Orthostate Megaliths Stone cover

Funerary Tumular chamber The Village of mass 41.990305, -7.594142 The most renowned element of the municipality’s ca- pital is the church that dates back to the XVII Century and is situated at the top of the village, where they no O Madorriño longer perform acts of worship. 41.928477, -7.612283 Aos pés do Constructed as a single rectangular nave and Madorriño is diminutive of medorra or madorra (of Miliarios de Lamas covered with a ceramic tiled gabled roof, four in the the lat. meta, conical heap), a voice used throughout 41.982239, -7.540390 presbyter, was built with masonry dry stone walls. to refer to the burial mounds built during the This concerns two milestones without epigraphy - The facade is topped with a belfry that houses two Neolithic period and also part of the Bronze Age as without engraved information - which form part of bells. Facing this is a beautiful double spouted water collective burial chambers. The Lama of A Saceda the secondary roman road that connects the great fountain and a wash place that has, as a main featu- The medorra is an isolated funeral monument 41.929773, -7.631330 roman city of Chaves (Portugal) with Xinzo da Limia. re, two facing exedras to assist the collection of wa- situated on a wide plain, making also a dividing line “Lama” is a Galician synonym for the word mud or This route of communication followed a path similar ter for the water carriers on both sides of the glass. between Lucenza and A Saceda, just at the edge clay soil that describes a “land dedicated to mea- to the current A-52 dual carriageway, and could have of the road that links this last place with that of A dows” or “marsh land”. But in the south east of Ga- been a stage of a long distance roman road that con- Wayside shrine of A Xironda Madanela (region of ), and was used as a licia they also identify the communal meadows as a nected Aquae Flaviae (Chaves) with Iria Flavia (Pa- 41.899800, -7.637526 visual and dividing frontier many centuries ago. The place where people used to take their cattle to graze. drón), crossing the valleys of the Támega, Búbal, the The mirtle village of A Xironda has multiple attrac- burial mound, as shown by Rodríguez Colmenero, In the lands that take the name of A plain of A Limia, the valley of Arnoia and the area of tions. In its proximities, is situated the fort of “Cidá de the frst person to study it, takes the shape of a trun- Lama are sometimes rented to private individuals. the Miño. Grou”, an Iron Age site that is administratively situa- cated cone that is 1,5 m in height and 15 metres in Here, in the village of A Saceda, there is a food prone Those two examples were uncovered during ted in Portugal, but it offers its best observation point diameter. area dedicated to seeding and private land that in old the construction works of this infrastructure in the from the Galicia side. It shows clear signs of being despoiled, as it has times was seen as a surplus area known as divided 1990s, some 150 m from where today they are dis- Densely populated in the past thanks to its fron- already lost the top slab and, in its place, currently areas. played. The milestones were cylindrical markers that tier and villa status, A Xironda is a compact village visible, is a ditch partially blocked off from where Consequentially the “lamas” of Ourense were showed the distances in miles along the communi- that possesses a magnifcent bread baking oven emerge the heads of three of the supports or orthos- and still are of great interest to the rural economy cation paths (some of which were paved or cobbled) which makes Porticado bread (similar to that of A Sa- tates that form part of the granite chamber that ori- of Galicia. The fresh grass is the main product from The church of Santa Baia de Montes constructed during the roman occupation (I-IV cen- ceda) that serves as an example of the magnifcent ginally served to take the weight of a top slap. this area, and from here the farmers and countryside 41.964987, -7.554935 tury A.D). popular architecture of this region. The ethnography also gives us valuable infor- workers of the village of A Saceda and, probably du- The parochial church, of baroque style, has mason- The Ice Well of Serra do Larouco The oven that takes a rectangular form and has mation about this burial chamber. And so, the people ring the prehistoric and the Romanisation, the inha- ry walls and a rectangular foor with presbytery; on 41.950813, -7.640442 a communal use, stands out for the buttresses that of A Saceda tell that the mouros, the ancestors of bitants of the fort of A Cidá, would have had this area the facade there is a lintel door with moulding on the The “casas da neve” or ice wells are constructions reinforce