town Hall square. People sing and dance around it and the most courageous, brave, jump over its flames. This dance is called “danza prima” and the first lines of the song goes as follow: “ ¡Ay, un galán de esta villa!/ la molinera trillará/ ¡Ay, un galán d´esta casa!/¡ Qué bien trillladito está!”

TEST: Celebrate Saint John´s festivity and sing and dance this song in the middle of the square. Don't forget to take a picture!!

GO TO CASA DE CULTURA (NUMBER 8)

STEP SEVEN: CASA DE CULTURA In 1854, Guillermo Schultz created the Mine

Foremen School in this building which is now the Culture House and the Tourist Office.

Wilhelm Philip Daniel Schulz Schreizer (Guillermo Schultz in Spanish) was born in the mining town of Habischtswalder, near Kassel, in Westfalia (Germany).

TEST: On one of the walls of the Culture House and under the Jerónimo Ibrán Street sign there is a tile with a scallop symbol that indicates Saint James’ Way. Pilgrims to Santiago usually wear a scallop shell. Draw it.

You should know that Mieres´ full name is “Mieres del Camino de Santiago“ because the Northern Route crosses Mieres. It is the first great European route.

The Portuguese Way starts at Lagos (Algarve capital), crosses Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto and Valença do Mihno.

In Germany there are also some St. James’ Ways:

The old Saxon Route from Bautzen to Hof.St. Boniface's Route, from Hochheim to Fulda, crossing Frankfurt am Main. Boniface was a German apostle.

The Ecumenican Way: from Görlitz (Zgorzelec in Poland) to Vacha. This route meets at Fulda with other ways to Santiago which go eastwards: through Frankfurt am Main and Köln, to Trier or going towards Strasbourg (France).

GO TO EL MERCADO

(NUMBER 10)

STEP EIGHT: MERCADO

Generally known in Mieres as “ La Plaza”

TEST: You have to come inside and pay attention to the little stalls signs to learn how to say in Spanish the name of the shops that sell:

meat:fish:bread:and flowers:Pay attention as well to the Newsagent’s

top sign. There, it is written the name of the best- selling newspaper in Asturias. What is its name?

• Carnicería• Pescadería• Panadería• Floristería

GO TO PLAZA DE LA PASERA (NUMBER 33)

STEP NINE: PLAZA DE LA PASERA. IGLESIA DE SAN JUAN.

The Pasera Square is beside the most important Mieres’ church, Saint John’s Church. In this Square there is a sculpture dedicated to Teodoro Cuesta.

Teodoro Cuesta is the most important writer from Mieres. He was born in this square in 1829 and he was a great defendant of the popular Asturian language and culture.

TEST: In Mieres a street, The Culture House and a school ( number 25) are named after this man.

Do you know the name of the High School which is near that school?

Pay attention to The Teodoro Cuesta’s sculpture. The man and the woman who are at both sides of the poet are wearing Asturian traditional costumes. Do you know what the people in relief on the base of the statue are doing? It’s something you have already done.

GO TO PLAZA DE REQUEJO

(NUMBER 34)

STEP TEN: PLAZA DE REQUEJO The Spanish poet José Hierro said that

everybody should see three places in the world: Trastevere neighbourhood in Rome, Manhattan Isle in New York and….. Requejo’s Square in Mieres.

Requejo is the other neighbourhood where Mieres was born and its square is a meeting point to drink the typical Asturian drink, Cider.

TEST: In this square you can see the statue of a man pouring cider. Cider must be served in that way. You must pretend to pour a glass of cider (un culete OR culín de sidra) the way he does.

GO BACK TO THE HIGH

SCHOOL, IES EL BATÁN

(NUMBER 26)

LAST STEP: IES EL BATÁN

Final test: You must show us your photographs.

At the end of this walk around Mieres you will probably have discovered a bit of its history and culture.

Besides, you will also have a short photographic report of its most representative places.

IES EL BATÁNMIERES, ASTURIAS

SPAIN