The borough of Chantada is full of important historical and artistic monuments, pre-historical vestiges like the anthropomorphic tombs of Fornas, or a number of celtic remains like the Castros of San Sebastian, Quintela, Castro de Vilaseco, Castro de Lincora (with remains of anthropoid tombs), Castro de Pumar, Castro de Paderne, Castros de Nogueira, Airoá, Pacio, Vilaúxe, Cabreiros, Fornas, Pedra da Escrita in A Sariña and Castro Candad, submerged by the Dam of Belesar and only visible when the water levels are low.
Chantada also has a great deal of Pazos and old Casonas like the Casa de Basán Grande (18th Century) and Casa de Lemos, today Casa da Cultura (Culture and Information Centre); the remains of the tower of Vilar de Eiriz in San Xian de Mato, a baroque Pazo of Miraelfe, the 18th Century Pazo de Pena Chá in Nogueira, Pazo de Perrelos (17th Century), etc. Torre de Arcos is part of a former castle brought down in the Revolta dos Irmandiños in the 15th Century, today representative of the area´s military architecture.
Left: Casa de Lemos
Right:
Torre de Arcos
Church of S.
Vicente de Agrade
Church of Sta.
Mª de Bermún
Romanesque churches are arguably the main source of artistic beauty in this area, such as Sta. Baia de Adá, S. Vicente de Agrade, Sta. Maria de Arcos, San Vicente de Argozón (refurbished in the 18th Century), San Fiz de Asma, San Salvador de Asma (with the remains of a Romanesque monastery), Santa Mª de Bermún,San Salvador de Brigos (which preserves the inscription of its order in 1228), Sta. María de Camporramiro (place of a famous battle with the same name). St. Cristovo de Fornas holds mural paintings from the 16th and 17th Centuries on its apse. San Miguel do Monte dates from the 12th Century and its paintings from the 15th Century, with pre-roman headstones on the atrium. Sta. Maria de Nogueira is a Romanesque church with a baroque façade.
The church of St. Maria de Pesqueiras was declared National Trust in 1950. It is monasterial and has an extraordinary appeal. It was built on the second half of C12th and beginning of C13th. It has a rectangular nave with semicircular apse, which remains from the old Benedictine monastery. Inside, exquisite C16th mural paintings decorate the headboard with images of The Annunciation, resurrection and final judgment. It also had a pia of holy water, now lost. The side door is crowned by moulded façade and ornamented capitals. There are just a few remains of the monastery house once occupied by Benedictine nuns. In nearby Soilan, a fire in 2000 destroyed a beautiful little chapel and its C17th altar-piece. The flames also engulfed a sculpture of an early C13th Romanesque Madonna, unique in its kind and originally in St. Maria de Pesqueiras’ church.
Church of Sta. Mª
de Pesqueiras
C16th mural paintings
Sta. Mª de Pesqueiras
moulded façade and ornamented capitalsChurch of Sta. Mª de Pesqueiras
C16th mural paintings
Sta. Mª de Pesqueiras
Left: Romanesque Madonna, C13th.
Right.: pia of holy water,
C13th.
The apse and part of the walls of the church of Santiago de Requeixo are also Romanesque, unlike the mural paintings on the chancel which are a bit more recent. The church of Sta. Cruz de Viana, originally Romanesque, was restored in the 18th Century.
Other temples of interest are A Nosa Señora do Faro (17th Century), where a celebrated pilgrimage takes place at the end of the summer. As for popular architecture we must outstand the dovecots of Pazo da Suatorre, Beba, Pedrafita, Sabadelle or Gordon, and the ‘petos de animas’ like that of Centulle or Mato.
Nosa Señora
do Faro
Peto de Ánimas,
Centulle
Grove in Pesqueiras
walled-up vineyards
This area’s landscape is a faithful mirror of inland Galicia, with exhuberant vegetation including ferns, gorses, brooms, chestnut trees, oak trees and a wide variety of similar plants. Corn and potato fields and meadows stretch along with their calmness and poetry. Robust trees blossom with delicious fruits. Colourful gardens grow the soon-to-be ingredients of a good "caldo" (broth).
Casa das Xacias is a little baby girl pampered by her natural setting, rocked gently by the mountain range of Monte Faro and river Miño. A valley of meadows utters a lullaby on one side of her cot, while the other gets illuminated by leafy oak woods with native fauna (squirrels, foxes, birds chirping in complete harmony…), ancient groves and walled-up vineyards with typical bodegas.
The air around is so clean and reminiscent that it seems to bring up memories of our early years.
The views on the river resemble great canyons. This landscape is definitely worthy of being felt and experienced.
Penedo
do Graúllo
The island of Sernande
Peneda de Erosa
Fervenza
de Auga Caída
Village of Belesar
Just a few miles away from the house lays the Penedo do Graullo.
Looking at the top feels like reaching the sky. Peneda de Erosa is not less amazing. This is a peculiar geologic formation which seems to defy the law of gravity and gave birth to countless legends.
The island of Sernande greets us from the middle of the river with its rich vegetation. Some waterfalls are remarkable not only for its height but also for its location, nature as its best. Such is the case of Fervenza de Auga Caída.
Belesar is an idyllic village with ground floor houses with a solid bridge over the river. Local fishermen will go out fishing when the weather permits. This is likely the most picturesque place of the area.
For enthusiasts of spectacular views and technology we have the Dam of Belesar, where the river rests peacefully.
And last but not least a visit to the Ribeira Sacra is certainly a must. Its harshness and beauty, with its vineyards and its exquisite Mencia wines, are simply exceptional.
