3: Sarria - Portomarín

Barbadelo

The Romanesque Church in BARBADELO is dedicated to St James and considered a national monument. It lies near the place called Mosteiro, which recalls the old monastery joined to Samos at the end of the 9th century. The tympanum, façade, and the northern side are the most outstanding in the church. The ruins of the old Benedictine priory are also preserved. Those who were sent by the hotelkeepers of Santiago de Compostela arrived in Barbadelo and even Triacastela offering lodging. Many unscrupulous men came as well trying to hold up the pilgrims.

At the end of Sarria, we find VELANTE, which is a good example of the humblest Galician Romanesque. We also find BREA, which is one of so many towns whose name comes for being on the bank of the route.

                                                      

Paradela

 

We are already in PARADELA.

In Mirallos there is a very interesting Romanesque church, which some years before had been established in Ferreiros. It was moved to Paradela in 1790.

The route is clearly rural, very attractive to the traveller, with small towns and modest churches that recall old hospitals and leafy vegetation. Cortés is also very near the route. There is a block of slate that is thought to have been an altar for sacrifices. It is known as Pena da ferradura do cabalo because it is similar to a horseshoe.

 

The Monastery of St María de Loio or de Ribalogio existed in Lio and was restored in the ninth century by the monk Quintila, the birthplace of the Military Order of the Knights of Santiago in Galicia in the 12th century. Nowadays there are not even ruins of that great house. We are already near the Portus Marinus - Portomarín.

 

 

Portomarín

 

The old PORTOMARÍN consisted of the populations of St Pedro and St Nicolás on the banks of the river Miño. When 'Belesar' dam was built at the beginning of the 60’s, the old town disappeared and the most important documents were moved to the top of the hill stone by stone.

We cross the big bridge over the river and enter the village along the steps of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves. We can still see in the river the remains of the Roman Bridge, which was destroyed by doña Urraca's army and restored by Pedro Peregrino at the beginning of the 12th.

St Nicolás is the great temple-fortress in Portomarín. It was erected in the 13th century and belonged to the Order of St John of Jerusalem. It dominates the city and there is a wonderful view from here.  

The Romanesque Church of St Pedro, from12th century, La Casa del Conde from the 16th century and the Palacio de Berbetoros from the 17th century are the other monuments in Portomarín that were rescued from the water.

 

The new Portomarín is an urban mixture of modernity and history and continues to be a wonderful place to follow the route to Compostela.