Interpretation Centre of the “Hombre Pez”

According to the leyend, Francisco de la Vega, the Fish Man of Liérganes, disappeared in the estatuary of Bilbao in 1674, being considered as drown by his family and friends. Five years later, in 1679, some fishers found him in the bay of Cádiz. After some days without speaking a word, the first thing that he said was “Liérganes”. Domingo de la Cantolla, Secretary of the Inquisition and natural from that town, which was then in Cádiz, was the one who brought the Fish Man to his home. Since his return, he lived in Liérganes for nine years as a “crazy man”, until one day he disappeared again in the sea, and this time for real.

As a reminder of this iconic character, in the surrounds of the mill, under Puente Mayor and in front of Miera river, we can see an sculpture of the artist Javier Anievas which represents the Fish Man.

In the old mill rehabilitated of Mercadillo, built in 1667 by the Secretary of the Inquisition Sir Diego Rañada Rubalcaba, we can visit the Interpretation Centre of the Fish Man of Liérganes. Its current cultural usage is owed to de family of José Sáinz de la Cuesta, old owners of the building, which decided to surrender it to the City Council of Liérganes. This flourmill has two floors where there are kept two wheels to grind corn and one more for wheat. The industrial machinery did not work, but has been recovered and covered by a cristal wall.