Land of Celanova (R-5)

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Land of Celanova

This proposal takes us to the lands of Celanova, in the south of the province of Ourense, to discover an interesting heritage in which stands out, of course, the majestic monastery of Celanova; But the region offers other very interesting surprises, such as the monastery church of Ramuín, the Galaico-Roman Castromao hill-fort or the medieval tower and villa of Vilanova dos Infantes.

Map of the tour

Visits

1. Monastery of San Salvador de Celanova

Imposing and majestic, this monastery was founded by S. Rosendo in 936 and has been one of the most important monasteries of the Benedictine Order in Galicia, both from the material and artistic point of view, and is therefore declared a national monument since 1931. Since the secularization of the 19th century, its dependencies are occupied by different local and regional institutions. The elegant church stands out , work of the 17th century with Baroque and Renaissance elements that make it a great temple due to its ornamental profusion. Equally, its facade, joined to the monastery itself, which highlights its two cloisters, the old and the new, built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Located behind the apse of the church, we find one of the jewels of the Galician Mozarabic art, which is the small church of S. Miguel, work finished in 942 which was declared National Monument in 1923. The quality of its construction and the proportionality of its forms would justify by itself the visit to Celanova.

2. Monastery church of S. Pedro de Ramirás

It is a magnificent Romanesque specimen that belonged to a female Benedictine monastery that already worked in the 10th century. After a period of splendour throughout the Middle Ages, it reached its decline at the end of the 15th century, then depending on the monastery of San Paio de Antealtares, in Santiago. The church, with a basilica ground plan of three naves and three apses, is similar to others in the province, such as Aguasantas, Xunqueira de Ambía or Espadañedo. The monastic building, forms an angle with the church but is currently occupied by a private institution

3. Castromao hill-fort

It is one of the most important Galician-Roman enclaves in the province, whose origins date back to the 5th century BC. The entire enclosure is surrounded by a wall of almost 500 meters in length, which contains in its interior an important population which remained during the Roman period.

4. Vilanova dos Infantes

Interesting villa with medieval origins and planning in which stands out the imposing military tower, 19 meters high, only remains of what was an important medieval castle that currently houses the Terra de Celanova foundation. It is worth visiting this small and quiet villa, away from the sightseeing tours, despite its proximity to Celanova. In the surroundings is the sanctuary of the Virgen del Cristal, in which a small image of the Virgin was guarded inside a small glass sphere, piece which was stolen in 2015.