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GALICIA Information - GALICIA CUSTOMS, CULTURE AND ART |
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| FEASTS AND FAIRS.
The Galician population is divided into almost 3,800 parishes, which
is the typical division inherited from the Swabians (a 5th century
invading people). Now every parish has its own fair or fairs, especially
during the summer months. Therefore, one can imagine the vast number
of fairs in these lands. Besides these popular fairs, Galician folklore,
rich and varied in traditions and legends, has given birth to countless
romerias (a kind of short festive pilgrimage) and other religious
and pagan festivities. The only drawback is the impossibility of attending
them all. The feast of the maios, which celebrates springtime; the
bonfires of Saint John, at the summer solstice; and the magosto, when
the first chesnuts are roasted and the first wines tasted, are some
examples that can be cited. Among the romerias, to choose just one
from each province, the most visited ones are the romeria of the Miracles
of Amil in Moraña (Pontevedra), the Virgin of the Boat in Muxia
(A Coruña), the Tour of the Holy Cross (Xira de la Santa Cruz)
in Ribadeo (Lugo) and the Battle of Moors and Christians in A Safnza
(Ourense). The "floral carpets" on Corpus Christi Day in
Ponteareas, which are also seen in Ares and Gondomar, are worth a
special mention. Among the most original, local feasts, the curros
or Rapa das Bestas (the shearing and branding of wild horses) must
be noted. This feast originated from farm labours, which include the
breeding of horses which are set free in the wild country. Some twenty
curros are celebrated in different parts of Lugo, A Coruna and Pontevedra
from May to August. The celebration of carnivals is spectacular in
Galicia and these have achieved wide recognition, especially those
of Laza (Verfn) and Xinzo de Limia. The gastronomic festivals deserve
a separate mention. The Feast of the Stew in Lalfn is followed, in
chronological order, by the Festival of Cheese in Arzua; of the Elver
in Tui; of the Lamprey in Arbo; of the Pepper in Arnoia and Padron;
of the Salmon in A Estrada; of the Bica (a kind of marzipan) in Trives;
of Seafood in O Grove... to end in December with the Festival of the
Capon in Vilalba. ARCHEOLOGY AND ART. The provincial Archeology Museums situated in the four capital cities, especially the Pontevedra Museum, exhibit a great deal of samples of Galician archeology, which possesses a surprising wealth, variety and rarity. The most original pieces belong to the culture of the castros, Celtic people's settlements, who left behind them a rich collection of jewels and gold objects. Other big Museums, such as the Fine Arts Museum in A Coruiia, the Castrelos Town Museum in Vigo and the Galician People's Museum in Santiago can be visited. Then, scattered throughout Galicia, there are almost another hundred registered minor museums. However, the visitor may find the label "minor" rather strange, since some are quite impressive. Such is the case of the Museum of Sacred Art in Mondoiiedo Cathedral, the Museum of the Monastery in Oseira, Tui Cathedral Museum or the Tapestry Museum in Santiago Cathedral. Apart from prehistoric art, where a large number of dolmens and cave drawings are worth mentioning, Galicia offers spectacular monuments. Such are the Walls of Lugo, the Tower of Hercules in A Coruña and the Roman bridge in Ourense. Some landmarks are preserved from Swabian and Visigothic times. In Celanova and Santa Comba de Bande are the best examples. But it is mainly in the Romanesque art of the 12th and 13th centuries, moulded in the five hundred or so churches distributed in every corner in Galicia, that the genius of the Galician creative spirit emerges. Next in importance is the Baroque, a style which delights in complicated facades, graceful towers and surprising reredoses. Among them, the Obradoiro facade, which covers the earlier Romanesque one, is a must. Among the countless reredoses, it is hard to choose between one in San Martin Pinario, in Santiago, another in the monastery church in Celanova and a third one in Lugo Cathedral. These Galician artistic traditions are alive in the three major arts. This is evident from a visit to the Carballiño Church of the Holy Cross by Antonio Palacios, from the numerous sculptures in Asorey or from the Biennial Painting Exhibitions in Pontevedra. Among the minor arts, the pottery of Sargadelos, the embroidery of Camariñas, the gold and jet work of Santiago are well known. MONASTERIES. Other religious monuments, the great monasteries, are spectacular in Galicia. Most of them originated with the birth of monasticism in the 7th century, but they reached their peak in the 11th and 12th centuries, during the golden age of Galician culture. However, those that remain owe their existence to the Renaissance and Baroque periods, when they were rebuilt or reformed. Examples of these magnificent constructions, almost always found in idyllic semi-deserted places, are the Monastery of Samos, on the Road to Santiago; that in Oseira, one of the very few that preserves its Romanesque church; another one in Sobrado, overlooking a wide landscape and that in Oia, on the seashore. Some of them have recently been revitalized and offer lodging to travellers. Others are almost abandoned among leafy forests, like the Monasteries in Caaveiro, Acebeiro and Monfero. The Monastery of Armenteira has a splendid Romanesque front with a large stone rose window. THE FIVE CATHEDRALS. The five Galician cathedrals share a common element: the superposition of styles throughout the centuries. The Romanesque prevails in all of them, with later reforms and additions. The first example of this is the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Gothic elements show up in the cathedrals of Tui and Mondonedo. The latter is crowned with Baroque towers. The most significant additions are the Neo-classical chevet and the Renaissance dome of Ourense Cathedral. The Neo-classical facade of Lugo Cathedral gives no hint of the splendid Romanesque interior and the Gothic elements in its nave. HORREOS, PAZOS (MANORS) AND CRUCEIROS. As we enter Galicia, three original types of buildings jump to our attention: the horreos (a sort of raised granaries), the pazos (mansions or stately homes) and the cruceiros (stone crosses with long vertical shafts). The main use of the horreo is ripening, drying and storing grain. In some places they are called cabazos or cabaceiros. As decorative elements, they show a cross and a cone or pyramid -symbol of fertility- in the roof vertices. The cruceiro is a religious element erected because of a vow, a memorial or simply to mark a road. It first appeared in the late 14th century and their construction continued until very recently. The Melide Cruceiro is considered the oldest and the Hio Cruceiro the most spectacular. Pazos are stately mansions built in the country either as permanent or temporary residences for Galician noblemen and illustrious families. They were mainly built during the 17th and 18th centuries and their dimensions, together with the coats of arms they display, towers, sun lounges, chapels and the lush gardens which surround them, make them outstanding. |
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