Santibáñez de la Fuente Yew Tree

The Yew Tree of Santibáñez de la Fuente is currently 20 metres high and has a trunk circumference of 3.33 metres. Its longevity is unknown, but due to its characteristics it is very likely to be more than 500 years old.

Like most of the yew trees in Asturias, it is located next to a church, in this case next to the Romanesque church of San Juan, in Santibanes de la Fuente. This was the sacred tree of the Celts and under it they gathered to pray to their gods, and the Christians built their churches next to these places to Christianise these people. In this case it is the church of San Juan del Riomiera, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, in the late popular Romanesque style.

The church has a portico that served as a shelter for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. The Tejo de Santibáñez de la Fuente is in a privileged location, as it formed part of the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago coming from León, crossing La Raya (Puerto San Isidro).