Edition June 2017 Ramuín, Parada de Sil and Xunqueira de Espadañedo. Due to its location, history and expanse, Monforte de Lemos is considered nowadays the capital of Ribeira Sacra. The head- quarters of the Regulatory Council of the wine is there. The certificate of origin and quality of the wine (known in Spain as denominación de origen) has undoubtedly helped Ribeira Sa- cra to become an emerging tourist destination of high quality. The outstanding conditions of the nature made an appealing environ- ment with an unique beauty. The deep valleys of the rivers Sil and Miño, shaped from the granite rocks, impress because of their vertical fa- ces and the uneven land. The slopes in the Sil Canyon are rough and rock, whereas the slopes in the Miño Can- yon are gentle and suitable for people to explore. The routes by catamaran are a good option to enjoy this brea- thtaking scenery. (see ROUTES BY Sil Canyon Ribeira Sacra Ribeira Sacra may be defined as one of the best-kept secrets in the inland of Galicia. It is made up of twenty one city councils of south Lugo and north Ourense, which sha- re the course of the rivers Miño, Sil Church of Santo Estevo de R¡bas de Miño and Cabe. They flow through narrow Viewpoint in A Capela CATAMARAN). passes and canyons, along delightful Other interesting options are the scenery. A land used for retreat in the routes along the canyons and rivers, past and with excellent weather con- going through woods and spectacu- ditions which boosted wine works in lar viewpoints. Ribeira Sacra offers a the area. wide offer of hiking routes for ever- The following city councils of Lugo yone (see suggestions of HIKING belong to Ribeira Sacra: A Pobra do ROUTES). Brollón, Bóveda, Carballedo, Chan- Besides monasteries, our ancestors´ tada, Monforte de Lemos, O Savi- deep influence is in the huge amount ñao, Pantón, Paradela, Portomarín, of Romanesque churches all through Quiroga, Ribas de Sil, Sober and Ribeira Sacra. In Galicia there is Taboada. such a clear expansion of the Roma- From the province of Ourense: A nesque style that it is considered the Peroxa, A Teixeira, Castro Caldelas, main concentration of Romanesque Church of San Miguel de Eiré Esgos, Montederramo, Nogueira de architecture in the country areas in 5 Church of san Xoán (North portico) Europe. Among the temples of great Monastery of Bernardas de Ferreira beauty are San Paio de Diomondi, Santo Estevo de Atán, San Miguel de year, the queen Teresa of Portugal, Eiré and San Fiz de Cangas (see su- Alfonso VII´s daughter, donated ggestion of ROMANESQUE ROUTE). the monk Arnaldo and the member There is an important influence from of his order the lands where a new the early modern period in Monforte monastery would be put up in the de Lemos, where the building Cole- called “Rivoira Sacrata”. This is Portomarín gio de los Padres Escolapios, known as the “El Escorial Gallego” (compa- red to the historical residence of the King in Madrid), keeps two paintings of El Greco, among other artistic Ermits land treasures. The first reference to this land as This is a special destination for those “Rivoira Sacrata” was in 1124. who search memorable and unre- On a document signed in Allariz peatable experiences in a cultural (Ourense) in August in the same and natural heritage. Views of a vineyard the origin of the monastery of San- ta María de Montederramo, one of the most remarkable and well pre- served in Galicia. The place name became popular when the histo- rian Fray Antonio de Yepes trans- lated the document and explained it because of the huge amount of monasteries in the area. The holy oak tree Not long afterwards, the historian Torquato de Souza Soares reali- zed a mistake in the translation by Yepes. He had written Rovoyra instead of Rivoira, which may be 6 this village, which lies the mountains in O Courel, you can see the popular ar- chitecture of the mountain. The houses are right next to each other; they have gable roofs in order to keep them warm and make people´s lives easier for snowfalls. In Parada de Montes there is a church from the end of the 19th century dedicated to Saint Inés, with a neoclassic altarpiece from the convent of the Clarisas de Monforte. Other interesting places: The forts in interpreted as a “holy oak wood” A POBRA DO BROLLÓN Saa, Salcedo, Lamaigrexa, Domiz and (robur: oak tree). In the Celt cul- Architecture in Vilachá: There are a Barxa, the convent of Feirarrúa, Casa ture the oak and wood were holy total of forty two thousand-year-old wi- Grande de Marcón. elements and this strengthen his neries, with uneven stone walls and a theory. However, people had in- flagstone