the thick load bearing walls that sustains the Galicians, threw a hammer from the church of of land as a basic reference for feeding their cattle. lintel and on the lower part of the doorposts; a small that are built in order to obtain ice from the snow co- its splendid granite roof. A Xironda, which was under Dos Mouros (an elevation situated on the Larouco This is an area of great interest for the reproduc- bell gable crowns the whole. llected during the winter to be consumed during the the control of the distant Monastery of Melón during mountain range) until the fort of A Cidá da Saceda; tion of amphibians, among which is the Iberian spa- In the temple a magnifcent sundial stands out, summer. The ice well that we have here is an oval the Middle Ages, boasts an elegant parish church from there its inhabitants would throw it towards O defoot toad, the European tree frog and the Iberian but above all, the remains of a roman intersection, shape with a depth of three metres that was dug out and an extraordinary wayside shrine (“peto de áni- Madorriño, where it would be collected by the mou- Frog, classed as endangered species. Also present visible on the imposts of the cemetery door and also of the rock and from which, leads a ten metre long mas”) of baroque style, exquisitely carved resem- ros that inhabited this settlement, to be next thrown are the Green frog, the common frog, the Iberian pain- on the tower that that has a bell tower. channel from where the melted ice can be extracted. bling a noble house erected by intermediaries in the in the direction of the fort of A Cidá de San Millao. ted frog, the common salamander, or common newt Here, our attention is strongly attracted to a reu- The “neveira” (Ice Well), which used to have a roof centre of the village. Under the image of the Virgin and the green newt. sed semi circular fragment of tympanum in which a that has long since disappeared, belonged to the of Carmen, where they hang several scapulars, the In Lama da Saceda you can also fnd the Eura- cross in high relief was caved, which appears to be House of Monterrei during the XVI and XVII centu- souls of sinners are consumed by the purifying fre sian stone-curlew, a species of bird that has been from Malta, situated between a crescent and a ga- ries, as proved by a coat of arms found in its interior. of, between others, a bishop and the pope himself, classed as an endangered species. If we talk about lana fower. The ice wells were built by monasteries, cathe- identifed with the mitre and the tiara. Municipality of fora, of great interest is the atlantic humid heather, At the foot of the parish temple, a magnifcent dral chapters, cities and feudal lords in mountain ran- Cualedro which is a species included as a habitat of priority rectory house that still conserves a window at the ges. They were used, above all for the conservation interest; it is also relevant the enormous amount of side of its access doorway, shaped to enable the use of provisions, to cool down drinks and food and also As Mercedes different species of orchid. of fre arms from the inside. Its construction was en- for medicinal purposes. couraged by the Jesuits; evidence of this is an ins- cription (“commissioned by IHS”) carved into one of its walls. The Jesuits ruled during the XVI century the famous college of Monterrei, which was built on the Romanic and rectory of Atás site that today is occupied by a Parador hotel. 42.021751, -7.571446 On roman temple walls it’s not uncommon to fnd se- Entrance xual depictions etched into the stone. Together with images of medieval warriors, horoscopes, different types of animals - real or fantasy, hunting scenes, far- Baldriz mers, musicians or dancers, the sexual scenes seem Ice to be a strange iconography to use for decorating a Communal oven of A Xironda roman church in the middle ages. On one of the lateral facades of Saint Mary of Atás The Roman Site of Saint Martha Atás we can see, among other images, an erect pe- Diagram of an ice well dug out of the rock Laza 41.941552, -7.610739 nis of imprecise meaning: a warning against lust?; A The site situated 1,5 km to the south east of Lucen- survival of prophylactic value that the penis posses- Cualedro Castrelo N-52 za (in the parish of its namesake) was the object of sed?; a representation of the normal? (in that period 5 Riós archaeological excavation carried out by A. Rodrí- families used to sleep in a single room)… Monterrei Monterrei guez Colmenero who discovered diverse painted ro- Water mills of As Mercedes During the middle ages, Atás was under the ju- region Vilardevós As Corvaceiras Verín As Estibadas man walls. According to the excavator, three levels 42.063261, -7.542403 risdiction of . It has conserved the extraor- Oímbra of occupation can be identifed: a pre-Roman level, As Mercedes is the traditional centre situated more dinary rectory house, the main civil building of Atás Cualedro on the Geometric Map of Galicia elaborated by the Galician mathematician Domingo Fontán. Paris. 