The Civitas Limicorum cultural association

Civitas Limicorum is the non-profit cultural association that organises the Festa do Esquecemento. It was founded in Xinzo de Limia in 2001 to spread the story of the Roman legions’ arrival in the land of the Limici, and describes its home as "on the banks of the river Lethes and the Forum Limicorum" ^[1].

A name taken from Roman Limia

The name recalls the civitas of the Limici, the pre-Roman people who lived around the Lagoa de Antela and who are named, among ten peoples, on the column of the Roman bridge at Chaves known as the Padrão dos Povos ^[4]. Two inscriptions dedicated by the Limici to the emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius were found on Monte do Viso, at Nocelo da Pena (Sarreaus), and long suggested that their capital stood there ^[4]. Researchers such as Xoán Carlos Rivas Fernández and Antonio Rodríguez Colmenero argue instead that the Forum Limicorum lay where Xinzo is today, on the strength of the Roman finds in the town ^[4][6]. Martínez Cerredelo summarises the debate in his report on the festival’s origins ^[4].

What the association does

• The Festa do Esquecemento, its main work, every August since 2001, with more than 500 active participants ^[1]. The association has about 500 members ^[1], and in 2024 the Concello described it as the largest cultural association in the district ^[5].
• The Bispo Idacio Awards, presented every year to people who matter to the association ^[1]. They are named after Hydatius, the 5th-century chronicler who said he was born in Lemica civitate ^[4]; they are presented during the festival, at the reception for visiting troops ^[7].
• Samaín, the hillfort-era Samhain, organised with the Concello in early November ^[1][5].
• The Vestalia, a Roman re-enactment dedicated to the Vestal Virgins ^[2].
• Appearances at other events, such as Holy Week in O Carballiño and the Three Kings parade in Ourense ^[2].

Publications

The association has published the magazine A Limia castrexo-romana, written in 2022 by the historian Ana Lucía Martínez Lama (USC); the comic O paso do río Lethes, created in 2010 by Alexandre Prada Souto, a former secretary of the association, and published in 2022; and a promotional leaflet for the INTUR 2022 fair in Valladolid ^[3].

More on the festival’s development in History of the festival and on its events in Typical festival programme.

Sources

1. A.C. Civitas Limicorum, "A Asociación Cultural Civitas Limicorum" (About). https://civitaslimicorum.com/acerca-de
2. A.C. Civitas Limicorum, "Outras actividades". https://civitaslimicorum.com/outras-actividades
3. A.C. Civitas Limicorum, "Publicacións". https://civitaslimicorum.com/publicacions
4. Edelmiro Martínez Cerredelo, "Informe histórico en que se fundamenta a orixe e motivo da celebración da Festa do Esquecemento na vila de Xinzo de Limia" (appendix "Xinzo de Limia: a Civitas Limicorum e o Forum Limicorum"), Historia de Xinzo, 01-07-2026. https://historiadexinzo.wordpress.com/2026/07/01/informe-historico-en-que-se-fundamenta-a-orixe-e-motivo-da-celebracion-da-festa-do-esquecemento-na-vila-de-xinzo-de-limia/
5. Concello de Xinzo de Limia, "O Concello de Xinzo organiza o Samhain castrexo en colaboración coa Civitas Limicorum", 23-09-2024. https://www.xinzodelimia.gal/cultura/concello-xinzo-organiza-sahmain-castrexo-colaboracion-coa-civitas-limicorum/20240923111538006625.html
6. "Xinzo de Limia", Galipedia (in Galician; CC BY-SA 4.0). https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinzo_de_Limia
7. Vía Lethes, "Festa do Esquecemento 2024, programa oficial", 21-08-2024. https://vialethes.es/festa-do-esquecemento-2024-xinzo-de-limia-programa-oficial