Waters of A Limia
The waters of A Limia: the Limia or Lethes river, the drained Lagoa de Antela, Xinzo's floods and the springs, wells and washhouses of the parishes, with links to the entries on each theme.
- Main river
- The Limia (108 km in total, 41 km in Galicia)
- Historic lagoon
- Lagoa de Antela (drained in the second half of the 20th century)
- Water points in Xinzo
- 30 springs, wells, washhouses and a waterfall
The waters of A Limia explain a good part of the territory: an almost flat depression, crossed by the Limia river, which for centuries held a large lagoon at its centre and still keeps springs, washhouses and streams in every parish. This section links the pages that deal with water on three scales: the river, the lagoon and the water points of each place.
The Limia river
The Limia river is an international river of about 108 km, 41 of which flow through Galicia. It rises in Sarreaus, crosses the Limia depression and the town of Xinzo, passes into the Baixa Limia and enters Portugal at Lindoso [1][2]. The Romans called it Lethes, the river of Forgetting, the name behind the Festa do Esquecemento. The full entry is in The Limia river, with its source, course, fish, history and the floods that left Xinzo "like an island".
The Lagoa de Antela
A good part of the plain of A Limia was a lagoon until it was drained in the 20th century. That wet ground explains why the town of Xinzo stands on marshy land and why the river overflowed so often. The history, legends and present-day nature are in Lagoa de Antela and in Ponds and birds of the Lagoa de Antela.
Springs, wells and washhouses
Each parish had its own water points for drinking, irrigation and washing. The collaborative inventory Galicia Nomeada and the Xunta’s heritage catalogue list 30 in the concello of Xinzo de Limia, from the Fonte da Ra to the Guntimil waterfall [3]. They are listed by parish in Springs, washhouses and wells of Xinzo de Limia.
FAQ
How many kilometres of the Limia river are in Galicia?
About 41 of the 108 km in total; the rest flows through Portugal to Viana do Castelo [1][2].
Why was the Limia river called Lethes?
The Romans confused it with the legendary river of Forgetting; in 138 BC Decimus Junius Brutus crossed it to dispel the myth [2].
Where can I find the springs of each parish?
On the page springs, washhouses and wells of Xinzo de Limia, with the parish and source of each point [3].
Links
- The rivers of A Limia: Limia, Arnoia, Támega and streams
- LIFE Regenera Limia and the CHMS works: the European project and the Confederation’s works in A Limia.
- Water, nitrates and irrigation in A Limia: a documented chronology, with each claim attributed to its source.
- A Limia
- Nature of A Limia
- Xinzo de Limia
Sources
- «O río Limia», xinzodelimia.eu (captura de Wayback). http://www.xinzodelimia.eu/rio_limia.htm
- «Río Limia», Wikipedia en castelán (CC BY-SA 4.0). https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Río_Limia
- Galicia Nomeada, inventario colaborativo de microtoponimia (Xunta de Galicia / RAG). https://galicianomeada.xunta.gal/sixtop/visor
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