1845 A-52 relating to the end of the Bronze Age, another Ro- to the north of the municipality of Cualedro. Here that used to be an independent monastery from the Portugal Pena Verde man level from the 1st century A.D. and also another can be found two unequal water streams, the pool central house. The Benedictine monks contributed to Rebordondo The municipality of Cualedro is integrated in the historical dating from the Roman empire of the III and IV A.D of Mercedes and the river of Baldriz. In the latter, we the economic and technological advances of work in N region of Monterrei, whose capital is Verín, which belongs to A Pena Muller Cualedro centuries. can fnd a beautiful route perfectly set up, accessible the countryside, establishing methods of collective 41.946575, -7.643690 Saída 173 The walls that were uncovered in the 1970s were for everyone, made up of fve rectangular mills and exploitation of irrigation infrastructures, such as that the diocese of Ourense. It covers an area of 117,5 km². The The Serra do Larouco (1.538 msnm) is, without dou- divided horizontally by means of a continuous line with a unique millstone with a slate roof, a specifc of Caño de Chamusiños. Lamas capital is the Villa of Cualedro, situated 840 m above sea level. bt, the most extraordinary natural monument in the and pieces of broken ceramics (mostly fragments of gem from this part of the The XVIII-XIX century rectory house, boasts Moimenta The term municipality of Cualedro includes a total of twenty region of de Cualedro. A natural dividing border bet- tile) that enable us to distinguish the original walls region. walls of dry stonework, square foors around a patio singular entities of rural populations in ten parishes, making ween the regions of Monterrei and A Limia, O Larouco from those that were reconstructed by the restorers. that closes with solid ashlars and a doorway with is a mountain range common to Galicia and Portugal Vilela Carzoá At the foot of the site is erected the Chapel of cornice and rounded off with a cross and pyramids, Montes the dispersed settlements practically nonexistent. that possess an exceptional landscape, natural and 1 2 3km Saint Martha, a small rectangular building that holds with sloping gabled roof, mounted at an angle and Cualedro unveils at the foot of the Serra do Larouco, one of the cultural values. If we start the ascent from the village inside a fragment of what could be a roman milesto- exterior stone steps. main natural monuments of the region. Larouco was, in ancient of Lucenza, one of its natural corridors, you will fnd ne positioned above a bronze sculpture from the VI the area of land where the Ice Well is situated and just century and dedicated to a devout named Vermudus. times, an indigenous god, as is shown by various engraved Lucenza San Martiño after this, a series of monumental granite structures inscriptions found on roman altars. The parishes of A Xironda that have been shaped by the elements. Wind, sun, and San Millao border with Portugal, exactly in the parish of snow and rain have managed to reshape the horizon Vilar de Perdizes, in the municipality of Montalegre, which gives with a series of natural batholiths with whimsical sha- them a privileged historical condition based around intense pes, some of which have a fgurative aspect: a drome- The procession of the Farois dary, a rooster, a dog and some say even a wolf. A Saceda In the bordering town of A Xironda, on Holy Thurs- o personal and commercial relationships. But between all of those, there is one that stands coc day, takes place the procession of the “Farois”. On this ucu A Pedrosa out and it is called Pena Muller, a natural granite out- rroucouco side of the Larouco mountain, in itself a true beauty of crop of notable height with a profle that gives the im- L nature, the worshipers go through the town, from the Zarramanculleiro o pression of the silhouette of a woman – a piece dod church where they then head west in the direction of The main fgure of the carni- of abstract in reality – that was carved r O Larouco, with a small and old chapel that is found val is the Zarramanculleiro, Stone cross and chapel of A Saúde, out over time by the contingent chise- within the town. a character similar to the Serra do LaroucLaroLa in Atás Concello lling of the elements. In the decade of Thus, at midnight, carrying their lanterns made of mask (cigarrón) of Verín or 42.018064, -7.559852 de Cualedro the 1980s the Festa do Larouco, was