MELIDE

Melide is already in the province of A Coruña. Through Melide, we get to the population Leboreiro , called Campus Leporarius according to the Codex of Calixtus. There is here a Romanesque church dedicated to St Mary and the old pilgrims’ hospital is also preserved. This hospital had an escutcheon of the Ulloas, who founded it. The modest Bridge of Disicabo with an only arch let us cross the Dry River (Río Seco).
Much more majestic is the medieval bridge over the river Furelos, which is near Melide.

MELIDE is the capital of a wide and rich region. The Cabildo de Santiago (the Chapter of Santiago) went there to receive the new archbishops. In this city existed the Monastery of Santic Spiritus (The Monastery of the Holy Spirit) , which was founded in the 14th century. The present-day parish church is a restored remain of that monastery that had an important and peculiar hospital where the pilgrim was provided with fire and bed and shelter and charity. In Melide joined the French route and the one coming from the Cantabrian coast -Vascongadas, Santander, Asturias- that went into Galicia via Ribadeo.

Entering Melide, we find St Pedro’s Church whose old Romanesque façade and beautiful cross are preserved.

The Museum Terra de Melide preserves interesting objects that are very important to look back into the past of this region.

Many years ago there was a castle and a fort in the place where today the Chapel of Carmen do Castelo and the cemetery are situated.

In the outskirts of the population there is also a Romanesque church called St María and an outstanding cross . From Melide, we go through Boente where there is a parish temple devoted to St James to reach Castañeda. Here, in Castañeda, there were lime ovens to make the works of the Cathedral in Compostela. For this purpose, pilgrims brought limestones from Pedrafita and Triacastela.
Crossing the river Iso in Ribadiso de Baixo, we find the building, which was a pilgrim hospital. According to a document of the 16th century, the chief of this hospital had to help pilgrims with charity.

ARZÚA

ARZÚA is the last big village on the road a bit further than 30 km from Compostela. In the centre of the village is the Church of La Magdalena that a few years before had belonged to the Convent of the Agustines who supported an important hospital in Arzúa.

Leaving Arzúa there is a chapel in As Barrosas , which is dedicated to St Lazarus , a common devotion on the road recalling the Lazaretos for the attention of pilgrims with contagious diseases.