Curiosities of A Limia
True and curious stories of A Limia told with sources: the miser of Xinzo, the Escornabois plague, the Randín fire, the 1878 Paris Exhibition, the 1918 flu and other customs and archive episodes.
- Content
- Documented stories, not legends
- Periods
- From the 11th to the 20th century
- Sources
- Historic press, archives and local blogs
This section gathers true and curious stories of A Limia drawn from archives, parish books and old newspapers. They are not legends: each page cites where each fact comes from [1][2]. There is a separate section for legends.
Stories
- The miser of Xinzo: José Oterino’s fortune of 432 gold ounces (1891).
- Xinzo at the 1878 Paris Universal Exhibition: the gold medal for linen.
- The Escornabois plague: 118 dead in the parish between 1598 and 1599.
- The great Randín fire: the village of Calvos de Randín reduced to ashes and the aid that arrived.
- The 1918 flu in Xinzo and Moreiras.
- Fair traders, cinzarradas and proxy weddings: Remy of the snakes and other customs.
- Archive stories: the trees of 1755, the three-key chest, the union of 1061 and the 1932 revolt.
- Symbols and traditions of Xinzo: coat of arms, giants, pasodoble and Lady of the Lagoon.
- The game of the Vintos: the skittle-throwing game of San Martiño dos Peros and Sabucedo (Baltar).
- In the history section: The battle of the Xinzo bridge (1809).
How this section is written
Each story rewrites what the sources tell, with dates, names and figures. When two sources give different numbers, the page states both versions, as with the Randín fire, where the press speaks of 120, 300 or 320 houses depending on the newspaper. Stories about specific people, such as that of Genoveva Vázquez, the Xinzo midwife, are in the entries of Notable people of A Limia.
FAQ
What was the "miser of Xinzo"?
José Oterino, a 43-year-old neighbour who died in 1891 and left 432 gold ounces hidden in his house; the press across Spain spoke of him [1].
How many people died in the Escornabois plague?
118 in the parish of Santa Mariña de Escornabois between September 1598 and summer 1599, according to the count by the priest Francisco Rodríguez [1].
What happened in Randín in 1889?
On 20 November a fire burned almost the whole village, with straw houses and strong wind; aid came from many parts of Galicia, from Havana and from Tourém, in Portugal [1].
Sources
- Alexander de los Ríos Conde, Vía Lethes, 2016-2020. https://vialethes.es/
- Edelmiro Martínez Cerredelo, Historia de Xinzo, 2014-2024. https://historiadexinzo.wordpress.com/
In this topic
Curiosities of A LimiaXinzo at the 1878 Paris Universal Exhibition: the soap and linen of A LimiaIn 1878 José Romero took Xinzo's linen and soaps to the Paris Universal Exhibition: he won a gold medal for the linen and an honourable…
Curiosities of A LimiaThe Escornabois plague (1598-1599): 118 dead in a Limia parishBetween September 1598 and 1599 the plague killed 118 people in Santa Mariña de Escornabois (Trasmiras); the priest Francisco Rodríguez…
Curiosities of A LimiaSymbols and traditions of Xinzo: coat of arms, giants, pasodoble and Lady of the LagoonThe coat of arms of Xinzo de Limia (1979), the giants and big-heads of the festivals, the 1929 pasodoble and the sculptures of Xosé Lois…
Curiosities of A LimiaTransport and accidents in A Limia: Monteagudo 1944, Trasmiras 1997 and Prado stationThe British Hudson that crashed at Monteagudo (Calvos de Randín) in 1944, the 1997 accident at the Trasmiras airfield and the disused halt…
Curiosities of A LimiaThe game of the Vintos of San Martiño dos PerosThe Vintos are a game of aim played only in San Martiño dos Peros and Sabucedo (Abades, Baltar): two pairs throw stones (barlas) to knock…
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