paper and wood, the people of A Xironda form a circle, the mask of Laza that can be The stone cross of A Saúde that dates from the XIX celebrated at the foot of the Pena Muller A Xironda around which is established the sacred and solemn distinguished fundamentally century constructed on rock, has a rustic pedestal and was promoted by a group of enthusiasts space where it takes place the “in coena Domini” of the by means of each mask that and cylindrical shaft with grooves, capital with two from both sides of the “raia”. Always initiated with western Christian liturgy. The darkness plays a vital always appears decorated bodies and a rectangular cross with crucifx. the sound of the bagpipe, the acts included a sym- role in this ceremony that takes place in the dark, “Te- with foral images. The frst The Hermit of A Saúde, XVII-XIX century, formed bolic offering to the God Larouco, with the words of San Millao nebrae”, as in this moment Christ is dead. The priests, appearance is on the 5th of by dry stone walls and rectangular in plan, has a door Rodríguez Colmenero, “principal recipient that was of dressed totally in white for this mass that continues January (The Magi Fair) and with lintel on the façade, over a small rustic bell gable the religious and cult faiths of the surrounding areas to dinner, accompany the procession that in the Carnival on Sunday with architraves starting around the arch and topped on the arrival on Christianity”. includes the Galician bagpipes and the small drum. and Tuesday. with a stone cross. In all of those it is frequent the finding of consequence, to establish an exact dating of ty of its route to the findings from the Iron roman ceramics and hand mills. All of the the periods of occupation from the remains, Age. known forts/ settlements are found based on and this makes the analysis of the distribu- This strategic location leads us to suppose hillocks at a height of between 700 and 850 tion of the population on what is now the the existence of imported commercial activi- m. To date the only excavations that have current municipality of Cualedro. ty and /or the exportation of minerals (mainly Stone Wine taken place are of the A Saceda settlements The entirety of the explorations are located in of tin/pewter) and the fluid relations with the Forts (between1982 and 1988, carried out by the 2/3 parts of the mid south of the council, regional neighbouring towns. This assump- In the municipal district of Cualedro there are a total of Montecelo Rodríguez Colmenero and Covadonga which coincides with territory that has the tion is confirmed because of the mention of the town of the Bíbalos, which inhabited this Os Mallos Carreño) and San Millao (between 1953 and best use for agriculture and herding, besides seven documented fortified settlements dating from 1955, by López Cuevillas and Taboada Chivi- being the best communicated as it is situat- area during the 1st Millennia B.C, such as is Presses Carzoá verified by the renowned Pedrâo dos Povos the Iron Age. These include the settlements of Dos Montes te, and between 1982-1983, by Rodríguez ed between the main natural passages. The San Martiño Mallos, A Cidá de Montes, A Cidá de Carzoá, Monte- A Igrexiña González and Fariña Busto). In the clearing analysis of the historic infrastructure from the bridge of Chaves, going down in Stone wine presses (“lagares rupes- dos Mouros of the Dos Mouros church they carried out indicates that the main roman roads towards history for approving a pact of good neigh- celo, the church of Dos Mouros, the fort of Saceda and explorations that produced damaging the south east were most probably built on bourly stability between the Romans and a tres”) are manmade structures, in the Cidá de San Millao. results. Currently it is not possible, as a top off pre-existing routes, given the proximi- series of indigenous towns. general, not very well known and A Pedrosa A Saceda San Millao very simple, relating with the most archaic ways of wine making. O Trugán The Cidá da Saceda 41.930768, -7.627044 The Cidá de San Millao 41.904719, -7.607475 Without exact dating, the studies that have been made until now suggest Conxunto A Saceda Fort Technical evolution a medieval origin, when small winegro- de Lagares 780 m The first huts were made wers made wine between the vines and da Baira 765 m from wood and foliage. They used a fence not in the wineries, as has been happe- 750 m First to protect the ning since the XVII and XVIII centuries. fortification 0 0,25 0,5 0,75 km defensive wall Winepress of O Trugán 41.889656, -7.589562 The region of D.O. Monterrei possesses, until now, the largest number of winepresses in all of Galicia, far from An embedded that of any other winemaking area. The winepresses Hilltop