8: Grandas de Salime - Fonsagrada

Our walking along the Asturian soil finishes with this stage and the Galician Way starts. There are 36 km from Grandas de Salime to Fonsagrada to put the walker's strength to the test. Bustelo del Camino is the last Asturian village. We enter Galicia through the Porto do Acebo (1,030 metres high and about 170 km from Compostela). Fonfría (Fonte Fría) is the first Galician village.

That is the end of the Asturian section of the way: La Farrapa, Cerexeira, Malneira, San Julián, Castro, Padraira, Peñafuente and Bustelo del Camino.

In Castro, we find Chao de San Martín, a 'castro' that is being researched and is going to have an interpreting centre.
In Padraira, there was a hospital for leprous people founded at the end of the 16th century.
From here, we find Xestoselo, Peñafonte and the last Asturian village: Bustelo del Camino.

IN GALICIA

We enter Galicia through the Porto do Acebo at 1.030 m high. Since the very beginning of Galicia until Compostela there are 144 km left. Pilgrims that only walk the Galician way start walking here.
In the province of Lugo, there are remarkable traces and remembers that show there was a Way to Compostela.

Fonfria-camino-santiago

Fonfría is the first village in Galicia. This name means ‘cold water spring’ and it also exists in the French Way in the province of Lugo. There was a pilgrim’s hospital here of the Order of St John of Portomarín, containing a house with oratory, lodgings and infirmary… It dates from the beginning of the 17th century and it was still functioning at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Malta Cross preserved in the church on the font reminds us of that hospital.
We pass San Cosme de Barbeitos and Santa Bárbara do Camiño Chapels and find Paradanova with Santa Cruz Chapel, where the Way forks.
A branch of the way leads us to A Fonsagrada, where there is a proof of pilgrimage since the end of the 12th century.

A FONSAGRADA

Nowadays, A Fonsagrada is the head of the largest municipality in Galicia. Here is the Fons Sacrata, taking the village its name. According to the legend, St James was attended in this village by a poor widow. Being sorrow about her poverty, the apostle turned the water of the fountain into milk to feed the widow and her two children.

Fonsagrada

History identifies this name with ‘Fontem Albei’ Roman station within the itinerary of the 4th century from Asturias to Lucus Augusti.
The holy fountain, then christianized, is thought to have originated the hostel and the first church of the village.

 

fonsagrada

Today, A Fonsagrada is the capital of a vast area and offers in its Museum a deep vision of the ethnography of the mountains from the East of Lugo.