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Estrella Left Her Life in Barcelona to Bring an Asturian Village Back to Life: “After My Illness, I Decided to Do What I Love”

From Clarín · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Estrella left Barcelona after illness and bought three abandoned, centuries-old houses in Asturias with her sister for €34,000.
  • She is restoring the properties while preserving their original materials and architecture, hoping to revive a village affected by depopulation.
  • After three years of work, buildings and paths still need repairs, and Estrella says she plans to continue without rushing.

Estrella left her life in Barcelona behind and bought three centuries-old houses in a small Asturian village for €34,000. The buildings had no running water or bathroom, and rubble buried some of the rooms. Now, she and her sister are slowly restoring them while preserving their original materials and architecture.

Her project unfolds against a broader rural decline in Asturias. Data from the Society for Economic and Industrial Studies of Asturias show that 47 of the region’s 78 municipalities lost residents in 2025. Population growth remained concentrated mainly in Oviedo, Gijón and Siero, while empty houses and vegetation took over spaces once occupied by neighbors in many smaller communities.

After my illness, I decided to do what I love.

· EstrellaShe explains why she made restoration and life in Asturias the focus of her new stage of life.

Estrella, a former nursing assistant, searched for a property with her sister from Barcelona. They made three- or four-day trips to view houses before choosing the group of buildings. Soon after the purchase, Estrella developed cancer. During treatment, she continued traveling to Asturias whenever she could, saying the surroundings helped her regain strength. “Between one chemotherapy session and the next, I would ask her, ‘Give me 15 days, give me 15 days.’ I would escape and come here. It was as if I regained my strength,” she recalls.

Between one chemotherapy session and the next, I would ask her, ‘Give me 15 days, give me 15 days.’ I would escape and come here. It was as if I regained my strength.

· EstrellaShe recalls traveling to Asturias during cancer treatment because the surroundings helped her recover her strength.

She had worked at Barcelona’s Hospital Clínic, but spinal problems eventually forced her to leave the profession after surgery. Restoration and life in Asturias became the beginning of a new chapter. “After my illness, I decided to do what I love,” she says.

Estrella rejects criticism of people from elsewhere who buy and restore rural properties. The houses had been on the market, she says, but nobody had wanted to take on the work. “It was for sale to everyone at the same price. But at that time, nobody wanted to invest in it or bet on it,” she says. She hopes to remain there as long as possible and continue restoring the site at her own pace. One house could eventually welcome people who want to enjoy the area, although she does not want the project to become a source of pressure.

It was for sale to everyone at the same price. But at that time, nobody wanted to invest in it or bet on it.

· EstrellaShe responds to criticism of outsiders buying rural properties and says nobody else wanted to restore the houses.
About this summary

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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