trunk in a stone seem to be mostly of a universal shape– for example supported the that of O Trugán–, but there also exist some spectacu- structure of the lar sets that include two or even three examples, as in roof Later, stone became the case of the winepresses of A Baira (also in San the main building Millao). The one of O Trugán is the only incomplete material, as it has example in the region. It was excavated on a granite two advantages: outcrop, taking an irregular shape that emerges approx- Doors better insulation imately 1 m from the ground. and longer In the fort there are square The winepress is situated in a setting of batholiths, durability. and circular cabins. Also, Some constructions from where different parts that go together look to there are cabins without have a second stone adapt to the natural morphology of the outcrop, doors that they used for Second ring, and also an insulation The calcatorium or main basin appears to be not conserving provisions. Postern system that channelled defensive perforated; this indicates that it has no way off permit- For people to the rain water. wall come and go ting the grape juice to pour in to the distribution point, and this is evidence that it was not finished.

It is located in the parish of San Millao, making a nearby monumental fortifications such as in Cidá da On the border between Galicia and Portugal, on the banks Saceda or the Muro do Búbal (Espiño; Oímbra). In stone wall of the River Castro, where they built a watermill that the southeast section of the site there are located they installed a Winepresses da Baira Third has long since lost its roof. The fortified settlement two entrances that open consecutively in one of the 41.888619, -7.593328 wooden fence of cidá, dominated by the natives, stands out for its secondary enclosures, and afterwards in the main defensive to improve the Lagar 1: 41.887896, -7.593499 Door defences imposing defences in the form of walls that one. The first one of the doors connects with the Lagar 2: 41.887691, -7.592629 wall surround the whole site. This fortified village, dating river, accessed by means of a ramp that is attached Lagar 3: 41.887183, -7.592504 ASome of the huts had from the 1st century B.C to the II century A.D, to the wall. Exceptional group of three compressed winepresses a paved floor that was consists of a main site and two secondary The defence of this settlement was made possible situated on a plain that proceeds to a smooth slope They employed a type of cut slightly raised from the level enclosures- situated on the east and west section- with the use of a moat- nowadays very modified- with a flood land. The winepresses were made on a stone that was polygonal in of the ground in order to insulate that are outlined by a thick dry stone wall principally that runs along part of its perimeter, mainly along series of granite outcrops that are situated at ground shape, from the classic roman better the dwelling. polygonal. Its monumental walls remind us of other the flanks that lacked natural defences. opus quadratum style. level, without standing out amongst the scenery, for that reason there could have been more examples than It is one of Galicia’s best conserved settlements and situated in a central place of the Bracarense convent habitable enclosures orientated towards the North access at the foot of the second enclosure. The most singular element of defence of this those documented until now. fortified settlement is the field of vertical driven in also one of the few to have been declared of cultural of the roman Gallaecia (Roman name for Galicia) with West, each one surrounded by a wall that marks out it The fort pre dominates the dwellings of the circular stones (today partially fallen) that are found in the interest (the highest level of protection by law) in the its capital in Braga, delimited over a geographic area perimeter, proving that since its foundation it has floor, but also has those of square and rectangular northeast and east sections. This system of defence, . The settlement of Saceda, that previously already had its own cultural peculiari- quadrupled in size. Why? form. documented in very few Galicia settlements, was situated in front of its namesake village, was built in ties, product of a tradition that came from the Bronze The high quality of the surrounding farming lands In the opinion of some investigators, the fort of designed to effectively fight off the attacks of the the middle of the plain, on an elevation that permits a Age o the first Iron Age. This site has a great along with its strategic location at the end of a Saceda shows clear indications of hierarchy and “infantry” and of the “cavalry”. great visual control of the area. It consists of a