gable roof. There are among terpreted Ribeira Sacra as “Ribera the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula. sagrada” (holy banks). Medieval bridge of Barxa: This is a The jealous Juno There is an ancient legend of the origin of the Miño and Sil Canyons. According to the myth, the god Ju- piter, in love with the beautiful land of Galicia, decided to take the land by going throw it by the river Miño. Chapel of Ecce Homo But her jealous wife Juno didn´t BÓVEDA accept to share her love with a Pazo de Bóveda: This typical country stranger. In order to distance him Medieval bridge of Barxa de Lor house from Galicia belonged to the from the lovely rival, she didn´t Roman bridge which was the Casti- marquess of Bóveda and was built by hesitate to open a deep wound lians´ access from León to Galicia, Sir Francisco Suárez de Deza y Oca, on that sublime face. It was such although nowadays in only used by the marquess of Vivance. It is in the a wife´s hate that she made the pedestrians. There are still remains of parish of San Martín. Even though wound deeper to the limit, provo- the medieval roads, since the highway it dates from the 18th century (year king the current Canyons of the Sil. goes past there and this is a route of 1769), it had been built on a former pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela pazo from the 16th century. from the river Sil. Chapel of Ecce Homo: It is in the pa- Church of San Salvador de Ferreiros: rish of Rubián and dates from the 18th Church with Romanesque remains da- century. This is a building with a cross ted from 12th century and part of the floor and slate walls. 17th century. It keeps wall paintings CARBALLEDO representing the Annunciation. Church of Santo Estevo de Chouzán: Church of San Xián de Veiga: Nave 12th-century Romanesque church. with semicircular apses from the se- From this period are also the apse cond half of the 12th century. It keeps and the inside nave which were mo- sculptures and a Baroque altarpiece ved stone by stone to its current site, from the 17th century. due to the building of the damming of Church of Óutara: It has a Renaissance Os Peares. main altarpiece and a statue of the Vir- Church of San Xoán da Cova: 12th- gin Mary dated from the 15th century. century Romanesque church with a Camiño Real Architecture in Parada de Montes: In spectacular front of archivolts. As 7 wall paintings. Church of San Salvador de Asma: this 12th-century church belonged to the buildings of the monastery of San Sal- vador de Asma. Several granite pieces from the pre-Romanesque period are still kept. Church of Camporramiro: Romanes- Church of San Salvador de Asma que church dated from the 12th cen- the village of Chantada. Several of the- tury. se traditional buildings rose on pictu- Church of Santa María de Nogueira: it resque arcades, following the civil Gali- holds Romanesque remains as well as cian architecture. The medieval square some form the 16th century. Some of Plaza de España (Cantón) is one of the the most outstanding are the wall pain- most outstanding places, where the tings just restored. neoclassic church of Santa Marina is. Other interesting places: tower Torre In the surrounding area is the square dos Moure. Plaza del Mercado, where there is the MONFORTE DE LEMOS Church of Santo Estevo de Chouzán colonial mansion Casona de Lemos. Monuments in San Vicente del Pino: well as the one of Chouzán, it was Casa Grande de Lemos: a manor at the highest point in the village, it moved stone by stone to its current house dated from the 16th century. It consisted of the Torre del Homenaje - site owing to the building of the da- was restored as a Culture House at the remains of the former castle - , Palacio mming. end of the 1980s by the architect Ma- Condal and Monasterio Benedictino, Parish church of Temes: The church nuel Gallego. today a state-owned hotel. has features of the pre-Roman and Monasterio de Santa María de Pes- Torre del Homenaje: a tower at the top Roman period (Roman altar), Early queiras: a monastery in a natural en- of the village built between the 13th and Christian period (marble sarcophagus vironment, among a hundred-year-old 14th centuries. It was the most signi- from the 4th century) and Christian- grove and close to the dam of Belesar ficant building in the castle, since the Visigoth (inscription in the consecra- (13th century). This is what still re- ritual of association between the lord tion). mains of the former Benedictine con- and his vassal, known as Tribute Cere- Church of Lousada: from the ancient vent, which was annexed the one of mony, was there celebrated.