The most iconic architecture of the northern rural landscape already has its official shield. The Government has given definitive green light to the declaration of the hórreo as a Representative Manifestation of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The measure not only seeks to protect the stone and wood of the structures, but also the centennial "know-how": the trades of the master carpenters and the neighborhood traditions that have kept these granaries alive for centuries.
Much more than a corn warehouse
For the Ministry of Culture, headed by Ernest Urtasun, the hórreo is a "marker of collective identity". The protection approved today affects a very wide geography that goes from the Galician cabazos to the hórreos of Navarra, passing through the Asturian paneras and the structures of León and Cantabria. The objective is to prevent these constructions from becoming mere garden ornaments or, even worse, from ending up abandoned due to the lack of generational replacement.
The challenge of the owners: Protection or checkmate to reforms?
Despite the celebrations of cultural associations, the news lands with some concern in the villages. Converting the hórreo into intangible heritage implies that any intervention must respect traditional techniques and materials. Many owners fear that this "shielding" will hinder the small repairs necessary for its daily conservation, transforming a living element into an untouchable museum piece.
A plan against forgetfulness
The declaration arrives at a critical moment. According to the latest censuses, thousands of hórreos are in a state of technical ruin due to rural depopulation. With this new status, it is expected that specific aid for rehabilitation will arrive, encouraging these structures to have a use again, whether the original agricultural one or new cultural adaptations that respect their essence.
From now on, the hórreo ceases to be only private property to be considered a good of all Spaniards. The challenge for the autonomous communities will be to find the balance between strict protection and economic viability for those who live with them every day.