In Aia, the visit takes in the
Natural Park of Pagoeta, covering 8,394 hectares between the Urola and Oria rivers. This park contains two mills, a foundry and an incineration oven of unique characteristics, with all of them having been restored recently.
The foundry is the best conserved of its kind and according to documentary sources it was already operating in the first half of the 16th century. It constitutes a magnificent example of rationalism applied to mechanical ingenuity, standing out due to its monumental nature and typological originality.
Situated at the convergence of three small streams, it takes advantage of the weak water power through five water outlets. The archaeological information obtained from this foundry provides the main reference point of archaeological research into pre-industrial steelmaking in the Basque Country.
