LA ASTURIAS DEL SIGLO XVIII
UNA APROXIMACIÓN ANTROPOLÓGICA
THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF ASTURIAS IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
"The earth does not produce for the ignorant but weeds and thistles"
Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos
Asturias was hardly populated (data of the Catastro de Ensenada, Censo de Floridablanca y Censo de Godoy). We are talking about a growth between 50% and 60%, especially in the capital (Oviedo) and in maritime areas of the center of the region, as our professor D. José Manuel Fernández Álvarez points out.
Peasantry represents the majority of the population. They were malnourished and had no land to work, as most of it belonged to the nobility and clergy. In fact, there are written evidences showing peasants from western Asturias claming in 1765 against the abuse of big landowners. Jovellanos also denounces this situation in his "Letter on agriculture" (1795).
Regarding fish, we must emphasize the "sailing Guilds", an institution that cares about fishermen and their families. Their laws and rules controled their work. In 1748, the "Registration of the sea" appiars for all sailors and fishermen aged between 16 and 60 years: they sholud be available to sign on the Navy. Many fishermen didn't sign to avoid the levy and they used to do illegal fishing, wich carried many complaints.
Food was scarce an poor, based on cereals, especially corn and spelled; turnips and chestnuts were replaced by potatoes. The stews were cooked with pork, cabbage and Asturian beans. A special case was the cheese, as Jovellanos said there were many kinds and they were "tasty and a gift"; but their marketing, like most products, was very difficult, marily due to the faulty roads of Asturias.
This take us to trade in Asturias, wich was limited to domestic markets an fairs; people dealt with money rather than barter. Trade took place mainly in the urban centres and seaports. There were a small number of businessmen related to wood and charcoal, buy they woludn't take any risk to innovate.
This sort of markets still exist today; some of them are well known on Sundays, in Grado, on Thursday, El Fontán in Oviedo, and on Tuesday in Salas.
A special case were the so-called "vaqueiros de alzada", people who raised cows and spent all summer in the high mountains with their cattle. They were nomads, and they didn't interact with the rest of the population, who despise them. Such contempt lasted until mid-tewntieth century among some sectors, as stated in the inscription that we can find on the floor of the church of San Martín de Luiña, in wich appears the inscription "VAQUEIROS CAN COME IN TO HEAR MASS"; they coludn't reach the altar. Their houses were made of stone, it had a green roof, small windows and it was very plain. The cattle lived indoors with the family, and the stable was the most important part of the house. Today, we can find "brañas vaqueiras" in Cudillero, Tineo and Valdés. Every year there is still a vaqueira wedding in Ariestébano.
The vaqueiros were always proud of their origin, and they used to boast of the antiquity of their surnames, as it's reflected in the saying: "Before God was God, Feitos were already Feitos and Garridos were already Garridos".
Finally, we will talk about Asturian culture. Despite giving erudites as Feijoo, Jovellanos or Pedrayes, most of the population was illiterate and they only spoke asturian local language.
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