monumental value for the structures and gathering natural commercial route can explain such a big centrality in the territory; from there they used to fortified village that presents slight influences on the characteristics similar to those of the region, besides expansion. boast of the condition of the oppidum or what is roman world due to the commercial contacts, but not being the one that provides the oldest chronology Its monumental walls, besides serving as protec- known nowadays as a regional capital of the Bronze to direct roman influence. The settlement is located between those studied in the area until now. tion, acted as containment of the land. The upper Age. With its three enclosures, the quality of its on top of a hillock at an altitude of 800 metres, to the Its occupation spans from the IV century B.C to the enclosed area, the acropolis, presents an oval floor defences together with the size and organisation of south of the Serra do Larouco, in the peneplains 1st century A.D, the moment in that it was abandoned and is circled by walls built from bonding interlayer the space proves that A Saceda is not a typical Iron between the hollow of Verín, in the area of the River by its inhabitants who moved to the neighbouring polygonal between big blocks of natural granite. Age fortification, but rather a fundamental central Támega. settlement of A Cidá de San Millao for reasons that Besides this, the fort possesses two other monumen- place that enables us to understand what the region Throughout history this region was a strategic area are still ignored. La Cidá da Saceda possesses three tal sculptures and a postern that only allows you was like during the prehistoric period. Winepress of San Martiño Surprising discoveries 41.951709, -7.560833 On this site they found ceramic materials and an A winepress excavated on a natural granite outcrop important collection of metal artefacts. Its chronology that protrudes about 1 m from the ground at its highest Second Espada afalcatada The driven in stones were positioned along the dates from the VI century B.C to the 1st century A.D, point. The winepress that belongs to the foot trampling defensive flanks that had unstable natural defences. Aerial cenital with a light reoccupation in the V century of that type presents a main basin that received the surplus of wall period. the no longer existent vertical trellis system. The area In the fortified settlement they found a surprising Moeda where the grapes were crushed by foot has a channel amount of high quality iron utensils that has no romana The Phalera that allowed for the grape juice to be poured through an comparison with those found at any other Galician de prata Found by chance in the settlement by some imperfect semicircular shaped opening hole. settlement: metallurgical tongs, two falcata swords hunters, is a quadrangular bronze plaque with and several falcata blades, the handle of a dagger of four circular shackles, joined by means of four antennas, etc. These pieces demonstrate the pairs of arches in the form of a lock that served to importance of the metalworking trade during the Iron pass through the straps. In the central part, the Age, a profession of enormous importance that Punta de disc takes an anthropomorphist form, decorated produced fundamental utensils and weapons for the lanza with a feminine figurehead with simple lines, with Winepress of A Pedrosa Tenaces de tipo a hairstyle resembling large longitudinal waves 41.922289, -7.645206 community, tools that guaranteed their survival palmela First through physical protection and daily work. To these and touched by a veil. This winepress, situated on private land, which was defensive pieces we have to add uncommon elements to be The function of this piece seems to be related excavated on a granite outcrop, rises slightly above the wall found in the settlements, such as three silver coins with the complex world of military award ground and can only be visited with the authorisation (two from the I century B.C. and another from the I decorations and must date back of the owner. The wine press, apparently of the century A.D), ceramics (next to the entrance door of to the IV century A.D. stepping kind, allows us to visualize a calcatorium or the third enclosure were discovered , materials from a main basin (the dimensions are 1,30 m x 1,30 x 0,12 m potters workshop, something of which is very rare to in depth) lacks any kind of perforation around its edge, Fibela find in Galician settlements) and the remains of which apparently shows us that it had no way of various decorated belt buckles, also a bronze necklace channelling the grape juice through an opening hole. that proves the high acquisitive power and the status of its inhabitants.