Tag Archives: Churches

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Sanctuary of Virxe da Barca (the virgin of the Boat)

At the end of this stage, we arrive at one of the key sites in this Camiño dos Faros: the Sanctuary of “ A Nosa Señora da Barca”, which is the end of the way pilgrims carry out who, after visiting the apostle, lead to this area of Finish Terrae to kneel down in front of the image of the Virgin and watch one of the most curious rocks full of legend.

We arrive at the Sancturary of “A Nosa Señora da Barca”, a building that was built to christen a place where some pagan cults were held by the ancient Celts. The first chapel was built in the 12^th century and it got its importance as it became the final stage the pilgrims carried out, after visiting the apostle, led to this land Finis Terrae to kneel down in front of the image of the Virgin the legend says the Apostle Santiago encouraged to Christianize this land.

The temple we can see nowadays is the Baroque style and it was built at the beginning of the 18^th century, thanks to the donation given by the Counts of Maceda, whose ashes are buried in one of the crypts inside the Sanctuary.

It has a Latin cross floor plan. Inside, the part that stands among the other ones, is the Baroque altar a piece of the sculptor Miguel de Romay. The twelve apostles are represented there standing around the alcove of the Virgin A Barca, who enjoys a great popular devotion.

The cult to the rocks is widespread in the area. The legend says that the Virgin arrived on a boat: the sail (the Rock of Abalar), the boat (the Rock of the Cadrís) and the rudder (the Rock of the Rudder) are the stone remains of the boat that are worth visiting.

The Rock of Abalar (“A Pedra de Abalar”) is a 9-meter long megalith of 30 centimeters thick. Its main feature is that it swings back (abala) when people stand over it, and the rock produces a hoarse sound. The tradition tells that this movement is caused when the people standing over it are free of sins.

Another legend says that this rock moves by itself to warn against the storms in the rough winter. In 1978, during one tough winter, the rock moved a bit and a part of it broke. Later, it was placed in the spot where it used to be and nowadays it is visited by thousands of “romeros” that go every year.

The Rock of Os Cadrís (“A Pedra dos Cadrís”) has the shape of a kidney (“cadrí” in Galician) and it is the rest of the boat of the Virgin. According the costume, the “romeros” have to walk under it 9 times to heal their rheumatic pains and the ones related to the kidney. Under this rock, the statute of the Virgin was found and taken to the Church. Somehow, it disappeared from the religious building and it appeared again under the stone. At the end, the sanctuary was built there.

Along the second week of September, around the sanctuary and in the village of Muxía one of the oldest “romerías”in Galicia takes place. It is also known that it is the most visited one: The Romería of “Nuestra Señora da Barca”.

There is no better place to finish this stage of O Camiño dos Faros: sitting on the Rock of Abalar at the sunset, enjoying it watching the kind of frightening sea of Muxía. A Costa da Morte is a magic land and in moments similar to this one we realize that we live in a privileged area, where everything is a piece of art: the sea, the sun, the land, the seagulls… all of them come together to create a paradise on earth.

We have lived a beautiful stage that has taken us to this “Punta da Barca”

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Cereixo

O Camiño dos Faros gets to Santiago de Cereixo, which belongs to the municipality of Vimianzo. It is a different landscape and strategic for the trade as it did already exist in the 10^th century, but the lootings of the Vikings and Arabians all along the centuries 12^th, 13^th destroyed it. In order to re-found it, the king Alfonso XII provided it with the “carta puebla” and several privileges, visiting it in 1228 and making it stronger in front of the feudal lords. Its port was really important at that time.

Before arriving, we are impressed when we see the silhouette of the 19-foot “hórreo”, one of the biggest in Galicia. It is placed in Vila Purificación, a baroque “pazo” that dates back to the 18^th century where the taxes had to be paid and it also has a pigeon house.

We take the way that takes us to the riverbank by taking it among the first houses. The first thing that we see is an invention, the “Mill of the tides”, which was created centuries ago. It was built in 1679 by the family Moscosos and Altamira. This mill used not only the force of the river Riotorto but also the tides of the estuary to grind. Now, it is being used as a house whose main door is reached by using a wooden walkway (kind of small bridge) over the river.

From the mill, the path takes us to the riverside walk, with several information panels that will help us to get to know more the fauna and flora of this area. On the other side, we can see beautiful hanging houses. It seems as if the time has not gone by them. We use these nice shadows the river provides us with to stop to have something to drink and eat. We have done less than half of the stage, so we can`t stay there long if we want to arrive in Muxía.

By the stairs, we can get to Santiago de Cereixo´s church, that was built in the 12^th century, keeping from that time the Romanesque ground plan and part of its walls.

The most attractive part is the tympanum of one of its doors, made in the 12^th century. It is the oldest representation graved in stone of the scene that represents the moment when the Apostle Santiago was taken to Galicia on a boat with 7 disciples.

Next to the church, we see the robust Towers of Cereixo, built by the lords Calo and Carantoña in the 17^th century, probably above a fortress that protected previously the mouth of the river from the continuous raids by the Vikings. When its role as a defensive building vanished, a new building was built to link both crenellated towers. So, the ground floor was used as the place where the inhabitants paid their taxes, and the upper area as a dwelling.

On the main façade and on the lateral one, the shields represent most of the noble families, that had been in a particular moment, the owners of this “pazo”. At the beginning of the 20^th century, the last owner descendant of these lineages had to sell it. Nowadays, the owner is an architect and visits are not allowed, but, as we can see from outside, it is in very good condition, so, well maintained.

In the middle of the square, there is an impressive oak whose age is unknown but what we actually know is that it is at least some centuries old, even older than the towers. The place under the tree top is also a good spot to rest as we deserve after the walk.

What do you think about this part of the route? We have left the coastline and got into the banks of the river Grande, a stretch that is full of life and history. We do believe it is worth walking it. Now, we have to stand up, as there is half of the stage left.

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The Church of Santa María da Atalaia

This church was built at the end of 14^th century and it has a great its historic-artistic value. It is an epitome of the gothic art related to the sea that is typical in a great deal of the Galician coast, from the period that was built some sculptures are still preserved.

This church has a unique nave with its square apse. Its façade is decorated with images of the Virgin. Inside the church, there are several graves dated back to the 13^th century belonging to the Moscosos who governed these lands after the family Traba. The baroque altarpiece at the high altar was destroyed by lightning in1955, revealing an altarpiece made of stone.

From the atrium in the Church, we can see a very beautiful view of the port and of the beach in Laxe. Close to the church, which is currently used as a parking place, it is the grave of the ship-wrecked castaways of the English vessel Adelaide, which wrecked in the bay.