Tarna is one of ten parishes (administrative divisions) in Caso, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain.
The population is 100 (INE 2006).
Tarna Before the Spanish Civil War
Origins
The origin of Tarna is not completely known, especially because the town has many Jewish surnames. It's believed that it may be an area founded by Sephardim, although its strategic position as a passage between the Cantabrian Coast and the Meseta suggests that the place could have some kind of occupation from the Cantabrian Wars or even in the pre-Roman era. This possibility is supported by the fact that there are nearby Roman influences, such as Campo de Caso and Puente de Arco. Unfortunately, there is no archaeological evidence to confirm this.
The earliest surviving reference to the town of Tarna is a donation letter from 1142 in which Alfonso VII donates the Villa de Tarna to his butler Martín Díaz.
Since the term "villa" was still used in the Roman sense, it's possible that Tarna was some kind of farm or a large house that dominated the area through agricultural exploitation.
Middle Ages
Due to geographical advantages during the High Middle Ages, Tarna was an early territory dominated by the Asturian Monarchy in the Reconquista. During the Late Middle Ages it continued to be a well-known region for agricultural and livestock. An early version of the existed as a natural route. In historic texts, the town is occasionally called "Villa Tarana"
18th Century
On December 9, 1774, Tarna was devastated after a violent flood. The Nalón River was naturally blocked for days and the reservoir was suddenly released, along with a large accumulation of logs and rocks. It’s documented in a letter sent to King Carlos III.
The request for help was answered through an aid of a thousand reales alms, which is documented in a letter from the Cathedral of Oviedo dated February 6.
A popular legend originated from the flood, saying that the Tarninos threw the image of their patron San Pedro into the river when in reality it was dragged by the flood to La Foz. A chapel was built there in 1786, where it is housed to this day.
The flood, known as “Argayu de los Picones”, was not only catastrophic for the Tarninos, but also had immediate repercussions on the Asturian communications system. The Marqués de Vista Alegre, attorney of the Caso council, wrote to the King in 1775 asking for help, arguing that the Camino Real de Tarna is key and must once again be passable for the greater good. This is evidence that the town was not an isolated place but a busy location that linked the coast and the plateau.
19th Century
In the 19th century, Tarna participated in the Peninsular War against Napoleonic troops. In March 1809, royal troops stationed in Tarna, Maraña, and Sobrecastiello, and received a supply of food and supplies through a brigade made up of a neighbor from each town in the council.
At the start of 1810, Juan Díaz Porlier was part of the army of Asturias with about 1,000 men who made up the flying division called Cantabria. After a recent expedition through the La Rioja area, his group was stationed south of the Cantabrian Mountains, in the port of Tarna, near the border with León. By January 25, General Bonet's division, which had launched an offensive from Cantabria with some 5,300 men, had managed to occupy Llanes, Ribadesella, and Infiesto. In February of the same year, Porlier came from Tarna to Infiesto. He defeated a French detachment capturing many prisoners to cut off enemy communications with Cangas de Onís.
During the war against the French, Las Torres was fortified. In 1816, after the war, representatives of peoples from all over the council met in Tarna to discuss how to claim recognition for the services rendered
The cemetery is dated from 1834, which still exists today. It is located in the lower area of the town next to the river.
The Carlist Wars also had repercussions in Tarna, with the Almansa Regiment stationed there in 1836 Tarna was one of the “locations” of the famous “Gómez Expedition” of that year.
General Espartero tried to catch up with Gómez from the Leonese town of La Uña by crossing the field. Since he was unable to access the right paths to town, he had to withdraw.
A notable event in the mid-nineteenth century is the destruction of the Tarna Inn by an avalanche. The inn, which was located at the entrance of the town, was buried by snow in 1843 with several fatalities. As a result of this catastrophe, locals today refuse to build in the western part of the town.